Omega Animal Removal

Why Do You Have Squirrels in Your Attic?

Squirrels are small rodents that inhabit both wild and rural environments. The squirrels are related to prairie dogs, chipmunks and marmots, all of which belong to the same Sciuridae family. Squirrels can be found all over the world, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica, and are quite common in Dallas suburban areas and in any other areas that accommodate large communities of people.

All it takes is a few moments of observation to see that squirrels are extremely playful and mischievous creatures. These little daredevils will jump from branch to branch among the trees, and make great leaps from rooftops to power lines, which they can scamper across with ease. Because squirrels are intelligent and highly acrobatic, they can often make their way into attics, where they build nests and raise their young. For this reason, squirrels are some of the most common culprits in wildlife home attic infestations. In the United States, the species that are most frequently encountered are the gray squirrels, red squirrels, fox squirrels and flying squirrels.

When squirrels want to stash their food or build a nest, they look for a quiet and secure place to do it. They need somewhere to hide where they cannot be easily found by predators, and desire a nesting site that provides shelter from rain, snow, wind and harsh sunlight. Since attics often meet all of these requirements, they serve as the perfect place for squirrels to call home. Because squirrels usually give birth twice a year, they are often in need of suitable nesting sites and places to raise their young.

Even if you manage to get rid of one squirrel family, you may find your attic infested yet again by another if your home is not properly sealed off through something we call the full home exclusion process. One of Omega Animal Removal’s Squirrel Removal Specialists in Dallas can inform you on all the necessary steps for permanent squirrel removal and squirrel control.

The full home exclusion process covers up entrances squirrels have created, and prevents them from chewing their way through new access points. Squirrels will chew holes in your home’s walls, trim and air conditioning vents so that they can get inside. If there are gaps and holes naturally present in the construction of your house, they will take advantage of these too, which is why the full home exclusion is mandatory.

Rats

Squirrels

Raccoons

Bees

Bats

Skunks

Opossums

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OMEGA ANIMAL REMOVAL’S COMPLETE SQUIRREL REMOVAL PROCESS AND HUMANE SQUIRREL REMOVAL TECHNIQUES

Humane Squirrel Removal and Squirrel Trapping Services

When we, at Omega Animal Removal, receive a multitude of calls for squirrels in the attic everyday. When homeowners call and believe that they have squirrels in their attic it, they all have the same things to say. Squirrels are the only diurnal animal that we find in attics and are commonly heard scratching, jumping, vocalizing and nesting around sunrise and sunset. Towards the end of their gestation period, squirrels will commonly be heard throughout the daytime as well since they are ferverously getting their nests in perfect order.

If you hear squirrels in your attic and it sounds like more than one animal, then that usually means there are babies in the nests as well. It is imperative not to remove the mother without also removing her babies. When a nursing female squirrel is separated from her kittens (baby squirrels), she will stop at nothing to get back to into your attic to save her babies. Nursing squirrels will try to chew through metal cages, shingles, metal pipes and really any material in the world to regain access. They will even kill themselves in the process if that is what it takes. Our Squirrel Removal Specialists have a complete understanding of squirrel behavior and squirrel tendencies which allows them to ensure the safe, humane removal of squirrels from your attic.

Omega Animal Removal’s Complete Squirrel Removal Process

Omega’s complete squirrel removal process involves multiple steps to ensure the humane, live removal of squirrels from your attic and ensures that they will never be able to cause damage to your home again.

It all begins with identifying how large the family of squirrels is, what type of damage has been done to your attic insulation, wiring and duct work and how they are gaining access into your attic. Like most animals, squirrels never use just one entry and exit point. This would make them susceptible to attacks from predators and would give them no way out incase of such an emergency. So, even though squirrels do find or create a main entry point into your attic, they typically will have five or six other areas around your home that they use as entry points to come and go as they please.

After our Squirrel Removal Specialist identifies all of the components necessary to permanently resolve the squirrel infestation in your attic; they will then develop a detailed three stage process that is uniquely designed for your home and squirrel removal needs.

