Squirrels are common throughout Burlington and can often be seen running along fences, climbing mature trees, and travelling across rooftops. While seeing a squirrel in the backyard is usually harmless, the situation changes when squirrels discover a way inside your home. Attics provide warmth, shelter, protection from predators, and an ideal place for squirrels to raise their young.
Once squirrels establish themselves inside a roof or attic, getting them out is only part of the solution. Unless the openings and vulnerable areas that allowed them inside are addressed, squirrels may return or another animal may take their place.
Squirrel-proofing your home involves identifying potential entry points, reinforcing vulnerable areas, reducing easy access to the roof, and maintaining your home’s exterior. Taking preventative action can help Burlington homeowners avoid damaged insulation, chewed wiring, torn soffits, and the disruptive sounds associated with squirrels living overhead.
Why Squirrels Are Attracted to Homes
Squirrels naturally look for protected locations where they can rest, escape harsh weather, and raise their young. In the wild, this often means tree cavities or nests built high above the ground. In residential neighbourhoods, an attic can provide many of the same benefits. An attic is typically warm, dry, quiet, and protected from predators. It can become especially appealing during colder weather and squirrel nesting seasons.
Squirrels are also excellent climbers. Trees, fences, utility lines, downspouts, and nearby structures can provide routes onto a roof. Once there, a squirrel only needs to find one vulnerable section of the exterior to begin investigating. Small gaps can quickly become larger openings because squirrels are capable chewers. Their continuously growing teeth allow them to gnaw through wood, plastic, aluminum, and other materials commonly found around residential rooflines.
Inspect Your Roofline for Squirrel Entry Points
One of the most important parts of squirrel-proofing a home is identifying areas where an animal could gain access. Squirrels commonly enter around soffits, fascia boards, roof vents, gable vents, roof intersections, and damaged shingles. Gaps created during construction or deterioration can also provide opportunities.
From the ground, look for sections of soffit that appear loose, bent, or damaged. Pay attention to roof vents that appear broken or lifted. Dark openings around fascia boards or intersections between different roof sections can also indicate potential access points.
If you notice insulation or other debris scattered across the roof, this may indicate that an animal has already created an opening. Roof inspections can be dangerous, particularly on steep or multi-storey homes. If an area cannot be inspected safely from the ground, having a wildlife professional examine the roof is the safer option.
Protect Roof Vents
Roof vents are one of the most vulnerable areas of many homes. Standard plastic roof vents are designed for ventilation rather than wildlife resistance. Over time, plastic can become brittle from exposure to sunlight and changing temperatures. A determined squirrel may chew through or damage the vent enough to create an opening.
Wildlife-proof vent covers provide additional protection. Heavy-duty galvanized screening can be installed over vulnerable roof vents while still allowing the ventilation system to function properly. The screening creates a physical barrier that is much more difficult for squirrels to chew or pull apart. Protecting roof vents is particularly worthwhile if squirrels frequently travel across your roof.
Check Soffits and Fascia
Soffits are another common squirrel entry point in Burlington homes. A loose soffit panel may look like a minor maintenance issue, but squirrels can push against weak materials and create enough space to enter the attic.
Corners are particularly vulnerable. Where two roof sections meet, construction can sometimes leave gaps that squirrels investigate. Rotting or damaged fascia can create similar problems. These areas should be properly repaired and reinforced rather than temporarily covered with lightweight materials. If squirrels are already using the opening, however, it should not simply be sealed. The animals must be safely removed first.
Never Seal an Active Squirrel Entry Point
Finding a hole and immediately closing it may seem like the easiest solution, but it can create a much larger problem. If a squirrel is inside when the opening is sealed, it may become trapped. A trapped squirrel will often search aggressively for another way out. This can result in additional chewing and damage inside the attic, soffit, or roof structure.
There is also a risk of separating a mother squirrel from her babies. During nesting season, young squirrels may remain hidden inside insulation while the mother leaves the attic to find food. Sealing the opening while she is outside can leave the babies trapped inside. If squirrel activity is already present, humane removal should always happen before permanent repairs are completed.
Use Humane One-Way Exclusion
One-way doors are commonly used to remove squirrels from buildings without trapping or harming them. The device is installed over the squirrel’s active entry point. The squirrel can exit through the door but cannot use it to get back inside. While the one-way door is installed, other vulnerable openings can be secured so the squirrel cannot simply move to another section of the roof.
Once technicians are confident the squirrel has left, the one-way door can be removed and the final opening permanently sealed. During baby season, additional precautions are necessary. The attic should be inspected for young squirrels before exclusion takes place so the mother is not accidentally separated from her litter.
Trim Tree Branches Near the Roof
Trees are one of the easiest ways for squirrels to reach homes. A squirrel can travel along a branch and jump directly onto a roof without ever touching the ground near the house. Branches that hang over or rest against the roof should be professionally trimmed where practical. Creating more separation between trees and the roof can make access less convenient.
Tree trimming alone will not squirrel-proof a house. Squirrels are agile animals capable of jumping impressive distances and finding alternative routes. Instead, trimming should be combined with structural exclusion measures around the roof.
Examine Gable Vents
Gable vents provide attic ventilation but can also become wildlife entry points. Screens behind older vents may become torn or deteriorated. Decorative vent materials can also have openings large enough for squirrels to investigate.
If a squirrel manages to damage the screen, the vent provides direct access to the attic. Wildlife-resistant screening can reinforce these areas while maintaining airflow. Any screening used for wildlife exclusion should be strong enough to withstand chewing and pulling. Lightweight insect screening is generally not sufficient for squirrels.
