When you think about rodents in Plano, squirrels probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. Indeed, a squirrel infestation isn’t as bad as other rodent infestations, but that doesn’t mean you should be rolling out the red carpet for these destructive little pests. The fact that squirrels aren’t as disgusting or damaging as mice and rats does not mean they shouldn’t be part of your Plano pest control plan.
Where Squirrels Like To Hide
Tree squirrels aren’t like rats and mice. They spend much more time in the air than on the ground. Tree squirrels live in branches and nest in trunk hollows, so you’ll have to consider this behavior when looking for where squirrels are hiding on your property. These backyard rodents like to stick to more aerial hiding places than other rodent varieties. For instance, tree squirrels love to nest in attics and chimneys. They can also get into things like hollowed-out columns and walls. You’ll rarely find tree squirrels lower to the ground in areas like basements or crawlspaces since they don’t like to share spaces with rats and other pests.
Deterring Squirrels In Your Attic
Squirrels need a warm, dry place to have their pups and bed down for the winter. They also need a place to store their cold-weather food hoards. Your attic fulfills all of these requirements. So keeping squirrels from getting into it can be a bit of a challenge, but there are a few things you can do:
- Seal off potential entryways. This doesn’t just include holes and cracks that aren’t supposed to be there. It also means legitimate openings like ventilation. Ensure to attach sturdy metal netting to vents, condensation holes, and other necessary openings.
- Cap chimneys to discourage squirrels from infesting them – especially if your fireplace goes unused most of the time.
- Spray a mix of garlic, water, and vinegar around your attic. Squirrels find the smell disgusting and may decide it’s not worth the trouble to nest in your attic.
- Keep gutters clean to remove fallen nuts that could attract squirrels to your roof.
Following these measures can help make your attic less attractive to squirrels than the trees they’re supposed to be living in through the winter.
Getting Rid Of Squirrels In Crawl Spaces
Tree squirrels will rarely nest in your crawlspace, but they may store food there. Even if squirrels aren’t living in your crawlspace, their food stores can attract other pests, including different types of rodents. Not to mention that ground squirrels may use your crawlspace as a place to live. To keep squirrels from storing food or nesting in your crawl space, take similar measures to what you would do to keep them out of your attic:
- Spray scents squirrels hate.
- Physically block their entry.
- Remove attractants.
You might also try scare tactics. There are many realistic-looking plastic owls and hawks that can scare squirrels out of your yard. Just make sure you’re moving these scarecrows from place to place every few days. Otherwise, squirrels will eventually grow accustomed to them and start ignoring them.
Total Wildlife Control For Plano Homes
Squirrels might be cute rodents with their fat cheeks and bushy tails. But they’re still rodents – and that means you should do your best to keep squirrels away. They get a lot less cute after they’ve chewed through the wiring in your garage and introduced flea and tick infestations to your home. The good news is you don’t have to deal with any of that if you call us here at DANCAN The Pest Control Expert!