Eliminating a squirrel infestation involves coordinated steps to identify entryways, force squirrels to evacuate, securely seal up access points, and restore damaged areas. Here’s what you can expect during professional squirrel removal:
In-Depth Inspection
An extensive inspection of your home’s interior and exterior reveals the full extent of how squirrels are entering and moving through your property. Contractors examine the perimeter for compromised areas like loose shingles and gaps under eaves. Vents, utilities, and joints around chimneys come under close scrutiny as well. Attics and crawl spaces get searched for chew marks, nesting sites, and other clues indicating squirrel traffic patterns. This enables technicians to create a strategic exclusion plan targeting the actual entryways.
Installing Exclusion Doors
Before permanently sealing openings, professionals first install temporary one-way exclusion doors into the entryways. These consist of wire mesh or plastic valves which let squirrels exit out but not back in. This gives squirrels a chance to vacate naturally without trapping them inside. Several days to a week may pass before technicians move to the next steps. Monitoring confirms squirrel activity has ceased, signaling they’ve left and exclusion doors can be removed.
Humane Trapping
After allowing ample time for squirrels to exit through exclusion doors, humane trapping ensues for any stragglers still inside. Cage traps lure squirrels in with tempting bait. This removes remaining individuals humanely without harming them. Nursing mothers won’t be separated from dependent young left behind. Trapping takes patience as squirrels grow increasingly wary. Professionals know creative tricks to gain squirrels’ trust for capture.
Sealing of Entry Points
After exhaustive confirmation no squirrels remain inside, contractors permanently seal all entryways. This involves metal mesh, concrete, durable sealants, and other gnaw-proof materials squirrels can’t bypass. Persistent monitoring is key – technicians often must revisit spots getting re-chewed for added reinforcement. Only when zero breaches exist will squirrels be locked out for good.
Sanitizing and Cleanup
With squirrels evicted, their contaminated droppings, nesting debris, fleas, and other mess gets removed and disinfected thoroughly. Attics and wall voids get scrubbed and deodorized to remove germs and foul odors. Damaged insulation and other tainted materials get replaced. Thorough sanitization restores your home’s safety after being overrun by squirrels.
Repairing Property Damage
Finally, contractors repair any areas squirrels compromised while infiltrating your home. This may involve patching chewed drywall, replacing compromised wiring, installing new insulation, and making cosmetic repairs to damaged sidings or trimwork. Your home gets restored to its pre-infestation condition.
Professional squirrel removal is a detailed process, not a quick fix. But following these coordinated steps leads to lasting success and peace of mind. Don’t let impatience undermine the strategy.
