Expert Guide on How to Get Rid of Squirrels

Normally, we don't think of pests as being cute. But squirrels manage to be both destructive animals and quite adorable at the same time.

Part of the problem is that the most common squirrel species in the UK, the grey squirrel, isn't supposed to be here. These aggressive invaders have pushed out the native red squirrel from most of its original range. Plus, they can damage beech and oak trees by gnawing the bark at the base, causing it to weaken and die.

Worst of all, though, squirrels can nest inside our homes. There, they can damage wiring, insulation, and the woodwork of your house.

For small animals, squirrels are a big problem. Dealing with them can be tricky, partly because of the legal issues around them. Let's look at how squirrels operate and what you can do to protect your property.

Understanding Grey Squirrel Behaviour

What Are Grey Squirrels?

The grey squirrel, known scientifically as Sciurus carolinensis, is a rodent that is native to North America. In nature, they live in forests and help them regenerate by burying nuts and seeds. However, starting in the 1870s, British aristocrats began importing grey squirrels onto their estates. Even worse, in 1921, the Zoological Society of London released grey squirrels into Regent's Park. From there, they rapidly spread across the UK, driving the native red squirrel out of its habitat almost everywhere in the country.

Grey squirrels are grey or brown, with a white belly and a large, bushy tail. Grey squirrels are around 24 to 26 cm in length, with the tail adding another 19 to 24 cm. They weigh between 450 and 650 grams, much bigger than the native red squirrel, which weighs 250 to 340 grams. Red squirrels have red fur and distinctive tufts on their ears, which grey squirrels lack.

The grey squirrel's size helped it outcompete the red squirrel, but grey squirrels can also carry a disease called squirrel pox which kills red squirrels but doesn't affect their grey cousins.

Squirrel Lifecycle and Nesting Habits

• In the wild, grey squirrels live for 2 to 5 years.
• They have two breeding seasons annually; one in spring and another toward the end of summer.
• They build nests called dreys in trees, but will also build them in attics, lofts, garden sheds, and other unattended areas.
• They are active in the early morning, usually before the sun rises, especially in winter.

Dangers Associated with Grey Squirrels

You may not think of squirrels being dangerous, and, indeed, they don't attack humans. However, that doesn't make them harmless.

Squirrels urinate and defecate everywhere they go. When they get inside a building, they leave a lot of droppings and urine behind. Plus, as rodents, squirrels need to constantly gnaw hard surfaces to stop their teeth growing too long. In a home, they will chew on wooden beams, which can weaken them, and can also chew electrical wires, which may start fires. Squirrels also strip bark from trees, which causes the trees to die.

But squirrels are even more dangerous to native wildlife. They have made the red squirrel an endangered species, and are also a threat to many native species of birds as they will steal eggs from nests.

Identifying Signs of a Squirrel Infestation

Key Indicators of Squirrel Activity

Here are some signs that you have squirrels in your house:

• Hearing scratching, scuttling, or rustling noises from your loft or inside the walls of your house, especially in the early morning.
• Finding droppings in your loft or attic. Squirrel droppings are smooth, cylindrical, with a slight curve, and are around 5 to 8 mm in length. They closely resemble rat droppings, but squirrel droppings are more rounded at the ends.
• Smelling urine in confined spaces like a garden shed, crawlspace, or loft.
• Seeing bark stripped from trees or gnawing around entry points to your attic or loft.
• Seeing squirrels on your roof, garden fences, in trees, or at birdfeeders.

Common Nesting Locations

In the wild, squirrels nest in trees. However, they can often be found nesting in:

• Attics, lofts, and roof spaces.
• Garden sheds, garages, gazebos, and other garden structures.
• Inside wall cavities and under floorboards.

Preventing Squirrel Infestations

Early detection is key to solving pest problems, and squirrels are no different. Keep an eye on your property by regularly inspecting your roof and attic and looking for areas where squirrels may get inside, including gnaw marks on beams or around holes. If you find any holes, seal them off with galvanized steel mesh so that squirrels can't chew through it. It's also good to trim back tree branches that overhang your roof to stop squirrels gaining easy access to the building.

