Squirrels are smart rodents. Once they get inside your house, they may prove incredibly difficult to get rid of. Unfortunately, your roof is one of the most vulnerable areas for squirrel infestations, so you should take extra steps to prevent these rodents from accessing and thriving there. Here are some simple, yet effective, ways to keep squirrels out of your roof.
Why you need to keep squirrels out of your roof
- Squirrels think your roof is a safe place. Squirrels like to stay in high places where they can stay away from predators. This is why you often see them up in tree branches, nibbling on nuts. Your roof is another safe place for them. It’s not just high and inaccessible to predators. It’s also warm. And in some instances, it’s also full of food and water.
- They can cause damage to your home. Squirrels are pests. You don’t want them inside your house – on your roof or otherwise. But your roof is particularly vulnerable to squirrels because it contains cables, wires, and other structures that are usually inaccessible and difficult to repair. Squirrels can gnaw on them, causing electrical malfunctions, and worse, house fires.
- These rodents are health risks. Rodents can spread diseases like leptospirosis, Lyme disease, salmonellosis, and tularemia. While squirrels are timider compared to other rodents, they can still attack, resulting in squirrel bites and their accompanying risks. The only positive thing here is that squirrels are not known to transmit rabies to humans. But hey, you can never be too sure.
Ways to keep squirrels out of your roof
1. Cut tree branches near your roof
Since squirrels like to stay in trees, it’s only natural that tree branches are some of the most common bridges they can use to access roofs. And no, the tree branches don’t have to be directly connected to the roofs to act as bridges.
Squirrels can leap to your roof from tree branches. If you are going to cut off tree branches, make sure that they are at least 10 feet away from your roof line. This is already a considerable distance and squirrels will have a difficult time leaping from the tree branch to your roof.
2. Covering cables and wires will keep squirrels out of your roof
Trees are not the only tall structures that make your roof accessible. Electric poles are often overlooked. They have cables and wires that go through houses, and these can serve as bridges just as effectively as tree branches.
Obviously, you can’t really cut off cables and wires. But you can cover them with PVC pipes. These pipes will roll every time squirrels try to crawl on them, causing the squirrels to slip and fall. Cut the pipes diagonally so you can easily slip them over your cables and wires. If you are not comfortable doing this on your own, you can consult an electrician.
3. Trim bushes and shrubs
Squirrels are naturally timid creatures. They want to hide and be left alone with their own business. They can hide in your bushes and shrubs and wait for an opportunity to look for resources, may it be on your garden, lawn, yard, or roof. It’s worse if you have a garden with easily accessible food and water.
Keep your greeneries short, so they don’t become hiding places for pests. This can stop squirrels from coming to your property altogether and prevent them from eating the plants in your garden.
4. Install squirrel guards
Squirrel guards are devices that serve as blockers or shields. They are usually installed around structures that naturally attract squirrels, like bird feeders, electric poles, and trees. You can install them around electric poles and trees, especially those that are close to your roof. They will prevent squirrels from climbing to cables, wires, and tree branches.
5. Fake birds
Squirrels have a lot of natural predators, like badgers, coyotes, and foxes. But some of their biggest predators are birds, particularly eagles and hawks. You can get bird decoys and install them in nearby trees. The mere sight of them can make squirrels look the other way.
The best thing about this method is that it is humane. Nobody is getting harmed. You are not hurting birds or squirrels.
6. Use repellents
Death traps and rodenticides are not humane at all. Why would you even kill squirrels when there are ways to just stop them from getting into your property? One effective way to keep them out is the use of repellents. They contain ingredients that squirrels hate, so they keep squirrels away.
You can buy commercial repellents, like those that try to imitate the urine smell of squirrel predators. You can also make some yourself with home ingredients, such as garlic and onion.
7. Install motion-activated sprinklers
Squirrels are easily startled. If you make a sudden noise or movement, they can scramble away out of fear. They are small and vulnerable creatures after all. You can take advantage of this characteristic with motion-activated sprinklers.
When these sprinklers detect motion in your garden, lawn, or yard, they sprinkle water all over the place, startling squirrels that are trying to get to electric poles and trees to get into your roof. Like fake birds and repellents, motion-activated sprinklers are very humane. They don’t hurt anybody.
8. Build a garden fence
Your entire property, not just your roof, is more vulnerable to squirrel infestations if you happen to have a garden. Food and water are natural attractors of a variety of pests, including squirrels. These rodents don’t just eat plants. They also eat fruits and vegetables, especially watery ones like cucumbers and tomatoes.
You can build garden fences, row covers, and wires. Just make sure you build them high enough and with minimal gaps between them. Squirrels can be very nimble creatures. They can get through these defenses if you don’t build them properly. If you want your garden to be completely safe, you can also build a greenhouse, but this is much more expensive.
You can keep squirrels out of your roof
Your roof is vulnerable to squirrel infestations because these rodents think your roof is a place that is safe from predators. You don’t want these rodents on your roof because they can cause structural damage. They are also health risks because they can attack and spread diseases.
Keep squirrels out of your roof by making your roof inaccessible. Cut off tree branches and cover cables that lead to your roof. Set up garden fences. Make your entire property annoying and obnoxious to squirrels with bird decoys, repellents, and sprinklers.