Squirrel Removal in Austell, GA

Squirrels in your Austell home

The hardwoods along Sweetwater Creek, plus the big oaks and pecans that shade Austell's older blocks, give gray squirrels plenty of acorns and nuts. A squirrel that lives in that canopy treats a nearby roof like one more branch. On a house that's been standing for decades, the roof usually has a weak point: a gable vent with rusted screen, a fascia board gone soft at the corner, or a gap where two rooflines meet. A squirrel can widen any of those in an afternoon.

Inside, they rip up insulation for nests, chew on wiring and wood, and leave droppings and urine behind. Homeowners usually notice the noise first: quick, light running in the morning and again late in the day, quiet at night. The answer is the same every time. Get every squirrel out, deal with any babies, and close the openings with metal so the next squirrel from the creek woods can't use them.

Why Austell squirrels end up in the attic

The creek corridor keeps squirrel numbers high near town, and each year's young need a place to live. A dry attic is better than a leaf nest in a tree, especially for a female about to give birth. Older Austell homes rarely have tight rooflines, so she doesn't have to look hard. That's why taking out one squirrel without sealing rarely helps for long. More are living in the trees next door.

Babies change the order of the job

Squirrels in Georgia usually have young in spring and again in fall, though the timing moves around from year to year. If a nursing mother is shut out, she will chew back in to reach her babies, often through a new spot in the soffit or roof. That leaves you with more damage than when you started. A pro checks for young before any opening is closed, and removes the babies or waits until they're old enough to leave with her.

Chewed wiring in an older house

Squirrels' front teeth never stop growing, so they chew on everything: rafters, ductwork, and the plastic coating on electrical wire. Exposed wire in an attic is a fire risk in any house. In an older Austell home, where the wiring may already be dated and nobody has looked at it in years, it's worth having the pro point out any chewed runs so an electrician can check them.

Trimming the oaks helps, but it isn't enough

Cutting limbs back from the roof takes away the easiest way up, so it's worth doing. But squirrels also climb brick, siding, downspouts and utility lines. Trimming by itself won't keep them off an older house that still has open gaps. Think of it as one small part of the plan. Sealing the gaps is what actually works.

Night noise may be flying squirrels

Gray squirrels sleep at night. If the scratching starts after dark, the likely culprits are southern flying squirrels, which live in the creek-side hardwoods too, or roof rats. Flying squirrels are small, live in groups, and fit through gaps that would stop a gray squirrel. The job is the same, except the pro has to hunt down the smaller openings as well, because missing one lets the whole group back in.

What the pro actually does

First, an inspection of the whole roofline and the foundation, so every opening is found. A one-way door goes over the main hole, letting squirrels out but not back in, and traps are used where a door won't work. Live traps have to be checked every day, which is part of why squirrel work takes more than one visit. Once the attic is quiet and confirmed empty, every gap is closed with metal (steel mesh, flashing, vent guards), and the droppings and nest material come out. Insulation only needs replacing if it's actually ruined, so ask the pro to show you.