Squirrel Removal in Lilburn, GA

Squirrels in your Lilburn home

In most Lilburn neighborhoods the hardwoods are older than anything else on the street, and the squirrels living in them don't have to climb a wall. A limb reaches the roof, the squirrel walks across, and it starts on whatever looks weakest: a gable vent screen that's gone brittle, a corner where fascia boards have pulled apart, or a construction gap at a roof valley that was never closed. Nut-bearing oaks and hickories feed a lot of squirrels, so when one finds a way into the attic, there are plenty more waiting to use it.

The sound is easy to recognize: quick, light scratching and running, mostly in the morning and again in the late afternoon. The damage is less obvious. Squirrels chew wiring, pull up insulation to build nests, and enlarge the hole a little more every time they come and go. Because Georgia winters are mild, a squirrel that gets into a Lilburn attic in November can still be there in May.

Old oaks over old roofs

A newer subdivision might have young trees well away from the house. Many Lilburn streets have trees that have been growing for decades, with limbs spread over the roof, the gutters and the power line. Every one of those limbs is a way onto the house. Big trees also mean more acorns and hickory nuts, which means more squirrels living on the lot. Exactly how a squirrel got onto your roof matters less than finding every opening it can use once it's up there.

Don't seal the mother out

Squirrels in Georgia usually have babies in spring and again in late summer or fall, though the timing can shift. A female in your attic may have a nest of young you can't see. If you seal her entry before the babies are out, she won't give up. She'll chew a new hole beside the old one to get back to them, and that does more damage than the first one. If she can't get back in, the young die in the attic. A pro checks for a litter first, every time.

What they chew

A squirrel's front teeth never stop growing, so it chews constantly. In an attic that means the plastic coating on electrical wiring, which is a known fire risk, plus insulation torn into nests and holes in siding, soffit and roof decking. On older Lilburn houses the wiring is often harder to inspect, which is all the more reason to get squirrels out of the attic quickly and not wait to see if they leave.

Why cutting the limbs isn't enough

Trimming branches back from the roof is good advice, and in Lilburn's heavy canopy it lowers how often squirrels reach the roof. But it doesn't seal anything. Squirrels climb brick, siding, downspouts and utility lines, and a determined one will find another way up. Use trimming to cut down the number of visitors, and rely on the seal to keep them out of the attic.

Flying squirrels in the old woods

If the noise starts after dark and goes on through the night, think about southern flying squirrels. They're small, active at night, live in mature hardwoods like Lilburn's, and several often share one attic. The job is basically the same as for grays. The difference is the size of the openings: flying squirrels fit through much smaller gaps, so the inspection has to find openings a gray squirrel couldn't use.

How the job goes

The pro walks the roofline and attic, finds every opening, and puts a one-way door over the one the squirrels are using. They can leave to feed but can't get back in. Once the attic is confirmed empty, and any young are out, every gap is closed with metal: steel mesh, flashing and hardware cloth that squirrels can't chew through. Nests and droppings are cleaned out. Live traps may be used alongside the doors, and they have to be checked every day. A properly done seal should last as long as the house.