Squirrel Problem...How Do I Deal With It?

[Steve DellaPelle]

My neighbor pointed out to me that a squirrel was going in and out of my house through an opening near my roof. The following weekend I closed the opening and thought "Cool, problem fixed"...

Well one morning I noticed that something had made a mess in my kitchen and there was a banana clawed and eaten.

The sink base cabinet was slightly open and upon further review there is missing dry wall underneath the back side of the sink that creates an entry way to my unit.

I blocked this sink base cabinet so it won't open but I know this is still a temporary fix...what should I do? Do I need to call a professional or is there something I can do? I bought a Hav-a-hart trap but it does not work very efficiently.

Thanks,

Steve

[Cathie Kovacs]

 As a wildlife rehabilitator for more than 20 years I have the following suggestions… 

 You should not have closed up the hole outside as you seem to have locked the animal into the house instead of out of it.

 Return the hava-heart trap that you have purchased. Replace it with a one-way door. Reopen the outdoor hole that you closed and put the one-way door over the opening. This allows the animal to exit at their own discretion and they simply cannot return. Once you have noticed no activity for a few days, then you can safely board up the hole. 

 Keep in mind that this is not actually a squirrel problem. It is a home maintenance problem.  This situation as it currently stands will have the animal die in your wall somewhere and stink up the place. 

 Feel free to contact me if you need more details