Squirrel

Squirrel Removal in Brooklyn and Bronx: Urban Wildlife Exclusion for NYC Homes

May 16, 2025·11 min read

Squirrels in Brooklyn and Bronx homes are one of the most frequently reported wildlife control problems in New York City. The eastern gray squirrel is extraordinarily well adapted to urban environments, and NYC's dense housing stock — brownstones, rowhouses, attached brick buildings, and older detached homes — provides ideal nesting habitat. Understanding the specific vulnerabilities of NYC urban architecture and the exclusion strategies that work in a dense urban setting is essential for permanently resolving a squirrel problem in Brooklyn or the Bronx.

Urban Squirrel Ecology in New York City

Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are among the most abundant mammals in New York City. Prospect Park, Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and the street tree canopy throughout Brooklyn and the Bronx support gray squirrel populations at densities far exceeding those in rural areas. The urban food supply — bird feeders, unsecured garbage, fallen fruit from ornamental trees, and intentional human feeding — allows squirrels to maintain high population densities year-round.

Gray squirrels breed twice annually in New York — in late winter (January to February) and again in summer (June to July). Each litter typically produces two to four young. Females seek warm, protected nesting sites for raising their litters, and the attic spaces, wall voids, and eave areas of NYC homes are far warmer and more predator-resistant than tree cavities. Once a squirrel family establishes itself in a Brooklyn brownstone or a Bronx rowhouse attic, they will return to the same site for multiple breeding seasons.

The noise that Brooklyn and Bronx homeowners most commonly report — scratching and rolling sounds in the ceiling or walls, particularly at dawn and dusk — is characteristic of squirrel activity. Squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight hours, which distinguishes them from rats (nocturnal) and raccoons (primarily crepuscular and nocturnal).

Entry Points in Brooklyn and Bronx Architecture

The historic architecture of Brooklyn and the Bronx creates specific squirrel entry vulnerabilities that differ from those in suburban Long Island or Westchester homes:

• Deteriorated wood cornices: Brooklyn brownstones and rowhouses frequently feature elaborate wood cornices at the roofline. These painted wood assemblies deteriorate over decades — seams open, end grain rots, and gaps develop that provide direct access to the attic space or wall voids below the cornice.
• Parapet wall gaps: The intersection of a flat roof deck and the parapet wall is a common entry point in Brooklyn attached buildings. Deteriorated coping, missing mortar, and gaps in flashing at parapet-to-deck junctions are all exploited by squirrels.
• Shared fire wall joints: Adjacent rowhouses share a common party wall. At the roofline, the joint between two buildings — especially where roofing materials or flashing have deteriorated — creates a gap that squirrels use to access attic spaces of both buildings simultaneously.
• Roof penetration gaps: Modern HVAC equipment, plumbing vents, and satellite dish installations on flat roofs in Brooklyn and the Bronx create multiple poorly sealed penetrations. Flexible duct boots, poorly caulked pipe stacks, and improperly flashed curbs are all entry points.
• Deteriorated rear extension roofs: Many Brooklyn rowhouses have one- or two-story rear extensions with built-up or modified bitumen roofs. These extensions often have poorly maintained roof-to-wall junctions where the extension meets the main building, creating gaps directly into interior wall voids or ceiling spaces.

Damage Squirrels Cause in NYC Buildings

Squirrels in Brooklyn and Bronx homes cause several categories of damage:

• Electrical fire risk: Squirrels gnaw on electrical wiring in attics and wall voids. This is the most serious consequence of a squirrel infestation. Gnawed wiring with exposed conductors is a leading cause of structure fires. NYC Fire Department data consistently identifies electrical fires with unclear ignition sources in older buildings as a category where rodent and squirrel chewing is a significant contributing factor.
• Insulation damage: Squirrels shred blown-in and batt insulation for nesting material, degrading thermal performance and contaminating insulation with urine and feces.
• Wood structural damage: Entry point gnawing expands over time as squirrels maintain and enlarge access gaps in wood cornices, fascia, and roof trim.
• Noise disruption: The scratching, gnawing, and rolling of cached nuts in attic spaces is a significant quality-of-life impact for Brooklyn and Bronx homeowners, particularly in lighter-construction buildings where sound transmission between floors is pronounced.

The Exclusion Process for NYC Urban Buildings

Effective squirrel exclusion in Brooklyn and Bronx buildings requires a different approach than suburban exclusion, given the density of potential entry points, the complexity of shared building assemblies, and the difficulty of exterior access:

1. Interior confirmation: Confirm squirrel activity and identify interior access routes through the building — are squirrels accessing the attic only, or also wall voids, ceiling spaces, or lower floors?
2. Full exterior inspection: A licensed NWCO inspects the full exterior at multiple heights — from the sidewalk, from the roof, and from any accessible intermediate levels — to identify all potential entry points. Active points show fresh gnawing marks or worn paint surfaces from repeated squirrel contact.
3. One-way exclusion device installation: One-way squirrel exclusion tubes or cones are installed over active entry points, allowing squirrels to exit but not re-enter. Devices must remain in place for a minimum of 5 days before final sealing.
4. Secondary point sealing: All non-active potential entry points are sealed with appropriate materials — galvanized hardware cloth, copper mesh, sheet metal flashing, or caulk as appropriate for the substrate.
5. Primary point final sealing: After exclusion devices confirm no remaining squirrels inside, primary entry points are permanently sealed.

Trapping vs. Exclusion in New York City

Trapping without exclusion is an exercise in futility in Brooklyn and Bronx neighborhoods with dense squirrel populations. For every squirrel removed from your building without sealing the entry points, a new squirrel will locate and use the same entry point within days or weeks. Trapping is most useful as a short-term tool to remove any squirrels that may be remaining inside after one-way exclusion devices are installed. Long-term resolution requires permanent exclusion — sealing every entry point so that no squirrel can access the building, regardless of population pressure from outside. Call (516) 447-4673 to schedule a free inspection for your Brooklyn or Bronx property.

Frequently Asked Questions