Question

I was up in my attic yesterday and found a nest of baby squirrels. I didn’t see any mom around and I don’t know what to do with them if I remove them. I don’t want to kill them.

Answer

Chances are very good that mom is still around. She was probably just taking a food break. Obviously, your first concern is getting the squirrels out of the attic. Then your next concern has to be making sure that it doesn’t happen again.

You have options:

• Wait until the babies are old enough to fend for themselves (5 to 8 weeks from birth), when they will leave the nest on their own, then seal up openings into the attic. A professional can install an excluding device over the opening that will allow squirrels to leave but will keep them from getting back in.
• Get the mother to move the babies out herself by making the attic undesirable, either by using loud noises or ammonia, or other harassment. Often squirrels have an alternate nest site and mom will move the babies there. This method doesn’t always work.
• Have a professional humanely trap mom and then relocate mom and the babies to another location. Some states do not allow relocation and the squirrel will be released on your property.

DO NOT

Seal up any openings into your attic that you might find. You will either be sealing the family inside to die, or you will be sealing mom out. If mom is blocked from getting to her babies, the babies could die (and smell), or more likely, mom will chew a new and bigger hole to get back to her babies.

DO NOT

Place poison in the attic. If the mother squirrel dies where you can’t reach her, you will have an odor problem, and you will still have babies to deal with.

Colonial is licensed in MA and NH to do nuisance animal control and we have many years of experience in dealing with squirrels in homes. Different states have different laws regarding squirrel removal and we know what’s allowed by law, and what is not. We adapt our squirrel removal to your situation. Let our specialists take a look and choose the best option.

An important part of a squirrel removal project is squirrel exclusion for the future. This means squirrel-proofing your home by looking for and sealing up any openings, reinforcing weak areas, and screening or caulking possible entry points. We can do that, too, and our work is guaranteed. Give Colonial a call and let us handle your squirrel problem.

Photo credit: gorbould / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND