Squirrel Removal in Buford, GA

Squirrels in your Buford home

Buford's squirrel calls come from two very different kinds of houses. On the newer side, subdivisions and townhomes built in the growth around the retail hub often keep a band of original hardwoods along the lot lines, and those trees put squirrels right at roof level on day one. The new homes may look tight, but quick construction leaves small gaps at soffit returns, roof-to-wall joints and vent openings. On the older side, homes near the historic downtown have years of weather on their fascia and gable vents, and a squirrel can chew a soft spot into a doorway in an afternoon.

Squirrels are worth dealing with quickly because of their teeth. Their incisors never stop growing, so they chew constantly — framing, siding, insulation, and the coating on electrical wire. Exposed attic wiring is a known fire risk. Our crew also sees the same costly mistake again and again: someone seals the hole while a mother is out, and she chews right back in to reach her babies, doing more damage than before.

New house, same squirrel problem

It's frustrating to find squirrels in a house that's only a few years old, but it's common. Georgia's building codes leave plenty of small openings out of sight — where the soffit meets the wall, where two roof sections meet, around the gable vent — and a squirrel needs only a gap it can widen with its teeth. In Buford's newer neighborhoods, the hardwoods kept along lot edges give squirrels an easy jump onto the roof. Newness is not protection; a proper metal seal is.

Older homes near downtown

The houses around Buford's historic downtown face a different version of the same problem. Wood fascia and soffit boards soften over decades, old gable vents have thin screens or none, and chimneys and porch rooflines leave corners squirrels can work into. The fix is the same as on a new house, but the inspection usually turns up more spots, and some weathered wood may need replacing before it can hold a metal patch.

Babies and the "chew back in" problem

Squirrel baby season in Georgia usually runs in spring and again in late summer or fall, though it can stretch longer some years. A female wants a dry, quiet attic for her litter. If she's sealed out while her young are inside, she won't give up — she'll chew a new hole through the roof or siding to get back to them, and the young may die in the meantime. That's why the pro confirms whether there are babies before any opening gets closed.

Chewed wires and other damage

The damage pros find most in squirrel attics is to wiring, insulation, siding and roofing. Chewed wire is the dangerous one, since bare conductors in a hot, dusty attic are a fire risk. Insulation gets packed into nests and soiled. Outside, the entry hole tends to grow over time as squirrels keep gnawing it. Getting the animals out quickly and sealing right behind them keeps that list short.

Daytime noise or night noise?

Gray squirrels are active early in the morning and late in the afternoon. If the sounds start after dark instead, you may have southern flying squirrels, a small native that glides between trees and often lives in groups — the wooded slopes toward Lake Lanier and the tree buffers between neighborhoods suit them well. The job is basically the same, but flying squirrels fit through smaller gaps, so the inspection has to catch tinier openings.

How removal works

The pro inspects the whole roofline and marks every opening. One-way doors (excluders) go over the active holes so squirrels can leave to feed but can't come back; traps are used where that fits better, and they have to be checked every day. Once the attic is confirmed empty — and no babies are left — every gap is closed with metal, not foam or caulk, and soiled insulation is cleaned up. A good repair should last the life of the home; get the warranty in writing.