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Squirrel in roof


Squirrels in the Attic? - Solved!

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Q: I keep hearing noise coming from upstairs and am fairly sure that a family of squirrels has taken up residence in my house. Short of setting traps, what’s the safest way to tell that there are squirrels in the attic and get rid of them? 

A: They might make cuddly cartoon characters and leave your backyard feeling like a magical forest, but squirrels that move into your house are a little less whimsical. Left unchecked, these real-life pests can poke holes in your siding, damage insulation, and even chew through electrical wiring.

First, find out what you’re dealing with.

If you’ve heard skittering, scratching, or rolling noises from your ceiling, there’s a good chance you’re harboring some kind of wildlife in your attic, but it may not necessarily be a squirrel. To pinpoint the type of pest, pay attention to when you’re hearing the commotion. Generally, squirrels are active during the day, so noises in the evening hours are more likely to come from nocturnal animals like rats and mice. If the strange sounds have occurred between the months of March and October, it might even be that a mother came to nurse her newborn squirrels in the attic and out of the elements. In that case, you may find that the family leaves on their own within a few weeks.

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Photo: istockphoto.com

If you’re still uncertain, check the tracks.

You can capture paw prints with the help of a pantry item or two. Spread a dusting of flour over a piece of cardboard, and place it inside the attic’s entryway or near the suspected access point. Leave it there for a day or two, and then inspect the surface for the prints. Most squirrel tracks look like small feet and are around 1 to 1 ½ inches long. (Alternatively, footprints double that size might belong to a raccoon, while mice prints are far smaller and rat tracks feature fine points created by their claws.) A foul smell or droppings littering the floor could signal a longstanding infestation, so it’s important to move quickly once you’ve identified the type of critter you’re dealing with.

Don’t supply their snacks.

By reining in their food supply, you’ll eventually send these freeloaders off in search of a more comfortable crash pad. And if you have a bird feeder in your yard, stop stocking it with squirrel favorites like corn, sunflower seeds, and nuts.

Try a one-way door.

If you’ve managed to track down the critters’ access point, consider installing a one-way cage door or funnel just outside of it. Secured to the home’s exterior, these additions can catch squirrels on the way out of the attic for food or, in the case of funnels, allow them to leave but prevent return through the same hole. After setting up a live-catch trap, check the contraption twice daily and be prepared relocate it to somewhere at least 3 miles away should it prove successful. All in all, this is one of the more effective and humane ways to send squirrels scurrying away for good. That said, check your city, county, and state’s wildlife ordinances before proceeding with one of these measures to make sure you’re adhering to local laws and protocol. In California, for example, it’s illegal to trap gray squirrels without a permit.

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Close off any roads that lead back to your place.

Send the visitors a strong message by spraying a liquid taste-based repellent on your lawn, soil, and trees to make the yard less inviting, and double down by sprinkling a granular version around the perimeter of your yard to light up the proverbial “No Vacancy” sign. If you have a garden, consider planting daffodils around your home’s foundation, since they’re a natural deterrent. Likewise, if you have a tree branch that hangs over your roof (or within 8 to 10 feet of it—remember, these little guys are talented jumpers!), cutting it back can make it harder for other squirrels to crawl into your attic while you work on solving the problem from within.

Know when you’ve lost the battle.

If you’ve inspected your attic, removed any possible food sources, and tried the store-bought remedies without ousting your unwanted guests, pick up the phone and call in a professional for backup.

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6 Signs You May Have Squirrels in Your Attic or Roof | Any Pest

We tend to think of squirrels as cute, fuzzy, and generally harmless. However, squirrels can cause very serious problems for homeowners and can be a tough riddance. It’s important to learn signs of squirrels in your home to prevent a squirrel infestation in your attic or roof.

Squirrel Control in Georgia

Squirrels are one of the most common wildlife animals in Georgia and can be seen all over the metro-Atlanta and surrounding areas. While most squirrels are usually harmless creatures, they can cause a lot of problems for homeowners. If there are squirrels in your attic, for example, it can be extremely difficult to get them out. There may also be damage to various items on your property due to gnawing, as well as daytime sounds of activity.

