Should Squirrels Be Trapped, Evicted, or Excluded? A Homeowner’s Guide
When a homeowner speaks with wildlife removal companies about squirrel removal they tend to hear the same terms repeatedly: trapping, eviction, and exclusion. This guide covers how each method works, their benefits and drawbacks, and what an informed customer should know before they hire someone to solve their squirrel problem.
A Brief Summary of Terms
Trapping and eviction are two different methods of removing squirrels from a home or building. Most companies who trap will either relocate the animals to a new location far away, or will euthanize them. Eviction is a method of kicking the squirrels out, using a variety of devices, most commonly one-way doors. The animals are allowed to stay in the same general neighborhood after eviction.
Exclusion is the preventive work that keeps them out. The scope of exclusion determines whether or not squirrels will find a new way into your house now or in the future. Regardless of which method you use to remove the squirrels, exclusion of some kind is always necessary.
Exclusion and sealing work should never be attempted without removal, and removal should only be done outside of baby season.
Eviction: Benefits and Drawbacks
Eviction typically utilizes a device known as a “one-way door” which mounts over the holes the squirrels are currently using. The squirrels can get out through the door on their way to feed, but cannot get back in when they return home. This leaves them stuck outside the house, and so long as they don’t find another hole or chew their way back in, they are now free to live in the same neighborhood and will have the highest probability of survival.
Cage traps may sometimes be used as eviction tools. For example, they can be used to briefly capture a squirrel to check if it is a nursing female, or to contain her safely while the babies are being located. Another example is using a cage trap to capture a squirrel that has fallen into the living space and cannot be found.
The key distinguishing factor is that the squirrels are removed from the home and released onto the same property. This usage of cage traps falls under the definition of eviction.
Eviction is the method we prefer whenever the situation allows it, because it is objectively the most humane option.
Eviction can have drawbacks and challenges. An evicted squirrel may be highly determined to get back into the building it was living in. It may find other holes that already exist, or it may decide to chew new holes elsewhere. Because of this, eviction usually requires thorough exclusion work to be successful long-term. Every vulnerable area needs to be sealed before the one-way door goes up, not just the holes the squirrels are actively using. When evicting it is imperative to get the exclusion side correct. A failed eviction due to inadequate exclusion can sometimes lead to squirrels regaining access later in the season. In some cases this means squirrels that need to be evicted again in the middle of winter, when they have a lower chance of survival.
Since most types of squirrels store food for the winter, and rely on that food to survive, relocation during the winter is almost a guaranteed death sentence. However, although winter evictions are still more humane than winter relocations, there are important facts to consider. The first is that no squirrels should be evicted during the coldest and harshest parts of the winter. The second is that flying squirrels have a substantially harder time surviving winter eviction than gray squirrels.
Unlike gray squirrels, who are “scatter-hoarders” and store the majority of their food outside, flying squirrels have a mixed storage strategy and often store a large portion of food inside their dens. This stockpile in the dens is particularly useful because they are small and lose body heat rapidly, so they cannot afford to seek out food when the weather is too cold. When evicted, flying squirrels have a hard time finding enough food to sustain themselves without these stockpiles to rely on. Also, due to their inability to retain heat as well as gray squirrels, once evicted they are in a desperate race against time to find shelter and many are unable to do so. Giving them an outdoor squirrel box to move into may help them stay warm, but does not replace the stored food, so they will still be hungry on cold nights.
For these reasons it is wise to wait to evict and exclude flying squirrels until one of several small optimal windows. These include the tail end of winter when the weather is warming up but before they give birth in the spring, the period after the first litter of babies are grown in early summer, or the period after the second litter of babies are grown in early fall before the cold sets in and the food is scarce. Whichever timing window is selected, it is important to monitor and ensure that there are no helpless babies inside when it is completed. Though pregnant females are often somewhere in the same house with the colony, be mindful that if a solitary flying squirrel moves into your home in the late winter/early spring, or mid-summer, it is typically a pregnant female who has sought an isolated spot to give birth.