The First and Second Stages of Omega’s Squirrel Removal Process

The first and second stages of our squirrel removal process are completed simultaneously. Our Squirrel Removal Specialist will begin closing all of the possible entry points that were identified on your home. They will start by closing all of the secondary entry points and will leave the main entry point that the squirrels are using for last. Instead of immediately closing their main entry point, our Squirrel Removal Specialist will fasten a repeating live cage over the main entry point. This allows an entire family squirrels to enter into the cage freely through the angled door and allows a mother squirrel to leave with her babies if necessary also.

The Third Stage of Omega’s Squirrel Removal Process

The third stage of Omega’s squirrel removal process is a complete and comprehensive attic decontamination fogging treatment. Our attic decontamination services are designed to break down all squirrel urine and feces, eliminate all pheromones and kill any fleas and/or mites brought into your attic by the squirrels as well. Our industry leading attic decontamination services start with our revolutionary 5 series attic fogging treatment and then concludes with the removal of most, or all, nesting sites, feces, urine and debris created by the squirrels in your attic.

In cases where the squirrels have chewed through, or on, any electrical wiring and/or air conditioning ductwork; our Squirrel Removal Specialist will typically recommend a full attic restoration. This allows us to inspect every inch of your bare attic space and inform you of any more damage that might have been caused during your squirrel infestation. It is imperative to understand the seriousness of exposed wiring in your attic and the true danger it presents to you, your family and your home. For more information about our attic decontamination and attic restoration services, please read through our attic services page to gain an in depth knowledge about what each services includes..

APPEARANCE, BEHAVIOR, DIET, HABITAT AND REPRODUCTION OF SQUIRRELS

There are many ways you can tell whether or not might have a squirrel infestation and are in need of professional squirrel removal services. The following is a list of visual signs that squirrels may be inhabiting your home and property:
You see nests larger than the ones of bird in trees and tree trunks on or surrounding your property.
You see squirrels entering holes in your home’s exterior or the chimney.
You can see chew marks and holes on your home’s trim or structural beams.
Vents, wires, cables, and insulation may also show signs of chewing or other damage.
Your yard may have small divots where squirrels have dug to find or hide their food.
Trees and their fruits may show signs of gnawing.
Plant bulbs may be uprooted and chewed.
Bird feeders are damaged or opened from squirrels getting inside them.
Squirrels can be spotted fighting regularly. This is a sign that the squirrel population is too large.
You can see squirrel droppings around your home or in your attic. Droppings are dark and oblong shaped, though they may be hard to distinguish from those of other animals. It’s recommended to get the opinion of our Squirrel Control Specialists to both identify and remove the droppings.
You can hear noises coming from the attic, crawlspace, walls, vents or chimney, which sound like scratches, rolls, and thuds. These noises are made when squirrels run, jump, fight, scratch, or chew on your structural beams, ductwork or electrical wiring.
If you have noticed any of the signs above, or are uncertain whether your home is infested with squirrels, contact your local Omega Animal Removal Squirrel Removal Specialist as soon as possible. We will be able provide you with professional help in diagnosing and dealing with your squirrel removal situation, and offer further advice for keeping the squirrel population controlled.

SIGNS OF A SQUIRREL INFESTATION IN YOUR ATTIC OR HOME

There are many ways you can tell whether or not might have a squirrel infestation and are in need of professional squirrel removal services. The following is a list of visual signs that squirrels may be inhabiting your home and property:

You see nests larger than the ones of bird in trees and tree trunks on or surrounding your property.
Observe squirrels running on power lines or any other cables near your living area or place of business.
You see squirrels entering holes in your home’s exterior or the chimney.
You can see chew marks on your home’s trim or structural beams, and chewed holes.
Vents, wires, cables, and insulation may also show signs of chewing or other damage.
Your yard may have small divots where squirrels have dug to find or hide their food.
Trees and their fruits may show signs of chewing.
Plant bulbs may be uprooted and chewed, or even missing.
Bird feeders are damaged or opened from squirrels getting inside them.
Squirrels can be spotted fighting regularly. This is a sign that the squirrel population is too large to support the individual squirrel’s needs for survival.
You can see squirrel droppings around your home or in your attic. Droppings are dark and oblong shaped, though they may be hard to distinguish from those of other animals. It’s recommended to get the opinion of our Squirrel Control Specialists to both identify and remove the droppings.
You can hear noises coming from the attic, crawlspace, walls, vents, or chimney, which sound like scratches, rolls, and thuds. These noises are made when squirrels run, jump, fight, scratch, or chew on your structural beams, ductwork or electrical wiring.
Noises heard in the middle of the night come from flying squirrels. Noises heard at dusk or dawn are made by other species of squirrels.
If you have noticed any of the signs above, or are uncertain whether your home is infested by squirrels, contact your local Omega Animal Removal Squirrel Removal Specialist as soon as possible. We will be able provide you with professional help in diagnosing and dealing with your squirrel removal situation, and offer further advice for keeping the squirrel population controlled.

