How to get rid of squirrels in the attic

First, confirm it’s squirrels

Squirrels keep a daytime schedule, which is the easiest tell. You’ll hear a burst of quick scratching and scampering near the roofline at dawn, and again before dusk, as they leave to forage and return to the nest. Raccoons are heavier and active at night; mice are lighter and mostly nocturnal. If it’s fast, high up, and loudest early, it’s squirrels.

Find the entry, but don’t seal it yet

Walk the outside of the house and look along the roofline for a round opening, usually at a gable vent, a soffit corner, a roof-return, or where a dormer meets the roof. You may see gnaw marks, staining, or a worn spot. Note where it is, but resist the urge to close it up right away.

Watch the nesting seasons

Female squirrels nest in attics twice a year in New Jersey, in late winter and again in late summer. If it’s those windows, assume there may be young and have the attic checked before anything is closed.

What actually works

1. Inspect. Confirm how many, whether there’s a nest of young, and every opening they’re using.
2. Remove. One-way exclusion doors let squirrels leave and keep them from getting back in. Where there are young, they’re removed first.
3. Seal. Close the entry and any other weak points with heavy-gauge materials squirrels can’t chew through. This is the step that ends it.
4. Repair and clean. Fix chewed fascia and vents, and clear droppings or soiled insulation if needed.

What to skip

• Poison. It isn’t effective or legal for squirrels, and a dead animal in a wall is its own problem.
• Repellents and ultrasonic gadgets. They don’t reliably move an established nest.
• Sealing before removal. Covered above, it’s the big one.

Keep them from coming back

Trim branches that overhang the roof, keep gutters clear, and cap or screen gable and roof vents. Squirrels return to the same easy openings year after year, so the sealing and the roofline maintenance are what keep next season quiet.

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