The True Danger of Squirrels in Your Home

To keep their teeth sharp, squirrels gnaw and chew constantly on both edible and non-edible items. This includes nuts, tree buds, seeds, and more. If squirrels invade your home, they will look for something to chew on to keep their teeth sharp. In your attic, this could mean electrical wires.

There are over 20,000 home fires caused by squirrels each year in the U.S. This is why identifying signs of squirrels is extremely important!

When are Squirrels Most Active?

Squirrels are most active in the early mornings and late afternoons, so if you are hearing rustling, banging, and other strange noises in your attic or roof treatment during those times, you might have a family of squirrels sharing your home with you. Keep reading to discover 6 signs of squirrels in your roof or attic.

6 Signs You May Have Squirrels in Your Attic or Roof 

#1- Hearing Unusual Noises

Squirrels are large rodents and can make considerable sounds when inhabiting your home. Listen for loud scampering noises early in the morning and at dusk. Squirrels sleep at night and are most active when we are.

#2- Foul Odors

Squirrel urine can become very potent in your house and its smell will emanate through the walls and your heating/cooling vents. Many times squirrels can become stuck inside and die which will cause an even more powerful odor. If you begin to smell off-putting, foul odors, it could be a sign of squirrels.

#3- Damage to Your Home

Squirrels will chew through just about anything to find warmth and shelter. Inspect the molding, wiring, beams, and entryways to your attic or roof. If you find chewed up materials and wires, squirrels are most likely present.

#4- Nests

Squirrels will use the insulation in your crawl spaces and attic to build their nests. Look for destroyed and ruffled insulation as well as outside materials like leaves and debris. Squirrels like to carry in goods from nature to build their habitats and will use your home’s materials in conjunction to do so.

#5- Squirrel Droppings

Squirrel droppings are a sure sign of a squirrel infestation in your home. Look for scattered droppings in and around your attic and roof. Squirrel feces are dangerous and bacteria-ridden. Be sure to hire a professional pest service for their removal.

#6- Acorns

It is not a cliche, squirrels really do love acorns. And they love to gather them and store them away for the winter months. If you see deposits of acorns in your attic or roof, a squirrel most likely brought them there.

It’s important to let a professional handle a squirrel infestation and to not attempt squirrel removal on your own. It is best to seek professional help in this situation so that all wildlife can be dealt with in a proper way.

Squirrels can cause serious damage to your home. Chewed out holes that lead to the outside, destroyed gutter lines, insulation repairs, and worst of all chewed service and electrical wires. A squirrel can easily set your home a blaze by chewing up a wire in your attic or crawl space. If you believe you have a squirrel or any rodent infestation in your home, call your professional pest control company immediately.

Squirrel Control and Removal in Metro Atlanta

At Any Pest, Inc. we adhere to the highest standards and stay up-to-date on the latest industry technology and information. We offer free consultations, prompt service and customize all plans to meet your specific needs. For a more environmentally-friendly approach, inquire about our botanical and Eco-friendly pest control products. We have affordable pest control plans for the protection of your home and family and offer referral discounts for customers with existing or recurring service agreements – call us today at (678) 888-0035 or contact us online here for a free consultation!

Beliefs associated with protein - Point of View - LJ

Thanks to PIFych for the link.
I'll copy the info to myself, let it be.

Who would have thought that this nimble and agile animal with a fluffy tail, touchingly amusing for everyone who happened to watch him, was so ambiguously perceived by different peoples in ancient times!