You can also make your property less attractive to squirrels. Use squirrel-proof birdfeeders, and store birdseed in squirrel-proof containers. Keep rubbish bins tightly closed, and remove fallen fruits, nuts, and seeds from your garden.

DIY Grey Squirrel Control Solutions

Before you tangle with squirrels, protect yourself. Wear thick gloves if you're going to be approaching live squirrels, or rubber gloves when handling nests or materials contaminated by droppings and urine.

You can make your property less attractive to squirrels by using deterrents. Motion-activated sprinklers can chase squirrels away by spraying them with water when they get too close to the house. You can use non-toxic taste repellents on trees and around entry points. When the squirrels chew the trees, they get a nasty taste that will put them off. You can also wrap the bottom of trees with metal tree guards that prevent squirrels from climbing them or stripping the bark. If these methods don't work, you may be tempted to trap the squirrels. But before you do, know that it is illegal to release grey squirrels once caught. If you catch a live squirrel, you have to euthanize it. If you're not comfortable doing that, don't trap them.

If you are willing to trap and kill squirrels, you have to use the right trap. In areas where red squirrels survive, you must use a live capture trap so that you don't accidentally kill a native squirrel. In areas where the red squirrels have been wiped out, you can use a spring trap which will kill the squirrel almost instantly.

Traps can be baited with peanut butter, maize, fruit, or nuts. Place traps in areas of squirrel activity, but make sure they can't be accessed by other animals, including cats and dogs. While you are allowed to kill grey squirrels, you can't make them suffer any more than necessary, so if you do catch one, you must kill it as quickly and humanely as possible.

Professional Grey Squirrel Control

Why DIY Methods May Not Be Effective

Chasing squirrels away, making your property less attractive to them, and sealing holes are the most humane and effective ways to deal with them. Trapping should only be used as a last resort.

However, DIY methods can be tricky because squirrels are persistent. Often, they will find alternative entry points after you block the one they are using. This is especially true during mating season. Make sure the squirrel does not have a nest full of babies inside your attic because if she does and you block her out, she will cause a lot of damage to your roof trying to get back into her young.

Trapping is also tricky because of the legal framework around it. Killing squirrels humanely is not a skill most people have, and it's something you may not be comfortable doing yourself.

For all these reasons, it may make sense to call for professional help. Especially when a squirrel infestation persists even after you've tried to scare them away and block up the holes they are using. You may also have hard-to-reach nesting areas and walls you can't access, or large numbers of squirrels that are doing significant damage. Plus, professionals know all the legal rules around how to handle squirrels and make sure they treat them humanely as well as effectively.

Methods Used by Pest Control Professionals

When dealing with squirrel problems, pest control professionals may:

• Capture them alive and kill them humanely according to strict legal guidelines.
• Use approved and regulated poisons or spring traps to kill squirrels that find their way into buildings.
• Destroy squirrel nests, especially in rural settings.
• Shoot squirrels where legally permitted - usually not in cities and towns.

Legal Considerations for Squirrel Control

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits releasing captured grey squirrels. Meanwhile, the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 enforces that they are humanely dispatched when caught, without unnecessary suffering. Finally, the Animal Welfare Act of 2006 regulates the humane treatment of captured animals, including squirrels.

Dealing with Squirrel Bites

You're very unlikely to be bitten by a squirrel unless you grab one. However, squirrels can deliver painful bites if they feel trapped. If you do get bitten:

• Wash the wound immediately with soap and water.
• Apply antiseptic and cover with a clean bandage.
• Seek medical advice, especially if signs of infection appear. These include redness, swelling, red streaks around the injury, discharge from the wound, or fever following the bite.

Final Word

Squirrels are tricky pests to deal with. These animals are persistent and crafty, and can be tenacious in finding a way into your home. The best way to keep them out is to make your home less attractive by removing sources of food and blocking any holes they use to get inside.

If you have to trap squirrels, you have to be willing to kill them. And you have to be able to do that as quickly and humanely as possible to avoid causing unnecessary suffering. If you're not comfortable doing that or don't know how, it's better to hire a professional pest control service with experience dealing with these cute but troublesome pests.

Although they may look adorable, squirrels can cause big problems. Protect your home against these bushy tailed invaders to avoid bigger problems down the line.