Evicting gray squirrels during the winter can be more successful than flying squirrels since the majority of their food is still accessible, and since they are much better adapted to cold temperatures. Some wildlife rehabbers actually recommend timing evictions late fall through winter, while being careful to avoid harsh weather periods, because it is the calendar stretch with the least risk of babies being present. A wildlife expert will always carefully investigate for babies regardless of time of year. However, if evicting during the winter, it is always wise to provide the squirrels with an alternative source of shelter outside. Most humane companies will offer clients the option of a squirrel box either installed on the home near the opening, or in a nearby tree. These boxes can be removed in the spring. It is helpful to put some nuts and seeds in these boxes as well.
Eviction is also extremely unwise during baby season. Every pack of squirrels in a house during baby season should be assumed to have babies with them. A nursing mother who has been kicked out of the home that her babies are in will frantically chew new holes to get back inside. If she can’t get in fast enough, the babies will be dead by the time she returns. If eviction can not wait until the end of baby season, it should only be considered after trying other deterrent methods, and only if the nest of babies can be found, taken out by hand, and placed near the hole for the mother to (hopefully) retrieve and take elsewhere. Baby season protocols are addressed in more detail later in this guide.
Trapping: Benefits and Drawbacks
When a company says they are going to trap for you, they are typically not just referring to the use of cage traps as a tool, but also to what happens to the squirrels after they are captured. For most companies trapping means catching a squirrel and either relocating it or euthanizing it, depending upon their specific policies. When trapping and relocating, the squirrels that have been living in the house are taken far away, and will never return or attempt to get back into the home.
Though this may reduce the amount of exclusion work needed, it does not eliminate the need for exclusion. Future animals will often be attracted to the same areas previous animals lived. They may not be as determined as the ones there now, but they won’t hesitate to take up residence if it is too easy to do so.
Since less exclusion may be required for trapping jobs, that part of the project sometimes costs less than eviction jobs. However, since live trapping is time and labor-intensive, it is typically more expensive to trap than to install one-way doors. This means that the total costs often end up in a similar price range.
When trapping is truly needed, and eviction isn’t possible, our company traps and relocates instead of euthanizing unless we are legally prohibited from doing so. However, the question of whether relocation is always more humane is not as straightforward as it might seem.
Most people assume relocation is automatically the kind option and euthanasia is the cruel option. But picture it from the animal’s perspective. One moment it’s living its life comfortably in a territory it has grown up in, sometimes with a family of its own. Then all of a sudden it finds itself trapped in a cage, unable to escape. The next thing it knows it’s in a car on loud highways, and then released in a place it has never been before. It doesn’t know where food, water, or shelter is. The predators are unfamiliar, and the escape routes and strategies it used to evade predators in its previous territory don’t work here. Even the animals of its own species that it encounters see it as a territorial threat. It’s in a race to survive, scared and alone.
The research on survival rates after relocating is sobering. One study of urban and suburban gray squirrels relocated to forests showed that a staggering 97% were dead or missing from the release site within three months. A study on raccoon relocation showed only 50% survived within three months of release. Wildlife experts agree that surviving relocation is a highly stressful challenge for animals, and that rates of survival drop dramatically when released into poor quality habitats.
Whether or not an animal will survive largely depends upon the species, the type of habitat they are adapted to, and the quality of habitat they are being released into. But the unfortunate truth is that many relocated animals end up in situations that greatly reduce their chance for survival.
Furthermore, animals that store food for the winter are unlikely to have even a small chance of survival if relocated during the wintertime.
This is not to say that trapping and relocation cannot be done in a way that has better outcomes than the studies listed above. There are times when trapping is necessary, and thoughtful live trappers work to improve the odds of survival for the animals they capture.
