Squirrel Removal New York
Squirrels in your attic are chewing your wiring and nesting in your insulation. Our NYS DEC licensed technicians remove them and permanently seal every entry point.
Why Squirrels Are a Serious Problem
Squirrels might look harmless, but inside your home they cause thousands of dollars in damage. Their most dangerous behavior: constant chewing of electrical wiring. Fire marshals have linked squirrels to countless house fires across New York.
Electrical Fire Risk
Squirrels chew through wiring insulation, exposing live wires that can spark fires.
Insulation Damage
They nest in and destroy attic insulation, reducing your home's energy efficiency.
Constant Noise
Scurrying and chewing sounds in walls and attic, especially at dawn and dusk.
Water Damage
Entry points they create allow moisture intrusion, leading to mold and rot.
Gray Squirrel vs. Flying Squirrel: Know the Difference
New York has two species that commonly invade homes. Identifying which species you have changes the removal approach.
🐿️ Eastern Gray Squirrel
- Size: 18–20 inches including tail, 1–1.5 lbs
- Active: Daytime — you hear them during the day
- Breeding: Twice per year (winter and summer)
- Entry points: Large gaps, broken soffits, roof vents
- Attic damage: Nests from insulation, chews wiring, stores food caches
- Removal: One-way exclusion doors or live trapping
🦅 Northern Flying Squirrel
- Size: 10–12 inches including tail, 2–4 oz
- Active: Nocturnal — heard at night, often confused with mice
- Breeding: Once per year (spring)
- Entry points: Tiny gaps — can fit through a 1-inch opening
- Attic damage: Large colonies form; significant urine and feces accumulation
- Removal: Requires smaller exclusion devices; often undetected longer
Squirrel Attic Damage Patterns
Squirrels follow predictable patterns when they move into an attic. Understanding this helps us find every affected area:
- •Entry chewing: Squirrels typically enlarge existing gaps by chewing surrounding wood. Entry points are often found at roofline intersections, dormer corners, and where roof meets soffit.
- •Runway paths: You can often see compressed or stained insulation along the paths squirrels repeatedly travel between nest and entry point.
- •Wiring damage: Squirrels chew wiring throughout the attic. Damage is often discovered only during electrical inspections or when circuits fail.
- •Food caches: Gray squirrels store nuts and seeds in attic insulation, sometimes bringing in pounds of material per season.
When to Schedule Squirrel Exclusion
Exclusion timing matters. Installing one-way doors while a litter of baby squirrels is still in the attic will trap them inside — causing them to die in your walls and creating a serious odor problem, or forcing the mother to chew new entry points in desperation.
✅ Best Windows
- • September – December (fall)
- • Late May – June (late spring/early summer)
Between breeding cycles — no dependent young in the attic.
⚠️ Proceed with Caution
- • February – April
- • July – August
Breeding season — we check for babies before any exclusion and adjust our approach accordingly.
Our Squirrel Removal Process
Comprehensive Inspection
We inspect your entire exterior to identify every squirrel entry point — including ones you may not be aware of. Squirrels commonly use multiple entry points.
Trapping / One-Way Exclusion
We install one-way exclusion devices that allow squirrels to exit but not re-enter. For gray squirrels, live trapping may also be used depending on the situation.
Permanent Sealing
Once all squirrels have exited, we permanently seal every entry point using heavy-gauge hardware cloth, metal flashing, and caulk that squirrels cannot chew through.
Warranty & Follow-Up
We schedule a follow-up to verify all squirrels are out. Our exclusion work is warranted — if squirrels re-enter through a sealed point, we fix it.
Squirrel Removal Cost
Squirrel removal cost in New York depends on the number of animals, entry points, and whether attic cleanup is needed:
Learn More
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Squirrel Removal FAQ
Squirrels Chewing Your Wiring? Call Today.
Don't wait — chewed wiring is a fire hazard. Get a same-day inspection from our NYS DEC licensed wildlife specialists.