Check Roof Intersections and Dormers
Complex rooflines can create hidden vulnerabilities. Dormers, roof valleys, additions, and areas where two sections of the house meet may contain construction gaps that are difficult to see from the ground. Squirrels often investigate these sheltered areas because they provide protection while the animal chews or pushes against building materials.
Homes with multiple roof levels should receive a particularly thorough inspection because there may be several potential access points. Professional wildlife inspections focus not only on finding the current entry point but also on identifying areas that could become problems later.
Keep Chimneys Protected
An unprotected chimney can provide another potential wildlife entry point. A properly fitted chimney cap can help keep squirrels and other animals from entering while still allowing the chimney to function correctly.
If you hear scratching or movement around a chimney, avoid attempting to remove the animal yourself. The location and type of chimney should be assessed before exclusion or repair work begins.
Look for Signs of Squirrel Activity
Preventative inspections are helpful, but homeowners should also recognize the early warning signs of an active infestation. Squirrels are primarily active during the day. Scratching, running, chewing, or rolling sounds from the attic during early morning or daytime hours can indicate squirrel activity. Outside, you may notice a squirrel repeatedly travelling to the same section of the roof.
Other signs include chewed building materials, damaged vents, loose soffits, nesting debris, or insulation appearing around an exterior opening. Inside an attic, disturbed insulation, droppings, nesting materials, and chewed wood or wiring may be present. Catching these signs early can reduce the amount of damage that occurs.
Protect Attic Insulation and Wiring
Squirrel-proofing is not only about preventing noise. It also protects important components of your home. Squirrels often tear and compress attic insulation when creating nesting areas. Damaged insulation can become less effective and may require replacement if contamination becomes extensive.
Electrical wiring is another concern. Like other rodents, squirrels regularly chew materials in their environment. Wiring with damaged insulation should be assessed by an appropriate professional because exposed conductors can create electrical and fire hazards. Preventing squirrels from entering in the first place is considerably easier than repairing extensive attic damage later.
Make Your Property Less Attractive to Squirrels
Structural exclusion provides the strongest protection, but homeowners can also reduce attractions around the property. Bird feeders frequently draw squirrels into yards. If you use feeders, consider their placement and avoid positioning them close to rooflines, fences, or branches that provide easy access to the house.
Garbage containers should have secure lids, and spilled birdseed or other food sources should be cleaned regularly. These changes will not eliminate squirrels from the neighbourhood, nor should that be the goal. They simply reduce reasons for squirrels to spend extended periods close to the house.
Why DIY Foam and Caulking Often Fail
Expanding foam and basic caulking products may work well for certain home repairs, but they are not reliable barriers against squirrels. A squirrel can often chew through soft materials quickly. If an opening needs to be wildlife-proofed, durable materials such as galvanized screening, metal flashing, or appropriate structural repairs are usually required. The repair also needs to account for how the squirrel gained access. Covering the visible hole without reinforcing the surrounding weak area may simply encourage the animal to chew beside the repair.
Squirrel-Proofing During Nesting Season
Squirrel-proofing requires additional care when babies may be present. Female squirrels commonly seek protected nesting locations during colder months and again later in the year. An attic provides an excellent nursery. If an active nest is present, permanent exclusion should not separate the mother from dependent young.
Wildlife technicians can inspect the nesting area and determine the appropriate removal method. When babies are found, humane techniques can be used to keep the family together while moving them out of the home. Once the squirrels have safely left, repairs and preventative work can be completed.
Why Professional Squirrel-Proofing Is More Effective
Homeowners can certainly help prevent squirrel problems by maintaining their property, trimming vegetation, and watching for exterior damage. However, complete squirrel-proofing often requires experience with wildlife behaviour and residential construction.
A professional inspection can reveal entry points that may not be obvious from the ground. Wildlife technicians know where squirrels commonly enter and can look closely at roof vents, soffits, fascia, roof intersections, dormers, and other vulnerable areas.
Professional exclusion also uses materials designed to withstand wildlife activity rather than temporary patches that can quickly be chewed through. Most importantly, a technician can determine whether squirrels are already inside before repairs begin.
Keep Your Burlington Home Protected Year-Round
Squirrel-proofing is most effective when it becomes part of regular home maintenance. Check the exterior periodically for storm damage, deteriorating roof materials, loose soffits, and damaged vents. If you notice squirrels spending considerable time on the roof, pay attention to where they travel and whether they repeatedly investigate one particular area.
Taking action before an opening becomes an active den can prevent a much more complicated problem. If squirrels have already entered the attic, focus on humane removal first and permanent prevention second. Simply blocking the hole without knowing what is inside can make the situation worse.
Book a Squirrel Inspection with Burlington Wildlife
If you’re concerned about squirrels entering your roof or want to protect vulnerable areas before an infestation occurs, Burlington Wildlife can help.
Our professional squirrel removal and exclusion services focus on identifying active and potential entry points, safely removing squirrels when necessary, and securing vulnerable areas to help prevent future wildlife problems. From damaged soffits and roof vents to hidden gaps around complex rooflines, a thorough inspection can reveal problems before they lead to extensive attic damage.
If you’re hearing scratching in the attic, seeing squirrels repeatedly travelling across your roof, or simply want to make your home more resistant to wildlife, reach out Burlington Wildlife to book your squirrel inspection with our team.