They feed the animals in the traps so nothing gets released hungry. They never leave animals in cages for an extended period of time. They choose release sites where food and shelter are known to exist. They never relocate during the wrong times of year. They rotate between many release sites rather than “dumping”, which is the term used for releasing every animal at the same site. This is to avoid the problem of a large number of animals vying for the same resources, making it harder for all of them to survive.
Done with care and at the correct time of year, relocation can give the animals a better survival chance than the studies suggest.
However, relocations still should not be the first choice. Eviction with exclusion is the most humane method there is: the animal stays in the territory it knows, with its food stores, its family, and its escape routes from predators planned out. Trapping is for situations when eviction cannot solve the problem.
The companies that choose to euthanize are not necessarily the villains. For some species, state laws require euthanasia if the animal is trapped, due to the high quantity of rabies currently being found in those specific animals. There are also cases where euthanasia is the more humane option, such as when a sick or severely injured animal is euthanized to end its suffering, or when relocating an animal is unlikely to lead to survival.
Whoever you hire, have a conversation with them to understand what they do and why they do it. Have them explain in precise details what humane means to them, and what steps they take to ensure that it isn’t just a meaningless word, but a reality the animals benefit from.
Exclusion: Scope and Guarantees
Exclusion is the process of sealing, repairing, and fortifying sections of the home to keep animals out. Sometimes these spots are open because a squirrel chewed their way inside. Sometimes the holes were already there to begin with. Most homes have many areas that are already open and vulnerable to animal entry, whether or not an animal has ever found and exploited them. Beyond the holes that exist today, every house also has many areas that have no holes currently, but are highly vulnerable to chewing.
A homeowner has to decide the scope of protection they are looking for. The more that is sealed and fortified, the lower the risk of future animals, but the higher the cost.
The smallest scope is to seal only the hole or holes that the squirrels are currently using. However, this means that if squirrels gain entry through any other openings on the house, the homeowner has no guarantees and is back to square one.
The next level up is to seal every area that is currently open, including the ones the squirrels aren’t currently using. This includes smaller openings that are not quite large enough for squirrels currently, but that would require very little effort for a squirrel to widen. While this level covers more ground than the smallest scope, it does not prevent the chewing of new holes. If squirrels chew new holes in vulnerable areas, those new holes and the squirrels that gain access are not covered by the guarantee.
The most comprehensive method not only seals all of the open holes, but also fortifies every area that is highly vulnerable to future chewing. This level of scope is called a full home exclusion and comes with the most comprehensive protection and guarantees. When done correctly the home should never have a squirrel issue again. And if a squirrel were to make their way inside in the future, the company would come and remove them and fix the new openings free of charge for the entire length of the guarantee.
The most important thing is for a client to know exactly what they are paying for before signing any contracts. Many companies will throw around generic terms during the consultation, but won’t make the scope clear. Then when squirrels reappear again later, some homeowners are dismayed to learn that they don’t have the protection they thought they paid for.
Before hiring anyone for this work, ask the following questions:
- How long is the warranty?
- What is the scope of the exclusion work?
- Will you only be sealing the areas the squirrels are currently using?
- What about the openings they aren’t currently using?
- What about the areas that are vulnerable to chewing in the future?
Answers to these questions vary dramatically. Some offer no guarantee at all. Some protect only a single hole for a year. Some protect larger sections of the house for a couple years. Our company offers a 10-year guarantee on areas we seal, and we decide on a scope in collaboration with our clients that works for their unique budget and goals. Though there is not always a perfect answer to the question of how extensive the sealing work should be, clear and honest dialogue will ensure there are no surprises later.
What about Baby Season?
The squirrels that most commonly end up in homes across the eastern half of the United States, gray squirrels and southern flying squirrels, raise two litters per year. Across this broad geography the first litter for both species is generally born from February to May, and the second litter is generally born from June to October, though the specific timing windows vary according to geography and weather patterns. This means that for a large portion of the year there is a real chance the squirrels in an attic include a mother and her babies. For their first several weeks the babies cannot climb or leave the nest. Their mother leaves them several times a day to feed and returns to nurse them.
