A Squirrel Invasion Can Threaten Your Home This Fall—Unless You’re Prepared

There’s no denying that squirrels are cute little critters. Once they make their way into your home, however, they’re not so cute anymore. 

In fact, they can turn into destructive animals that wreak havoc on your property and disrupt your everyday life.

It's your job as a homeowner to understand how squirrels enter your home, particularly during the fall months when they’re most prevalent. 

This way, you can take proactive steps to keep them out—for the long haul.

Common animal entry points in the home

“Squirrels are great climbers and can easily reach the roof in homes with openings like attic vents, chimneys, or gaps in soffits. This is how they usually get into a house,” says Nicole Carpenter, pest control professional and president of Black Pest Prevention in Charlotte, NC.

Tree branches that hang close to your roof are essentially their bridges. Unlike other animals, such as raccoons, squirrels won’t walk in through ground-level doors or windows. Instead, they prefer higher entry points that allow them to feel safer from their predators. 

Unfortunately, a squirrel inside your home almost always guarantees significant damage.

“From the moment it enters, it will chew on openings and tear apart insulation in order to create a nest. Plus, the squirrel may chew on wires and wood and leave urine and droppings, which are easily absorbed in attics,” explains Carpenter. 

The good news? By detecting a squirrel problem early on through telltale signs like sounds in your attic and chewed entry points, you can stop these critters in their tracks and put a halt to their destruction.

Why fall is prime time for a squirrel intrusion

While squirrels can take a toll on your home at any time, fall is when they prefer to get their party started. These critters begin to look for warm nesting spaces before winter hits and are particularly drawn to your attic as trees are thinning out and exposing them to predators. 

Also, since they’ll have fewer opportunities for food, they’ll often turn to homes and garages to meet their needs. And, once a squirrel enters your home, they’ll make themselves feel quite comfortable and settle in for months—if you don't do anything about it. 

How to keep squirrels (and other critters) out for good

These tips can ensure squirrels and, in some cases, other pests like bats, rats, and raccoons stay away from your home for as long as possible.

Be mindful of bird feeders, pet food, and garbage bins 

All these things attract squirrels to your yard and increase the chance they’ll try to find shelter in your home.

“Remove everything edible you can remove, and as for your garbage—use bins with tight lids on them,” says Carpenter.

Seal gaps properly

Use metal to seal gaps. Forgo foam as squirrels can easily chew through it.

“If you find a gap that’s larger than a quarter, cover it with galvanized steel mesh or hardware cloth and screw it in,” explains Carpenter. Also, buy a metal cap for your chimney and use steel vent covers for your attic and dryer vents.

Maintain trees

If you don’t want squirrels in your attic, keep your trees under control at all times.

“If a branch hangs within 8 to 10 feet of your roof, it’s a squirrel highway and you need to trim it ASAP,” says Carpenter. 

Add some light

Squirrels seek dark places.

“A motion light or even a small lamp near your attic can make your home less attractive to them,” explains Carpenter. 

Use capsaicin

Spray capsaicin (a chilli pepper extract) around spots they might chew.

“It will burn their mouth, and that’s usually enough to stop them from chewing a gap inside,” says Carpenter. 

Check your attic biannually

A quick check of the attic twice a year, in winter and spring, is often enough to stop squirrels from becoming a problem.

“If you find droppings or torn insulation early, you can close the gap and clean it up before squirrels really settle in,” explains Carpenter.