Finding squirrels in your attic can be a shocking and stressful situation. As these bushy-tailed rodents scamper overhead, they may cause extensive property damage by chewing on electrical wires or insulation. Even worse, their nesting activities could spark a fire or allow moisture into your home’s structure.
Clearly, squirrel removal is crucial. But before hiring professional wildlife control services, most homeowners first wonder: “How much will this cost me?”
This article will provide a comprehensive overview of the key factors, methods, and overall cost to remove squirrels from attic. By understanding these elements, you can make informed decisions and budget properly for eliminating your squirrel infestation.
Why Squirrels Invade Attics in the First Place
Before examining cost to remove squirrels from attic, Let’s understand why squirrels enter attics at all.
The main motivator is that attics provide excellent shelter for squirrels to build nests and raise young. The enclosed space shields them from predators and harsh weather while allowing room for food storage. Structural gaps, holes, and vents give easy access inside.
Squirrels are also highly territorial animals that constantly seek new areas to call home. As attics often sit vacant above occupied human dwellings, they present prime unchallenged real estate for the taking.
Dangers of Letting Squirrels Stay in Your Attic
Tolerating squirrels in your attic is never wise. As they run about, these pests can cause remarkable damage through:
- Chewing electrical wires (fire hazard)
- Stripping insulation for nest materials
- Gnawing wood structures
- Contaminating areas with urine/feces
Their movements also generate excessive noise that can persist day and night.
Just as problematic are health issues. Squirrel excrement, dander, fleas, and nesting materials can trigger allergic reactions. Gnawed openings raise risks of encounters with diseases carried by ticks, fleas, and other pests that may follow squirrels inside.
In short, the dangers always outweigh the effort of squirrel removal.
Key Factors That Influence Squirrel Removal Costs
Numerous elements contribute to the overall expense of eliminating attic squirrels. The main factors include:
Geographical Location
Depending on where you live, costs fluctuate based on:
- Availability of wildlife control companies
- Regional labor rates
- Travel fees in rural areas
Urban regions typically offer more affordable and competitive squirrel removal pricing.
Extent of the Infestation
The greater the scope of the squirrel problem, the more effort is required for removal. Important metrics include:
- Number of squirrels observed
- Total size of the infested area
- Quantity of nests and entry points
Larger infestations with more access holes or damages take longer to inspect, trap, and seal up.
Repair Expenses
Eliminating squirrels is only the first step. You must also:
- Patch holes the rodents chewed open
- Replace ruined insulation
- Fix damaged wiring
- Sanitize waste contaminated areas
- Repair entry points to prevent reinfestation
These secondary repairs add substantially to your overall costs.
Hiring a Professional vs. DIY Squirrel Removal
When addressing attic squirrels, homeowners essentially have two options:
- Hiring professional wildlife control services
- Attempting do-it-yourself (DIY) removal
Below is a comparison of these approaches:
Professional Squirrel Removal Services
- Pros
- Experts utilize humane, effective removal techniques
- Ability to fully inspect and seal entry holes
- Can provide legal procedures for trapped squirrels
- May offer repair services for damage
- Cons
- More expensive upfront costs
- May experience scheduling delays
DIY Squirrel Removal
- Pros
- Less expensive than hiring companies
- Convenient to perform on your own timeline
- Cons
- Risk of using dangerous, prohibited methods
- Limited ability to seal intricate access holes
- Lack proper knowledge of humane squirrel releasing
- Liability for any squirrels injured or property damage
Overall, professional services provide the best thorough removal results despite higher prices. Amateur DIY attempts often fail to eliminate squirrels long-term.
Average Costs to Professionally Remove Attic Squirrels
Now that we’ve covered the key influences on price, what are the actual average costs for professional squirrel removal services?
- National Average Cost: $350 to $500
- Regional Range:
- Low (Small Rural Towns): $250 to $350
- Moderate (Suburban Neighborhoods): $325 to $475
- High (Major Urban Cities): $400 to $550
- Extreme Cases (Large, established infestations): $600+
As you can see, even just the base fees run several hundred dollars on average. Many additional factors can drive costs higher.
