|
|
Squirrels in the Ceiling - Get Them Out
I wrote this site about squirrels in the attic, but many people hear the squirrels in the ceiling. If the attic is directly above
the ceiling where you hear the running and scratching sounds of squirrels, then it's a classic case of squirrels in the attic.
HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS INSIDE THE CEILING GAP AREAS.
But squirrels can get almost anywhere in the architecture of a house - the eaves, the walls, and the ceiling - the gap between the 1st and 2nd floor, for
example, or a drop ceiling, or a ceiling with a flat roof and no attic gap, etc. The remedy is pretty much the same no matter where the
squirrels have set up shop.
Step 1) Note the time of year. If it's September or March, there's a litter of baby squirrels in the ceiling. You have to either find the nest and remove the
young by hand, or wait until they are at least 5 weeks old (and mobile) before you begin any removal methods.
Step 2) Inspect the outside of your house, and find out how they got inside. There should be a hole or gap (or two). Seal off any extra open holes, and leave
just the main hole open.
Step 3) Set multiple squirrel-size traps near the entry hole - bolt them to the roof or fascia or wherever the animals are getting in. Or, even better, set a
repeater trap or a one-way exclusion door on the entry/exit hole, to get all the target squirrels in one shot.
Step 4) Once all the squirrels are out or trapped and relocated far away, seal the entry hole permanently, with steel.
Step 5) If necessary, clean and decontaminate the attic space, because of the squirrel urine and feces.
| There's really not much new to write here that isn't already posted on my main home page. The situation with squirrels in the ceiling
is the same as having them in the attic. It's just a different part of the architecture. The only extra challenges with the ceiling gap area as opposed to the attic is that there's
no space for a human to crawl around in the ceiling - this prevents easy removal of a litter of baby squirrels, it prevents easy application of eviction fluid, and it prevents good
cleanup of squirrel feces afterward. All of these can still be done, but removal of a litter might require cutting a hole in the ceiling, or waiting 6 weeks until the young are up and
running about, and then excluding them.
|
A GOOD WAY TO GET THEM ALL OUT OF THE CEILING AT ONCE IS WITH A REPEATER TRAP
Reader Email: I have a problem with a squirrel. It appears and I do not know how, but it seems to be in the ceiling above my kitchen. I have a 2 floor home, so it definitely did not get in from the attic or roof. How it got into the kitchen ceiling is unknown to me. Perhaps through the kitchen fan vent or who knows. How can I get rid of this pest or is there a way you can offer some assistance.
Thank you
My Response: Yes, there more certainly is a good chance that the squirrels got into the house at roof level, went into the attic, and then down the wall and into the ceiling space above the kitchen. They do that all the time. They also might have gotten
in at a lower point of entry. Houses have many potential areas. Luckily, with squirrels it's pretty easy to find the entry/exit point. It's usually fairly large, and sometimes even has chewing around it.
Some people have asked me about the use of poison for squirrels, but there is no registered legal poison, nor any effective one that I know of. And if poison does work, you'll just end up with the stench of rotting squirrel carcassas in your
attic. Always use trapping and removal to get rid of squirrels in the ceiling. You probably won't be able to keep squirrels from gaining access to your ceiling, or at least the outside roof, since they are such great climbers and can jump so far. How far can a squirrel jump?
|
|
 |
Please be kind to squirrels! They are intelligent animals, and believe it or not, they definitely have emotions! |
 |
|
|
|
