Squirrel Removal

Squirrel Removal from Attics in New York: The Complete Guide

January 17, 2025·10 min read

New York has three species of squirrel that regularly invade homes: the eastern gray squirrel, the American red squirrel (less common in NYC but prevalent upstate and in suburban wooded areas), and the northern flying squirrel. Each presents different behavioral patterns, different levels of damage, and requires slightly different exclusion strategies. What they all share is a strong compulsion to nest in the warmth and protection of your attic.

Three Species, Three Problems

Eastern Gray Squirrel

The gray squirrel is the most common attic invader throughout the New York City metropolitan area, Long Island, and Westchester. Gray squirrels are diurnal — active during daylight — so attic intrusions from this species produce scratching and running sounds during morning and late afternoon hours. They breed twice annually (January–March and June–August), which creates two peak periods of intrusion activity per year.

Gray squirrels are persistent chewers. They gnaw on structural wood, plastic plumbing pipes, and electrical wiring insulation. Squirrel gnawing on electrical wiring is a documented cause of residential house fires and is one of the most compelling reasons to address an attic intrusion quickly. Once a squirrel establishes a nest, it will reinforce and expand that nest — and the associated damage — over multiple seasons.

Red Squirrel

Red squirrels are smaller, more aggressive, and more territorial than gray squirrels. They are more common in the wooded areas of the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Adirondacks, and suburban properties with significant conifer cover. Red squirrels create mushroom caches — they actually store food inside structures — which adds fungal contamination to the standard list of squirrel damage. They also chew more aggressively than gray squirrels and are more likely to penetrate into wall voids.

Flying Squirrel

Northern flying squirrels are nocturnal and much smaller than gray squirrels — roughly the size of a large mouse. This small size means they can enter through gaps as small as ¾ inch, which standard gray squirrel exclusion work (using ½-inch hardware cloth) will not fully address. Flying squirrels also tend to enter in large groups — 10 to 20 animals in a single attic is not unusual. Their small body size makes them more likely to enter wall cavities and interior spaces, and their chewing habits create significant electrical hazard risk.

Why Trapping Alone Does Not Work

Trapping is the instinctive response to a squirrel in the attic, and it does remove the individual animal. The problem is that it does nothing to address the reason the squirrel got in. If there is an opening in your roofline, another squirrel — or ten — will find and use it within days to weeks, especially during peak nesting season.

In New York, gray squirrel populations in suburban areas are extremely dense. Nassau County, for example, has one of the highest squirrel-to-acre ratios of any suburban county in the northeastern United States. There is always another squirrel ready to take the vacated territory.

Trapping-only approaches may also strand young animals inside the structure if the trapped adult is a nursing mother. Kits that cannot follow their mother out will die in place, creating a deodorization problem that can persist for weeks.

The Exclusion Process for New York Homes

Proper squirrel exclusion requires a full-perimeter approach. A licensed NWCO will:

1. Inspect every linear foot of the roofline — fascia boards, soffits, gable vents, roof-to-wall junctions, ridge caps, and any roof penetration. Squirrels exploit openings as small as 1½ inches.
2. Install one-way exclusion funnels at active entry points so squirrels can exit but not re-enter.
3. Seal all secondary entry points with 16-gauge ½-inch galvanized hardware cloth, steel flashing, or heavy-gauge metal mesh, secured with construction screws rather than staples.
4. Confirm all animals have exited (typically 3–5 days for gray squirrels, 7–10 days for flying squirrels), then permanently seal primary entry points.
5. Inspect the interior for wiring damage, insulation destruction, and nesting material requiring removal.

For flying squirrel exclusions, ¼-inch hardware cloth is required at all exclusion points, and special attention must be paid to exterior trim gaps, utility line entry points, and roof-to-soffit junctions that are often overlooked in gray squirrel work.

Wiring Inspection After Squirrel Removal

After any squirrel eviction, an electrical inspection is strongly recommended. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that rodents — including squirrels — are responsible for approximately 20–25% of all undetermined house fires in the United States. In New York, where many homes in Nassau, Westchester, and the outer boroughs have aging knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, the risk is even higher.

A licensed electrician should inspect accessible attic wiring for chew marks or exposed copper. Wiring in closed wall cavities that squirrels have penetrated may require thermal imaging to assess risk without destructive investigation.

Tree Management to Prevent Squirrel Entry

Squirrels require a physical pathway to your roof. Managing access points reduces re-entry pressure on your exclusion work:

• Trim all tree branches to a minimum of 8–10 feet from the roofline. Squirrels jump 4–6 feet horizontally but rarely more.
• Install 2-foot-wide metal banding (squirrel baffles) around the trunks of large trees within 20 feet of the house if trimming is not feasible.
• Remove dead trees and large dead branches near the house — these serve as squirrel staging areas.
• Ensure utility line entry points (electrical service entrances, cable TV, internet) are sealed where they penetrate the structure.

Frequently Asked Questions