The general rule is that removal should wait until the babies are grown, whenever waiting is possible. Removing a nursing mother leaves behind babies that will die without her, and a nest inside a house cannot always be found. When a company attempts to trap and relocate a nursing female, even if the babies are relocated alongside the mom, she is now in the desperate situation of attempting to survive in a new territory with the odds stacked against her. All of the risks of relocation mentioned in the trapping section above apply to her but are even more stark with babies to take care of. The chances that the entire family survives the relocation are slim.
Theoretically eviction can still be a more humane option than trapping and relocating, so long as the company can find the nest of babies and put it outside on the roof right next to the one-way door for the mother to find. All the more so if they provide her and the babies with an onsite squirrel box for temporary shelter.
The problem is that a nest is not always visible or accessible. A company that does not see a nest in the attic has no assurance that a nest is not present in a hidden area. If they evict and it turns out babies were inside that they didn’t see, the mother will damage the home attempting to get back to them. If she isn’t able to get back inside quickly enough, the babies will die.
This is why waiting until the end of baby season is usually the best option. However, sometimes it isn’t possible to wait. If wiring is being chewed or the damage is getting serious, removal may need to happen even with the possibility of babies being present.
If there is a large pack of adult squirrels doing damage, and no nests are visible or accessible, this is an instance where trapping may be wise. This is because every trapped squirrel can be physically checked for signs of nursing or pregnancy. If a nursing female is captured, then it is certain that babies are present. One approach is to relocate only the squirrels that are not nursing or pregnant and release the mothers on site. Fewer squirrels means less damage, and sometimes that is enough to buy the time needed to let the mother finish raising her litter before the final eviction and seal-up.
If the mother and her babies truly need to go, non-toxic deterrents, such as loud noises, or the smell of fox urine in the attic, can sometimes convince a mother to move her babies on her own. Though this rarely works for larger packs of squirrels, and is only a temporary solution, a single nursing female can sometimes be more easily spooked. When she takes the babies out, the home can be sealed so that she doesn’t return later.
If you are certain babies are present, but are uncertain where they are, another option is to utilize a thermal imaging device and search for the heat signature of the babies in the nest which is likely buried in a wall. These devices can often be rented from commercial hardware stores. If the nest can be found, the wall can be cut open so that the babies can be removed by hand and placed outside near the entry hole. At this point the mother can be evicted.
Though there is not always a perfect solution, a company that has done this work for years will have faced every variation of the problem. What you want to hear from anyone you hire is that they understand the challenges that baby season creates, and that they are thoughtful in devising solutions that protect both the homeowner and the animals.
Which Choice is Right For Your Home?
One key idea we’ve sought to communicate in this guide is that the answer to this question is nuanced and varies according to a variety of factors. These include the time of year, the type of squirrel, and the budget and goals of the homeowner. If the goal is to use the most humane removal solutions possible, and it is not baby season, then eviction with exclusion is most often the answer. During baby season, waiting until the babies are grown is most often the answer. However, there are times when trapping is genuinely necessary, and a skilled and compassionate trapper can make this solution as humane as possible.
When sealing a home, if the goal is solving the problem at the lowest cost, a smaller scope exclusion may be the answer. If the goal is having the peace of mind that the entire home will remain squirrel free for years and even decades, and you have the budget for it, a full home exclusion may be the answer.
The key is to empower yourself by understanding the details and nuances of each option, so that you can confidently decide and get exactly what you expect.
If you are in Middle Tennessee, in one of the six counties around Nashville, we’d love to help come up with a customized solution for your squirrel problem. Call us at (615) 422-5923 to discuss.
This article is general information about squirrel removal methods. The right combination depends on the species, the season, and the structure. For a decision about your own attic, start with an inspection rather than a purchase.