SQUIRREL INFESTATIONS IN YOUR ATTIC AND HOW REMOVE SQUIRRELS FROM YOUR ATTIC

Sometimes, it isn’t obvious that you have a squirrel infestation. If you’ve looked at our list of visual signs but still haven’t recognized any, you may want to pay attention to the noises around your house, or inside your attic. If you’ve started to hear scratches, rolls, and thuds that seem to come from your attic or walls during the daytime, then they’re most likely from squirrels. The sounds are most easily heard in finished attics which have smooth bare floorboards, or if the squirrels have begun nesting underneath your attic insulation. You will usually hear such sounds in the early morning and around sunset since squirrels are diurnal and keep relatively the same schedule as humans.

Depending on how extensive your squirrel infestation is, you may start to notice smells and urine stains on your drywall. If you notice a strong ammonia odor or other unpleasant scents, especially when you use your air conditioning system, it could come from squirrel excrement or urine, and you should contact Omega Animal Removal immediately. From there you can arrange a meeting with one of our Squirrel Removal Specialists.

Removing squirrels from attics is something that should only be done by well-trained professionals. The most effective and humane solution is to live trap the squirrels, and then relocate them to a wild area that is far away from your house. Omega Animal Removal’s Squirrel Removal Specialists use this method when contacted about a squirrel removal job. Before trapping, our Squirrel Removal Specialists will check if there are any nests with babies present on the premises. If there are, they will safely remove the babies, and try to trap the mother and other squirrels at the same time. This is done so that the mother and her offspring do not have to be separated. Separating them can lead to more problems in the trapping and exclusion process, and also causes a lot of distress for the animals. Once this is done, all entry holes squirrels have found or created will be sealed using the most durable materials, and checked regularly for sounds.

Depending on the situation, our Squirrel Removal Specialist may also install one-way excluder valves, which allow the squirrels to exit the attic, but not return. However, since squirrels are adept at creating more entry holes when old ones have been sealed, trapping, removal, relocation and population control will still need to be done to effectively keep your attic squirrel free.

WHAT KIND OF EXTENSIVE DAMAGE CAN SQUIRREL’S CAUSE TO MY HOME OR ATTIC

A majorly destructive behavior of squirrels is their constant chewing. Their teeth are always growing, which means that they have to trim them down by chewing daily. They will chew on structural beams, siding, cables and wires—anything that they can get their teeth on. The damage created is unsightly and can threaten the structural safety of your house, especially is it is not found in time. With enough chewing, certain parts may become weakened and unstable, resulting in you spending thousands of dollars on squirrel removal and home repairing services.

As squirrels reproduce, the offspring will have needs of their own. This will only lead to an exponential increase in the damage of your home. The young will start to chew as well, and when mature, will even set up their own nests in the attic where they will raise their own offspring who will create more damage. Squirrels are very territorial and always return to nesting spots. The cycle will move on endlessly, unless you contract one of Omega Animal Removal’s Squirrel Control Specialists to permanently resolve the squirrel infestation in your attic.

Squirrel’s taking shelter in your home or place of business, often means that you, your family members and coworkers are exposed to a variety of bacteria and parasites that can cause serious health damages. According to scientists, there have been no cases of rabies from squirrel infestations in the United States of America. Even though squirrels are not the type of species to cause a lot of health risks for humans or pets, there are still some issues that should concern you. For example, getting in contact with the excrements or urine of squirrels might expose you to contracting Salmonella, which is why it is important to not deal with the squirrel removal and cleaning of the debris on your own, as you are not properly trained and do not have the necessary equipment and sanitizing materials. Contact one of Omega Animal Removal’s Squirrel Control Specialists as soon as you find traces of squirrels inhabiting your home or business. He or she will conduct a thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of your home, and take care of your squirrel removal needs.