Squirrel Removal And Control
Stop the chewing in the attic before it reaches the wiring.
What we do about it
Squirrels are fun to watch in the yard and a real problem once they’re in the attic. They chew constantly to keep their teeth trimmed, which becomes a serious issue fast when it’s electrical wiring, insulation, or structural wood on the receiving end — gnawed wiring is a legitimate fire risk. Scratching or scurrying overhead, especially around dawn or dusk, is usually the first sign they’ve settled in, and breeding season (early spring and late summer) can turn one intruder into a nursery almost overnight.
How it works
Inspect
We find what's active, where it's coming from, and what's attracting it.
Treat
Targeted treatment at the source, using Integrated Pest Management, not blanket spraying.
Protect
Seal, monitor and follow up. Unlimited callbacks for covered pests on a plan.
What to know
Finding every way in, not just the obvious one
We inspect attics, vents, soffits, and rooflines to find every entry point, since squirrels are agile enough to exploit gaps as small as a few inches. Removal follows local wildlife regulations and is handled carefully — then, just as importantly, we seal what we found, reinforce vulnerable spots, and clean up nesting material and droppings left behind.
Prevention that protects the whole house
Sealing entry points is the core of it, but trimming tree branches that give squirrels roof access, and securing pet food, bird feeders, and garbage, all reduce the draw. The noise is the annoying part, but roof insulation, wiring, and air ducts are the expensive part — a few preventive steps up front save real money later.
Once they're out, keep them out
Rodent coverage is included in our Comprehensive Rodent & Pest Defense Plan, starting at $65/month, with unlimited callbacks. It’s the easiest way to make sure the next scratching in the attic never happens.
Why squirrels get into attics in the winter
Squirrels don’t hibernate, and winter is when attics look best to them. Gray squirrels, the most common species in our area, build leaf nests in trees, but a warm, dry attic or wall void is far better when temperatures drop. A gap along the roofline is all they need to move in.
Timing is the other factor. Gray squirrels usually have two litters a year, one in late winter (often February and March) and another in summer. Females look for a protected nest site in the weeks before, so the squirrel you hear in the attic in January is frequently preparing to raise young there. If you wait until you hear babies, the job gets harder and more expensive.
Signs squirrels are in your house
Gray squirrels are active during the day, so noise in the attic around sunrise and mid-afternoon is a strong clue. Rustling, scratching, rolling sounds like a nut being pushed across the floor and thumping as an animal jumps between rafters are all typical.
- Chewed fascia, soffit, vent covers and roof edges, often with fresh, light-colored wood showing
- Droppings that are larger than mouse droppings, dark brown and cylindrical
- Nesting material such as leaves, twigs, shredded insulation and paper in the attic
- Stored nuts, acorns or seeds in corners
- Scratching in walls, sometimes in the evening or early morning
- Branches that touch or hang over the roof, giving squirrels a bridge to the house
If you hear activity at night, particularly a group of animals, you may be dealing with flying squirrels instead. They’re nocturnal, smaller and more social, and in winter they often nest together in numbers to share warmth.
The risks of leaving squirrels alone
Squirrels have continuously growing front teeth, so they gnaw constantly to wear them down. In an attic, that means wood, plastic and wiring. Chewed electrical wiring is a fire hazard, and it’s one of the main reasons squirrel problems should be dealt with promptly rather than put off until spring.
They also tear up insulation, damage ductwork, contaminate areas with droppings and urine, and enlarge the openings they use, which then admit other animals like mice, bats and raccoons. Squirrels in walls can be especially frustrating because the noise carries into living spaces, and an animal that dies in a wall creates an odor problem that’s difficult to fix.
How squirrel removal and exclusion works
Find every way in
Squirrels rarely use just one opening. Our inspection covers roof edges, gable and ridge vents, soffits, fascia, chimney, dormers, utility lines and the places where branches overhang. Finding the main entry is easy. The secondary ones, often small and high up, are what make the difference between a job that holds and a job that doesn’t.
Remove the animals properly
The method depends on the season and whether young are present. When a nest has young, the job has to account for them, because removing the adult alone leaves babies behind. Outside nesting season, one-way exits let the animals leave and prevent them from getting back in.
Seal with materials they can't chew
Squirrels will chew through wood, soft metal, plastic vent covers and foam. Lasting repairs use heavy-gauge steel mesh, metal flashing and properly fastened vent and chimney covers, along with repairs to rotted trim that created the opening in the first place.
Deal with the aftermath
Once the animals are out and the house is sealed, damaged and contaminated insulation may need attention. Our wildlife clean-up service covers droppings, nesting debris and odor in attics and other affected areas.
Preventing squirrels from coming back
Some prevention happens outside the house, and homeowners can do most of it themselves:
- Trim branches back so there’s a gap of several feet between trees and the roof, since squirrels can jump long distances
- Keep bird feeders away from the house and use squirrel-resistant designs, or take them down in late winter
- Cap the chimney and cover roof and gable vents with sturdy metal screens
- Repair rotted fascia, soffit and trim as soon as you see it
- Seal gaps where utility lines enter the house
The important thing is to do this after the animals are out, not before. Sealing a house with squirrels still inside is how a winter nuisance turns into a dead animal in the wall.
Squirrel removal across New Jersey and Bucks County
We serve homeowners across Mercer County, Somerset County, Middlesex County and Central and Lower Bucks County. Related services include raccoon removal, wildlife exclusion and rodent control. Our treatments reach up to 24 feet from the ground, so we can inspect and work the roofline without ladders.
Request a free estimate or call 609-356-PEST (7378).
Gray squirrels and flying squirrels: why the difference matters
Most homeowners picture a gray squirrel, but flying squirrels are far more common in attics than people realize. They’re small, nocturnal and rarely seen, and they glide from trees onto roofs. Because they’re active at night, their noise is often mistaken for mice or rats, and the bigger groups, sometimes a dozen or more in a single winter den, can do serious damage to insulation and leave heavy deposits of droppings.
The distinction matters for the job. Gray squirrels are bigger and stronger, so they force larger openings and need heavier-duty exclusion. Flying squirrels can slip through much smaller gaps, so the sealing work has to be tighter and more thorough. Part of what a good inspection does is work out which animal you’re really dealing with, based on the sounds, timing, droppings and entry points, so the plan fits the animal instead of guessing.
If you’re hearing scratching in the attic at dawn and dusk, think gray squirrels. If it’s mostly after dark, soft and scurrying, and sometimes sounds like many small feet, it may be flying squirrels. Either way, winter is a good time to act, since the animals are already inside and looking for a nest site.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common signs of a squirrel infestation?
Scratching, rustling, or rolling sounds from the attic or walls, particularly around dawn or dusk, along with small entry holes near roof edges, chewed wiring, or shredded insulation.
How long does removal take?
It depends on how many squirrels are present and how many entry points are involved — sometimes just a few days, longer for larger families needing trapping and monitoring before entry points are sealed. We confirm activity has fully stopped before closing everything up.
Why do squirrels target attics specifically?
Attics are warm, dry, sheltered from predators, and the insulation doubles as nesting material — it’s essentially a tree hollow with better amenities. Understanding that preference is part of what shapes an effective, lasting removal plan.
Squirrel Removal near you
We’re based in Lawrence Township, NJ and work across Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties, plus Bucks County, PA. Town pages for this service, and the county pages that cover everything we do there:
Central New Jersey
Ready to get your home back?
Contact us today if you’re hearing activity in the attic. We’ll find where they’re getting in and make sure they don’t get back in once they’re out.