Why is a squirrel called a squirrel?
This inquisitive and extremely frisky rodent, with a red or ash-black skin, has long been called a veveritsa or veksha. The modern name came from the name of the small change "bela", which was precisely the skins of these animals. "Animals", or, as they were also called, "selfish", money was introduced into trade since ancient times. Although the size of the skin is small (the animal itself weighs about 250 grams), squirrel fur has always been in price. nine0009

The squirrel, a beautiful fluffy animal, so enlivening the desert silence of the northern gloomy forests with its restless, lively disposition, is constantly mentioned in old Russian fairy tales. She jumps from branch to branch, sings and sings, according to storytellers, funny squirrel songs, and she herself - you know, gnaws nuts: not ordinary nuts, their shells are made of pure gold, but the kernels are pearls. If a squirrel accidentally runs from the forest to the village, be thin for the whole village - says the gray-haired folk word. It, this word, wise over centuries of experience, has preserved to this day the belief that if wolves howl through the woods and squirrels jump along the edges, one must wait for either pestilence or war. "Fidget, not a demon!" - wonders about the squirrel. nine0009

The squirrel personifies agility, agility, tirelessness - spinning like a squirrel (in a wheel). The physical dexterity of the squirrel also gives rise to the idea of ​​​​its cunning: bel. cunning yak squirrel. Cunning and the ability to move quickly were attributed in folk beliefs to various mythological characters. It was believed that a mermaid, a noon, a devil, a goblin, the dead run very fast ("barely traceable"; "so that they cannot be caught up on a horse"). The Greek gods and the immortals of other regions move just as quickly in space; "Rigveda" says that Vishnu "passed through this world with three steps", while Vishnu's movement had a cosmogonic character, he "crossed the earthly spaces and, stepping three times, strengthened the upper sphere". nine0009

The image of a squirrel is presented in folk demonology. In the guise of a squirrel, brownie, water, mermaid can appear to people; according to Russian and Belarusian beliefs, herds of squirrels are in the power of the goblin; in a little Lusatian byle, a squirrel is a witch's assistant. The view of the squirrel as an unclean animal contributed greatly to the fact that squirrel meat was considered inedible. In Slovenia, among the participants in the carnival disguise, depicting a wedding procession, there were dressed up squirrels. In the Polish dream book of the XIX century. a squirrel in a dream is interpreted as a harbinger of a happy marriage or the birth of children. In Slovakia, a piece of fabric used to protect a woman in labor was decorated with embroidered motifs of a squirrel, a rooster, a deer, and a peacock. A piece of squirrel skin was used by the Slovaks when washing a newborn

Perhaps the best opinion about the squirrel was the Japanese, for whom it was a symbol of fertility and inexhaustible ideas and was often depicted next to a vine. The Celts considered her a companion of the Irish goddess Medb, the patroness of supreme power, who personified the land.

But among the Scandinavians, the squirrel Ratatosk (which means "gnattooth" in translation) runs along the World Tree Yggdrasil, symbolizing the trinity of the Heavenly, Earthly and Underground kingdoms, and is an intermediary between the eagle (heavenly sign) living in its branches, between whose eyes it sits the hawk Vedrfölnir ("weather-faded") and the root-dwelling serpent Nidhogg (representative of the underworld). nine0009

The poor fellow, scurrying around, passed their swear messages to each other. That is why it was considered among these peoples as the bearer of hostility and confusion, chaos. In addition, not only among them, but also among the Slavs, a jumping squirrel was associated with sparkling lightning, i.e. with the element of thunder, through the image of the thunder god it became (together with the eagle) a symbol of war and further - a harbinger of battles and pestilence.

The Slavs often called the squirrel cunning: either for its inherent dexterity, or for the similarity of the red coat and fluffy tail with a fox. And the children were also frightened by the fact that in her image a brownie, water or mermaid could appear before a person, who, according to ancient beliefs, could move at lightning speed. nine0009

On the other hand, the squirrel was depicted on talismans (or its claws were used as such), believing that this would improve well-being. And a meeting with her in a dream promised guests, more precisely, a guest.

However, different Slavic tribes had their own peculiarities in their ideas about the symbolic image of a squirrel. Russians and Belarusians believed that the squirrel people were in the power of the goblin. Croats had a taboo on eating squirrel meat to pregnant women for fear that the child might be born black. nine0009

In general, the squirrel appeared quite often in the rituals associated with birth. So, the Slovaks embroidered her image along with the symbols of a rooster, a deer and a peacock on the curtain, with which they fenced off the woman in labor, and washed the newborn with a squirrel skin.

