Squirrels in the Attic

If you hear running and scratching above your ceiling right around sunrise, and again in the late afternoon, you probably have squirrels in the attic. Gray squirrels are active during the day, so that timing is the giveaway. Mice and rats are mostly heard at night.

Why squirrels move into attics in winter

Eastern gray squirrels mate twice a year, from December to February and again from May to June, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Pregnancy lasts about 40 to 45 days, and a litter is usually 2 to 6 young.

In the wild, the spring litter is born in a hollow tree. A warm, dry attic works even better. So from late fall into winter, females are looking for a protected place to nest, and a gap in your roof line is an open invitation.

How to tell it's squirrels

• Timing: noise in the early morning and late afternoon, quiet at night
• Sound: running, scampering, and sometimes a rolling sound like a nut
• Outside: a chewed hole at the roof line, a gap where the soffit meets the roof, or a torn gable or ridge vent
• Activity: squirrels going on and off the roof, often using a tree branch that overhangs the house
• In the attic: nesting material (leaves, insulation), droppings, chewed wood

If the noise is mostly at night, read our post on scratching noises in walls instead. It could be mice, rats or a raccoon.

Why you don't want to wait

Squirrels chew constantly. In an attic, that means wood, insulation and sometimes electrical wiring. They also make the entry hole bigger over time, which lets in water and other animals. And the longer they stay, the more likely there are babies, which makes removal harder.

How squirrels are removed

The standard approach is exclusion:

1. Find every opening. Squirrels usually have a main hole, and there are often other weak spots nearby.
2. Install a one-way door on the main hole. The squirrels can leave to feed but can't get back in.
3. Seal the other openings with heavy-gauge metal, not foam or screen, which they chew through.
4. Remove the one-way door and seal that hole once the squirrels are out.
5. Trim branches that give them a bridge to the roof.

If there are babies in the attic, the timing changes. Sealing out a mother with her young inside means she'll chew a new hole to get back to them, or the young die in the attic. Someone needs to check for babies first.

Can I trap and relocate squirrels myself?

New Jersey allows property owners to control squirrels causing property damage by lawful means. But the state's Division of Fish and Wildlife relocation policy says trapped mammals should ideally be released where they were caught, and encourages releases within two miles. It also says to search for young before relocating adults in spring and summer.

In practice, trapping one squirrel and driving it away doesn't fix the problem. The hole is still there, and another squirrel will find it. Sealing the house is what solves it.

What not to do

• Don't seal the hole while squirrels are inside.
• Don't use poison in the attic. A squirrel that dies in the wall or ceiling will smell for weeks.
• Don't count on mothballs, lights or radios. Squirrels get used to them.

Squirrel removal in Ocean and Monmouth County

We inspect the roof line, find how the squirrels are getting in, remove them, and seal the openings so they can't come back. See squirrel removal or call (732) 527-5770.

Common questions

Will squirrels leave the attic on their own? Not usually. An attic is a good nest site, and they come back to it.

What time of day are squirrels active in the attic? Mostly early morning and late afternoon.

Do squirrels in the attic carry disease? Their droppings and nesting material can carry bacteria and parasites. Wear gloves and a mask if you go up there, and don't handle the animals.