New Hope for Squirrel Removal

On Saturday, October 3rd, we had a major squirrel-extermination project going.  I’d finally picked a guy who seemed like he knew what he was doing, and who seemed to appreciate the full scope of the job (since he actually pulled his behind up into the attic, and out onto the windowsills, too).  The job was all day—he and an assistant closed up all the holes around the gutters and windowsills with metal sheeting and/or mesh.

SHOCKER—squirrels are back!!  I’m reluctant to call this guy back, first because at the end of the job things got uncomfortable when his miscommunication led to his not being paid when he thought he’d be, and second because I don’t see what he could do differently or additionally to keep the squirrels out if they really want to be in.

I was doing some Googling today, looking for a good repellant product.  The exterminator said he put Hot Foot in the gutters and on the windowsills.  I wanted to find a repellant product that I could buy at Martin Viette, something natural but effective.

Instead, I discovered the Squirrel Evictor Strobe Light.  It’s basically a strobe light that you can hang in the attic: it annoys the squirrels and makes them decide to move out.  You can read all about it on the website—they have articles, links to press, and a couple of videos:

 

 

It makes sense—the squirrels have been in our attic for twenty or so years.  Even if we seal up every hole, like the last exterminator promised to do, they’ll just chew through something to get back in.  They see this as their house.  So we have to make them decide that they don’t want to be here anymore.  That was my idea with repellent, but the Squirrel Evictor’s promises make it seem even better. 

I found an article about one extermination company in Florida, Massey, who installs the Evictors and then offers a maintenance contract, where they come back periodically to check that they’re still working, replace bulbs, and check that the light is reaching all the little corners.

I e-mailed the company to ask whether they knew of any exterminators on Long Island who provide that service, or who are behind the Evictor and whom I can get to provide me with a maintenance contract.  We’ll see!