Squirrels are cute, but these little scavengers can be annoying. What can you do if they swap your home or workplace as their refuge? For various reasons, many people are reluctant to get rid of this animal by harming it. This article will help you do just that: get rid of this cute little creature without harming them.
Steps
Step 1. Don't panic
A squirrel is just as scared as you are, and it can be scared just as you are (as are many animals). You want to get him away from your home and that's his primary goal: to get out of the house as easily and as quickly as possible. The squirrel probably feels uncomfortable and doesn't know what to do as they feel trapped in a foreign environment such as your home. Also, although on very rare occasions, he can get angry, so avoid getting bitten.
Step 2. Check where it is, and secure your pets; get them out immediately or move them to another room
If the squirrel scratches or bites them, they could be infected with some disease.
Step 3. Move cautiously around the squirrel, throw open a window (perhaps on the opposite side of the room)
Step 4. Close all other doors in the room, furniture drawers, etc…, without approaching the squirrel
If there is no window, see step number 5.
Step 5. Exit the room and isolate it from the rest of the house
If it doesn't have a door, seal all other entrances leading to that room and / or put a panel or makeshift door, so the squirrel can't walk around, and can't jump. These indications are used to provide the squirrel with an easy way out, leaving him a choice: the window. If there is no window in the room, create an access path to a room that has one open. This could be a bit challenging, but usually, by closing some doors and preparing an easy path from the room to the window (with tables or the like, if necessary), it should work.
Step 6. There are various traps available on the market that are not harmful to the animal and you can get them if the barricades don't work
Step 7. Leave the house for an hour or two and take your pet with you if you can
As soon as the squirrel realizes that there is no one else in the house, he will go through the window.
Step 8. Make sure there are no food sources available that might invite the squirrel to stay
Step 9. When you return, check all areas of the house the squirrel was in, to be sure it is gone
Advice
- Squirrels often use hidden places in the house as nests. Sometimes they hide in attics or basements, using the insulation material from the house to build their nest.
- Squirrels, although very rare, can have anger. So if you get bitten you need to see a doctor immediately. They can also have fleas, so check the house well when you get back. They can also spread other diseases through the teeth, so make sure you also have a tetanus shot.
- When the squirrel leaves your home, carefully clean all the surfaces you think it may have touched, using hot water and a disinfectant (hot water mixed with a little bleach is also fine if you have nothing else available).
- If the above steps don't work the first time, leave the house for another hour or two. In the end you will be able to reach the goal.
- Eliminate all food items the squirrel may have touched as they could be a vehicle for infection for both humans and pets.
Warnings
- Never mix ammonia and bleach to create a disinfectant. You would cause an odorless, colorless gas that can be harmful, if not fatal, to humans and animals.
- Do not attempt to pet the squirrel and do not approach it in any way. If threatened, it can attack and bite in self-defense. This can be dangerous as the animal can be rabid and transmit an infection or disease.
- Immediately remove all pets from the area where the squirrel is located. Their immune systems are not as strong as that of wild animals, and could be compromised in the event of an attack.