Detailed Breakdown of Squirrel Removal Fees
Professional wildlife control companies may charge fees including:
- Service call: $50 to $100
- Inspection: $100 to $250
- Squirrel trapping: $100 to $300
- Biohazard cleaning: $150 to $350
- Exclusion work (sealing entryways): $250 to $600
- Attic sanitation: $100 to $250
- Repairs: Widely variable depending on damages
- Emergency or after-hours services: Adds $100+
Other miscellaneous charges may also apply per the company’s policies.
With so many elements in play, it’s challenging to nail down an “average” total price. However, once contractors assess your unique situation, they can provide an accurate squirrel removal estimate.
Step-By-Step Process of Professional Squirrel Removal
Now let’s explore what happens during a typical professional attic squirrel elimination job:
Step 1: Initial Service Call
You’ll schedule an appointment for pest control technicians to inspect your attic. At this first visit, they typically:
- Visually confirm squirrel presence
- Note all possible entryways
- Assess damage to structures/insulation
- Design a removal strategy
- Provide a detailed removal quote
By starting with an on-site evaluation, companies gain the information needed to tackle your squirrel scenario.
Step 2: Inspection & Preparation
Before trapping squirrels, an exhaustive inspection locates potential areas being used as nesting sites or entry points. Contractors search for:
- Active squirrel nests
- Rub marks along beams
- Food shell debris
- Urine/droppings
- Chewed wires or wood
- Holes allowing attic access
They use this evidence to strategically place traps and seal holes. This prevents missing any squirrels while allowing fuller closure of the structure.
Step 3: Trapping & Removing Squirrels
With inspection data in hand, technicians install specialized squirrel traps:
- Traps use bait to lure squirrels inside
- Doors close once entered, preventing escape
- Enable live capture without harming squirrels
Once squirrels trigger traps, contractors remove and transport them for legal release into appropriate wildlife habitats. Trapping continues until no more squirrels appear.
Step 4: Sealing Entry Points
Sealing shut all holes and gaps leading into an attic is paramount. If any access points remain, new squirrels will eventually invade again.
Exclusion work may involve:
- Installing one-way exclusion doors
- Applying metal mesh, wood, caulk, foam, or other barriers
- Repairing fascia boards
- Screening roof and soffit vents
- Covering exterior duct/pipe penetrations
Ideally, contractors remain on-site until fully assured the structure is squirrel-proof.
Step 5: Attic Sanitation & Decontamination
Before declaring removal efforts complete, professionals sanitize attics contaminated by squirrels using:
- Odor elimination chemicals
- Antimicrobial applications
- HEPA vacuuming of feces/nesting debris
Thorough sanitation restores healthy living conditions by eliminating risks of disease transmission.
Additional Cost Considerations for Squirrel Removal
Aside from the core trapping and exclusion process, additional needs can enhance removal expenses:
Cleanup & Repairs
As described earlier, fixing physical damages caused by squirrels generates added costs:
- Replacing ruined insulation materials
- Repairing gnawed electrical wires
- Sealing wood gaps chewed through walls/ceilings
- Refurbishing water-stained drywall from leaks
These needs may call for help from carpenters, electricians, plumbers, or contractors beyond your basic pest control servicer.
Humane Precautions
Reputable wildlife companies only utilize humane methods for capturing and removing squirrels, even when more affordable options exist. For example:
- Live traps are more expensive than lethal alternatives but enable safe relocation.
- Preventing orphaned young requires technicians thoroughly search for nests, which takes more time.
While pricier, such ethical precautions ensure no cruelty or family separation occurs.
Key Takeaways on Squirrel Removal Costs
In closing, here are the vital points to remember regarding the cost to remove attic squirrels:
- Expect average prices between $350 to $500 nationally
- Numerous variables like infestation size, location, repairs, etc. influence final costs
- Itemized services like trapping, inspections, cleaning & exclusion carry individual fees
- Following a full professional process typically costs over DIY attempts
- Proper humane removal methods are worth extra investments
While eliminating attic squirrels holds a hefty price tag, restoring your home fully justifies the cost. Through an informed budget and choices, you can relief yourself of these frustrating invaders!
