DIY vs. Professional Squirrel Removal: The Risks of DIY
Hearing scratching noises from your attic or walls can be an unsettling experience for any homeowner. These sounds often indicate squirrels seeking shelter and a place to nest.
Although your first instinct might be to remove the squirrels yourself to save time and money, it’s usually better to get an exterminator to solve the problem for you. Read on to learn about the risks of the DIY route and why hiring professionals is a safer, more effective choice.
Why Removing Squirrels Yourself Is Risky
Trying to rid your home of squirrels can lead to a host of problems. Understanding these risks is crucial before you decide to tackle the issue on your own.
Health and Safety Hazards
One significant reason why you shouldn’t try to remove squirrels from your property yourself is that they can pose threats to your health and safety. Squirrels may look harmless, but they will defend themselves when they feel cornered or threatened. A squirrel can bite or scratch, resulting in painful injuries that may require medical attention.
Additionally, you may risk infection if those wounds are not medically treated. Squirrels may carry diseases that they transmit to you through bites or scratches, including rabies. Without the proper personal protective equipment, you may expose yourself and your family to these invisible threats.
Ineffective and Inhumane Methods
Homeowners may rely on commercially available traps and repellents to remove these unwanted guests; however, this represents another risk of DIY squirrel removal, as many of these products are not as effective as they claim. Squirrels are intelligent and highly adaptable creatures; they can often outsmart or ignore these DIY solutions.
You might spend considerable time and money on various products only to find the squirrels are still comfortably nesting in your attic. This trial-and-error approach leads to prolonged frustration and allows the infestation to worsen.
Moreover, some DIY methods can be inhumane. Glue traps, for instance, cause immense suffering and a slow, painful death for any animal caught in them. Certain types of traps can injure squirrels without capturing them, or they may inadvertently trap and harm other non-target wildlife, such as birds or neighborhood pets.
Risk of Separating Mothers from Their Young
A critical aspect of squirrel removal that homeowners often overlook is the possibility of a mother squirrel with her babies. Squirrels frequently enter homes to find a safe, warm place to build a nest and raise their young. If you trap and remove an adult squirrel, you may unknowingly be separating a mother from her dependent litter.
The young squirrels, left alone, will inevitably perish from starvation or exposure. This is an incredibly inhumane outcome that also creates a new, serious problem for you. The deceased animals will begin to decompose within your walls or attic, producing a powerful and unpleasant odor that can permeate your entire home. Locating and removing the source of this smell can be difficult and costly, often requiring professionals to open walls or ceilings.
Additional Property Damage
Squirrels are rodents, and their teeth grow continuously. To keep them filed down, they must constantly gnaw on hard surfaces. Inside your home, they can chew on wooden beams, structural supports, drywall, and even your electrical wiring. Attempting to remove them without a clear strategy can frighten them, causing them to retreat deeper into your home’s structure and inflict even more damage in their panic.
Trying to block an entry point without ensuring all squirrels are out can also backfire. A trapped squirrel will become desperate and may chew through new materials, creating additional holes and weak points in your home’s exterior. Professionals understand squirrel behavior and will implement solutions that guide the animals out before sealing entry points, preventing further destruction.
The Benefits of Professional Squirrel Removal
Hiring a professional rodent removal company provides peace of mind and ensures the squirrel problem is handled correctly from the start. Experts bring knowledge, experience, and equipment that the average homeowner lacks.
A Comprehensive Inspection and Strategy
One benefit of hiring a professional to take care of your squirrel problem is that they will perform a thorough inspection of your property. During this process, they will identify all potential entry points, assess the extent of the infestation, determine if babies are present, and locate nesting areas.
Based on this comprehensive assessment, they can develop a customized removal strategy tailored to your specific situation. This strategic planning eliminates the guesswork and inefficiency associated with DIY methods.
Humane and Effective Removal
You can also count on professionals to use proven, humane methods to remove squirrels from your home. In addition, they will relocate the squirrels to a suitable new habitat far from your property. This prevents you from breaking any laws related to rodent removal and gives you peace of mind, knowing these animals did not experience unnecessary harm or stress.
Prevention and Exclusion Services
Simply removing the squirrels is only half the battle. If the entry points are not properly sealed, new squirrels or other pests will eventually find their way in. Professional services go beyond removal, offering expert exclusion services to fortify your home against future invasions.
For example, technicians will permanently close off all entry points they identified during the inspection. This proactive approach is the most crucial step in achieving a long-term solution.
Safe Cleanup and Decontamination
After the squirrels are gone, your home may feature a mess of droppings, urine, and soiled nesting materials. This waste poses a health risk. Professional wildlife control companies offer cleanup and decontamination services to safely handle this hazardous material.
Equipped with the necessary tools, technicians will remove all contaminated materials and sanitize the affected areas. This process eliminates harmful pathogens and neutralizes odors, restoring the space to a safe and clean condition. Attempting this type of cleanup without proper training and equipment can put your health in jeopardy.
Legacy Rodent Control Provides the Professional Services You Need
Suffice to say, dealing with squirrels requires expertise and a comprehensive plan. Although a DIY approach might seem doable at first, professionals can offer a safe, humane, and effective solution that addresses the problem at its root and prevents it from recurring.
Legacy Rodent Control can provide you with the professional services you deserve and put an end to your squirrel problem. Contact us today to learn more about our services for squirrel control in Dallas that will help you protect your home with confidence.
