Squirrel Questions and Answers

12.19.2006 - Dear Three Squirrels, I was on your website and I had a question for you. How can I tell by sound if I have a squirrel or a mouse in my wall? Some history: I have a new home. It’s only 4 years old and for the four years I’ve been in my home I’ve been plagued with critters in my wall. I know for a fact one of the nuisance was field mice. They would come in late fall and leave late spring (every year). I believe I pretty much have that problem under control. I found some gaps that the builder didn’t close (no roof sheeting behind the gutter in a couple of spots, didn’t caulk where siding met brick, these are all places where the mice were getting in, and open weep holes). I bought some weep hole vents and install them this summer that has drastically cute down on the activity in the walls. I still have some activity, and that brings me to this question. How do I distinguish what I’m hearing now is leftover mice or a squirrel? I hear the noise mostly during the day. With the mice it was all night long, a lot of movement. This noise sounds heavier, and it’s a thumping noise. Not a lot of scrambling in the wall. I hear it mostly during the day, very little movement at night. All my wiring is ran underground (electrical and cable) is it possible an underground critter is coming in along the underground lines? The only reason I’m asking, the wall where the lines come into the house, is the wall where I’ve had all of the activity. None of the critters have ever entered the living space of the home. They seem quite content in the walls. I’ve hired several wildlife and pest control companies and they were all useless. Mostly just used bait for the mice. They were baiting the attic and the mice were in the walls. A critter company did some extensive work and was able to block some access, but they were still getting in freely through the weep holes until this past summer. I just want to eradicate the nuisance completely. Any insight you can give will be greatly appreciated. Sharon

From Larry: Dear Sharon, Daytime noise is usually squirrel. But squirrels leave very large and obvious openings. They never enter at ground level. Mice do enter at ground level, through very small gaps. Have you considered that the noise might not be animal? I've seen it all, from pipes to trees scraping the roof. If it is animal, nothing will solve it but an expert closing all the holes and trapping and removing all the animals. Check my directory for a good person in your area.

Dear Three Squirrels, I enjoyed your website, and wish you were able to service Austin Texas. As I sit here researching my squirrel issue, I can hear them waking up above my head. I have the triple wammy of several types of animals in my attic. I have rats, squirrels, and probably a big raccoon (because there are large cat like poops near the hole they ripped into our attic. I have employed a professional to set traps for the rats, and to relocate the raccoon. The plan for the squirrels is to relocate the raccoons first, then find a time when I don’t hear them, and then close the hole. I am sad that we have had to relocate a young opossum and raccoon so far, as we wait to catch the big raccoon. I wish we didn’t need to bother them. I also wish that the service I’m using had those cool repeater/exit traps for squirrels. Those look very effective. We spent a lot of money replacing the attic insulation, and sealing up our house, only to have them find a new way in. I am going to survey my house each week from now on, to avoid this complicated problem. Thanks again for sharing info on your important work. Sincerely, Raika

From Moe: Dear Raika, It's rare to have several types of animals in an attic at once. Oftentimes, the presence of a raccoon will scare away smaller animals like squirrels. However, I have seen some cases of multiple wildlife species. You are correct, a one-way door is a great way to evict all the wild animals without causing them undue stress of trapping. However, it often doesn't work, because raccoons will just rip their way back in, and squirrels may chew. I can give you the name of a good Austin trapper if you'd like.

I’m in Westminster, Colorado. I need help, there is something trapped in the soffet above my kitchen cabinets and it is struggling to get out. I hear it scratching frantically and somethings thrashing around and sometimes I hear the thump of paws. But it doesn’t sound like a giant raccoon or anything, I think it is smaller, maybe a squirrel. I don’t know if there are wires up there; I am a little concerned about the electrical should it try to chew through wire. I know squirrels can do that. Please contact me back, no one answers your phone. ASAP? Thanks Marianna

From Squeaky: Dear Marianna, I don't live in your town, squeak squeak, or else I'd answer the phone squeak squeak, I think that from the sound, squeak squeak, you do have a squirrel in your home, squeak squeak. I know it's making a din, squeak squeak, that's starting to make you pout, squeak squeak, but if it found its way in, squeak squeak, it can find its way out. Squeak squeak.

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Squirrels page for tips and advice.
Get professional help: Visit my Nationwide Pro Directory of wildlife removal experts.

For more wildlife stories, click my Wildlife Blog, or click my below banner to hire a local trapper.