Ah squirrels.  To some people they’re cute little critters. Not to us though, and not to you either.

You know about the damage a squirrel can cause. They use their choppers to chew up your flowers, roof shingles, siding, patio furniture, electrical wiring in your home and just about anything they can their little paws and teeth onto.

So how to get rid of squirrels? It’s not easy, we know. We get a lot of calls from people who have given up and “called for backup”, which is us.

Related: How to Squirrel Proof Your Home

You can try a lot of different methods and still have trouble with them. We’re going to go over some of the ways you can try to get rid of squirrels in your home and your property.

If you’d rather just have us get rid of your squirrels, don’t hesitate to email or phone us at (847) 464-1861.

How to get rid of squirrels in your house

Let the squirrel leave on its own – A squirrel will leave your house on its own if given a chance. If there’s a squirrel in your attic, it will leave on its own to go in search of food. Wait for it to leave and then search for the entry point and cover it up as quickly as possible so it can’t get back it.

Squirrels in your walls can be a challenge. We recommend you contact us to have them removed.

If the squirrel is trapped in your house – If a squirrel has not made a home in your attic and instead has accidentally become trapped in your house, you’ll have a few different options, but please use caution.

• Make sure all your pets are out of the squirrel’s way. Squirrels can carry diseases that could be passed on to your pets.
• Confine the squirrel to a single room. Close all doors that lead to another part of the house. Then open all windows and any doors that lead to the outside.
• Leave the room. Let the squirrel feel safe enough that he can make his escape. He doesn’t want to be there and he’ll leave if he feels he can do it safely.
• Alternately, you can use a humane capture trap, bait it with some peanut butter and capture the squirrel. Get it as close the squirrel as you can and then leave.

We’ve heard of people capturing squirrels by using heavy blankets and sneaking up on them, but we do NOT recommend that.

Related: Common Animal Entry Points in Your Home

How to keep squirrels out of your garden

Squirrels in your garden can be extremely annoying. Sometimes they will pick whole vegetables and run off with them. What’s even more annoying to me though is their habit of taking one bite out of your vegetable and then leaving the rest on the vine or the ground.

• Citrus fruit peels – Save a big container or orange and lemon peels from over the winter months. When it is spring planting time, bury the old rinds just under the top of the soil and they will discourage the squirrels.
• Scatter dog and human hair around your garden – Squirrels do not like the smell of humans and they fear the smell of dogs. Just like the citrus peels, bury it just below the top level, or even sprinkle some right on top of problem areas.
• Spices – Garlic powder and cayenne pepper sprinkled on top of your bulbs can keep squirrels away.
• Squirrel repellents – People report varying levels of success using these products. Your results may vary but they do sometimes work, but sometimes squirrels may build up a tolerance to them over time.
• Motion activated sprinklers – These can be used to keep all kinds of animals out of your yard. As a bonus, they can water your lawn and garden!

Call a professional

If you don’t want to remove squirrels yourself (and we DON’T recommend it), then please call Attic Solutions at (847) 464-1861 for professional squirrel removal in the Chicagoland area.