Squirrel in my attic
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Send by emailThere are cases of squirrels building their nest in the attic. Although squirrels are quite friendly towards people they still see us as one of many predators and it's not their dream to live in close proximity to our houses. If they choose to live in the attic it's mainly because they were forced to do so by the loss of habitats destroyed by humans.
Ways to prevent the situation of wild animals nesting in the attic are described at the end of this section. At the beginning we'll talk about humanitarian methods of removing already existing nests from the attic.
How to remove squirrel nest from the attic in a humanitarian way. It's relatively simple. It should be enough to create undesirable conditions by placing a device playing loud sounds close to the attic. After a few days of such 30-60 min long "parties" (ideally between 10am – 3pm) we can practically be sure that the squirrel will say "thank you for such a noisy flatmate".
Very important:
Before securing any holes leading to the attic the place should be thoroughly checked in case the animals or their babies are still in there. The check will prevent both unnecessary suffering of animals – that can involuntarily be made starve to death – and the possibility of various health hazards caused by a decomposing dead animal in the attic – which can be dangerous to our health.
If we find out that despite our actions there are for example baby squirrels in the attic, they should be simply moved to a box placed near the attic so that mother squirrel can reach it and she will move the babies to another nest within a few hours.
If we have to remove the nest in a difficult time of year e.g. in the winter or early spring, a good and humanitarian idea would be to attach in a tree (minimum 2m above the ground, the higher the better) a simple nest box with an entry hole (or 2-3 holes; bigger ones than in bird boxes). This solution can be used also throughout the year as it can facilitate squirrel's decision about "the move".
Another good idea especially in the winter and early spring is to leave "evicted" squirrel some stash of nuts near the trees because losing the nest could also mean losing its "treasures" and that's especially important in the period when squirrel mothers are nursing their babies.
Prevention:
When it comes to preventing various wild animals from making nests in the attic, the most effective method is checking at least once a month if there is any material wear or damage to the attic that could be an entry way for wild animals – and if there is – making necessary repairs.
If there are squirrels in the garden it's worth considering building (or buying) a squirrel house box. Not only will that prevent squirrel from having to look for a space for a nest in a place where we wouldn't want it but we'll also gain at relatively small cost the opportunity to watch every day a spectacle by those adorable mammals.
Squirrel house:
When building / buying a squirrel house remember that even though its construction is simple it would be best if such a house was divided into two main parts (e.g. by placing a ledge in the middle of the house extending half-way through the house width) because that allows squirrels to more effectively hide from predators and makes it impossible for baby squirrels to fall out of the nest.
The house should also have at least two entry holes placed in the upper part (above the above mentioned ledge)
Squirrel houses for safety reasons (and practicality too – squirrel can deem the house inadequate nesting place if it's set up too low) should be installed at the height of at least 2m – the higher the better – and ideally sheltered by branches or tree trunk (especially from the top).
Squirrel houses should be fixed to a tree with at least 2-3 nails. Screws shouldn't be used because damage caused by screws takes longer to regenerate and there are in this case not as long-lasting.
Ways to prevent the situation of wild animals nesting in the attic are described at the end of this section. At the beginning we'll talk about humanitarian methods of removing already existing nests from the attic.
How to remove squirrel nest from the attic in a humanitarian way. It's relatively simple. It should be enough to create undesirable conditions by placing a device playing loud sounds close to the attic. After a few days of such 30-60 min long "parties" (ideally between 10am – 3pm) we can practically be sure that the squirrel will say "thank you for such a noisy flatmate".
Very important:
Before securing any holes leading to the attic the place should be thoroughly checked in case the animals or their babies are still in there. The check will prevent both unnecessary suffering of animals – that can involuntarily be made starve to death – and the possibility of various health hazards caused by a decomposing dead animal in the attic – which can be dangerous to our health.
If we find out that despite our actions there are for example baby squirrels in the attic, they should be simply moved to a box placed near the attic so that mother squirrel can reach it and she will move the babies to another nest within a few hours.
If we have to remove the nest in a difficult time of year e.g. in the winter or early spring, a good and humanitarian idea would be to attach in a tree (minimum 2m above the ground, the higher the better) a simple nest box with an entry hole (or 2-3 holes; bigger ones than in bird boxes). This solution can be used also throughout the year as it can facilitate squirrel's decision about "the move".
Another good idea especially in the winter and early spring is to leave "evicted" squirrel some stash of nuts near the trees because losing the nest could also mean losing its "treasures" and that's especially important in the period when squirrel mothers are nursing their babies.
Prevention:
When it comes to preventing various wild animals from making nests in the attic, the most effective method is checking at least once a month if there is any material wear or damage to the attic that could be an entry way for wild animals – and if there is – making necessary repairs.
If there are squirrels in the garden it's worth considering building (or buying) a squirrel house box. Not only will that prevent squirrel from having to look for a space for a nest in a place where we wouldn't want it but we'll also gain at relatively small cost the opportunity to watch every day a spectacle by those adorable mammals.
Squirrel house:
When building / buying a squirrel house remember that even though its construction is simple it would be best if such a house was divided into two main parts (e.g. by placing a ledge in the middle of the house extending half-way through the house width) because that allows squirrels to more effectively hide from predators and makes it impossible for baby squirrels to fall out of the nest.
The house should also have at least two entry holes placed in the upper part (above the above mentioned ledge)
Squirrel houses for safety reasons (and practicality too – squirrel can deem the house inadequate nesting place if it's set up too low) should be installed at the height of at least 2m – the higher the better – and ideally sheltered by branches or tree trunk (especially from the top).
Squirrel houses should be fixed to a tree with at least 2-3 nails. Screws shouldn't be used because damage caused by screws takes longer to regenerate and there are in this case not as long-lasting.