Squirrels are, without a doubt, cute little creatures.
But squirrels, even with their adorableness, can pose a huge threat to you and your home. Squirrels can invade your home, damage your insulation and fixtures, and possibly lower the value of your house. Squirrels can take up residence in your attic and breed there.
Because they can threaten your health and family, it’s important to remove squirrels from your home as quickly as possible.
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So, what is the cost to remove squirrels from the attic and from your house?
Squirrel Removal Average Cost
The rates largely depend on several factors, such as the service provider, the number of squirrels, and total damages, among other things. Average costs range from $200 to $800 based on sites like Nationwide Wildlife Removal, Professional Wildlife Removal, and Wildlife Removal USA.
The expense can go for as low as $89, as provided by Orlando Wildlife Removal, or as high as a couple of thousand dollars.
This cost is broken into an inspection fee, a one-time service fee, a trap setup fee, and a per-animal fee. All of these fees are rolled into a single bill for the client.
Inclusions
The total cost includes the inspection of the house, the per-animal fee, and home repairs.
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As mentioned earlier, professionals sometimes charge for a separate inspection fee, although there are also those who give out free inspections. This basically means that the professional will go around your property and check where the squirrels go in and out.
Included is the charge for the use of the traps and bait (rolled into the trap setup and one-time service fees) and for each squirrel that they catch. The fee for home repairs involves sealing the entry points with steel or cement. This keeps the squirrels from reentering your house and causing damage again.
Other Costs to Consider
One such cost is for the removal of dead squirrels. This typically is a one-time service fee that is independent of the number of carcasses removed. Carcass removal costs start at around $90. Wildlife Removal USA prices this service beginning from $150.
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Attic restoration and decontamination is also another consideration. If the squirrels caused extensive damage to the attic, chewed on the insulation, and left fecal matter, this step is very important.
Decontamination involves removing the fecal matter, vacuuming the damaged insulation material, and fogging the attic with chemicals. The restoration phase includes placing new insulation and securing any other damages to the attic.
Nationwide Wildlife Removal prices this from $200 to $250. There are service providers that include this in their basic quote, while some others charge it separately.
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Waste disposal is the removal of the waste produced by the squirrels. This is another crucial step since these wastes can harbor disease-causing bacteria. Animal Attic Pest prices this service for at least $200.
DIY Squirrel Control
Alternatively, you could also try to control and remove the squirrels on your own. This could work only if there aren’t many squirrels around, and if no squirrel litter is in the attic. This is useful if you don’t have enough budget yet for any of the aforementioned squirrel removal rates.
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The first thing you should know is that there are no bait poisons for squirrels. The only way to remove them is to capture them. For this, you need a suitable trapping cage like the ones found on Do-It-Yourself Pest Control.
You can use food as a lure for the squirrels. They eat a variety of food, such as fruits, nuts, crackers, cheese, birdseed, and pet food. Use gloves when you’re handling traps with live squirrels inside.
This guide offers more tips and know-how about trapping, removing, and controlling squirrels.
Buying Tips
As any homeowner who wants an inexpensive solution for a pesky problem, it’s natural for us to be drawn to cheaper offers.
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However, make sure to be wary of cheap squirrel removal services as they may not be aware of what they would be handling.
Make sure that the service provider you’re contacting actually knows what needs to be done. Always remember that poisoning squirrels isn’t an effective method of removing them, and it is inhumane. Contact wildlife removal services, not pest control ones, as these are knowledgeable in this field.
If you still have no idea about any nearby squirrel removal services, you can use this online locator map to find quality services.
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Squirrel Removal Cost Factors
These factors include the following:
- Service Provider. This is arguably one of the most deciding factors in removing squirrels. Different service providers charge differently for their services. As an example, one provider may offer a free inspection of the building while another charge for an inspection fee. There are also providers who enter into contracts with their clients to keep their house protected for a period of time.
- Nearer service providers charge less for removing squirrels. This is because these professionals need to charge for fuel and the transportation of equipment. Farther clients require more gas—and in turn, more expenses—to service.
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- Property Damages. The cost you pay for the repair of the damage done is directly proportional to the amount of damages present. If the squirrels burrowed into walls, for example, the wall needs to be removed and repaired from the inside.
- Number of Squirrels. Per-animal fees charge for each caught squirrel. This holds especially true if there is a female squirrel with her litter. The more squirrels that are caught, the greater the total price incurred is.
- As earlier mentioned, if the squirrels left a lot of fecal matter and other wastes, the cleanup costs would increase. This is also applicable to the carcasses picked up and disposed of by the professionals.
- Decontamination and Restoration. The number of chemicals used during decontamination, and the attic insulating material for restoration, affect the total cost. The greater the damages done by the squirrels, the more expensive the service tends to be.
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