Call Us: Servicing Over 300 US Locations

Squirrel on the Roof

If squirrels are just running around on top of your roof, that's no big deal. Unless the noise bothers you. In that case, it's not very hard to trap and remove them. When setting traps on the roof, the great danger is that any trapped squirrel will die very quickly of heat stroke. So you mustn't set traps out in the open sun on the roof. But be aware, the noises might not be from the roof after all. They might be from squirrels UNDER the roof, inside your house and attic. Here are the concerns:

Squirrel on a roof is making noises running around and rolling nuts.
Squirrel is on the roof because it is actually entering and living in your attic.
Squirrel is on the roof chewing on wooden trim, like in the photo to the left.

How to Get Rid of Squirrels on the roof - Squirrels are such a common sight across backyards, urban buildings and in city parks that we often take for granted just how destructive they can be. The most common squirrel that is found in North America is the gray squirrel which is a small rodent rarely exceeding two pounds that lives in trees. It can be identified by its grayish-brown coat with a white underbelly and a very large, fluffy tail. Squirrels are food hoarders and live through the winter by stashing berries, nuts and grains into holes in the ground or in hollow crevices of trees. This behavior is very cute but is also the reason why many people do not want them around.

Squirrels have lived next to humans for so long that they have lost almost all their fear of us. Squirrels not only ruin your hard and steal the birdseed you leave out for the birds, but they can also do considerable amounts of damage within your home. Squirrels love to chew their way into walls or attics and build their nests in them because they are warm and secure places to raise their young. This can be a very dangerous situation because the squirrels will bring in materials such as hay, dried leaves and twigs to build their nests which can cause a fire in no time. What makes this even more dangerous is that they like to chew on power chords which can ruin your electrical system and cause a fire. Their droppings and urine also present a biohazard which can cause respiratory infections. Not only is it dangerous to have squirrels living in your home, they can also make a lot of noise while they are playing and caching their food supply.

If you have a squirrel problem, you need to fix it right away before your health and your house become compromised. The easiest way to deal with a squirrel infestation is to call a local animal control office or exterminator to trap and relocate the critters. If they have nested in the attic you should also call someone who knows how to decontaminate attics and who can replace the insulation. However, animal control experts can be very expensive to hire and will be spending lots of time in your house until the infestation is resolved.

Whether you call a professional or do it yourself, the process is very similar. First you need to identify where the squirrels are getting in. Squirrels will usually chew on an existing hole on the outside of the house to make it bigger. Another way that they get in is through the vents between the walls and the roof. Once you have determined how they are getting in, you will need to set traps to catch them. There are many places where you can buy these traps, such as in hardware store and some pet stores. You can bait the traps with one of their favorite foods and wait, but make sure you remember to check the traps everyday in case you catch one.

Once you have caught the squirrels you will need to drive no less than 10 miles away from your house and then release them. Be careful when you do this because they bite, scratch and can give you infections or contagious diseases. Please do not kill the squirrels as it is completely unnecessary once you have relocated them. After you release the squirrels, you need to patch up or fix the openings where they were getting in, as more squirrels will find the opening and move in if you do not close it up. This is not as easy as it sounds, but this is the usual process that the professional will do to rid you of your squirrel problems.

Go back to the main Squirrel Removal page for more information about squirrel on the roof, and what types of noises or sounds they make. Do you hear the squirrel on the roof during the night or the day?