Among the northern peoples, for example, the Komi, there was a month of squirrels in the folk calendar (end of January - end of February), which fell at the time when these animals began to rut.

And among the Zoroastrians, the squirrel appeared in the horoscope as the patroness of those born in certain years (there are 1916, 1948, 1980, 2012). According to their ideas, these people should have small facial features, have mobility, uneven character, liveliness, intelligence, high efficiency, housekeeping and the desire to start a family, conservative views. For humanity, these years are fraught with crimes against the innocent, the appearance of evil under the guise of good.

In Christianity, the squirrel symbolizes greed and greed. "Dream Book of Solomon" warns that the appearance of a squirrel in a dream promises a man an acquaintance with a deceitful woman, a loss of fortune, but also . .. joy, but for a woman this portends only to be deceived by an unworthy person. nine0009

…Small nimble animal, so cute and harmless, why did people reward you with repulsive qualities?

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What promises a meeting with a squirrel in the city?: Beliefs and signs | Culture

I think you will also be curious to know what a meeting with a squirrel promises in the city. The main thing is to understand that if you purposefully went for a walk in a park where vekshas are found (this is how these red-haired beauties were called in the old days), then superstitions will not work in this case. Photo: Zhenechka M D, personal archive

How did signs about squirrels appear?

Our ancestors, the Slavs, ranked the veksha among the favorite animals of the god Perun. Protein was associated with the Thunderer because they know how to chop nuts. Moreover, red-haired beauties do it the way Perun, according to ancient legends, split giant oaks and even boulders.

The Scandinavians considered this nimble forest dweller to be the insidious Loki because of his quick movement through the trees. nine0009

According to the Christian faith, it was the squirrel who witnessed the fall of Adam and Eve in paradise. Then this animal had a thin rat tail, with which he covered his eyes so as not to see the sin being committed. For this, the veksha was then rewarded with a chic fluffy tail, to the envy of other animals.

Many superstitions and signs are associated with squirrels among the people. Not all of them promise good events. Photo: Zhenechka M D, personal archive

Why meet a squirrel in a village?

Sometimes it happens that this forest animal settles on the streets of the city. This is exactly what happened in my case. What do the omens say about it?

The interpretation of the sign depends on where exactly the squirrel happened to meet and what she was doing at that moment:

What to expect if a squirrel ran across the road?

We should also consider the situation when a squirrel crosses the road. A person in this case, if he plans an important business or hurries to a meeting, should not count on success. The outcome of the case is especially unfavorable if the animal had a mangy tail. nine0009

A squirrel is sitting on the road - this is a warning about future problems. Well, if a squirrel sits on the road with squirrels - this promises good life changes. Photo: Zhenechka M D, personal archive

If a squirrel jumped out right in front of the person walking on the path and is in no hurry to leave, then, according to popular wisdom, this portends great difficulties in the near future. To avoid trouble, you need to turn around and quickly get away from the animal. It is also necessary to pay attention to the behavior of the squirrel. The more restless it is, the more serious the problems will be. nine0009

A flock of squirrels rushing along the road promises epidemics and even pestilence in a city or country.

If an animal jumps next to a person walking along the road, this portends good news to the traveler. nine0009

What happens if a squirrel runs into the house?

If a squirrel jumped into your house, then you should start preparing for the meeting of dear guests. If the uninvited guest also treated yourself to your table, then expect a profit.

The squirrel looked at your light - you will receive the good news about the replenishment of the family. nine0009

You can't kick a squirrel out of the house, because it will take with it the good things that it brought you.

If the squirrel jumped onto the balcony, you draw hasty conclusions and rush the development of relationships.

Squirrels will also indicate a change in the weather . It is important to look at the color of the coat of a squirrel that you meet on the way:

If you observe that the animal runs fast and makes supplies, then the winter will be harsh and hungry. nine0009

A few more signs on various topics: