Squirrels are cute as a button; until they move into your attic and you find yourself with an infestation that may put your house and health at risk.
If you suspect that a family of squirrels has moved into your house, one of the first signs you can look for is the characteristic smell of squirrel urine. But,
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What Does Squirrel Pee Smell Like?
Squirrel pee smells very similar to that of other common household rodents like rats and mice. This means that squirrel urine is very pungent and smells strongly of musk and ammonia.
Squirrel urine, just like squirrel feces, can pose a real threat to human health and well-being if left unchecked. This is because squirrel urine contains bacteria that are harmful to humans and have the potential to cause adverse side effects like vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and even death.
So, if you smell or suspect that you smell squirrel urine it is highly important that you confirm if you have an infestation in your hands and then take the most appropriate measure to deal with it.
Signs of Squirrel Infestation – What To Look For
There are different types of squirrels, (In North America the most common are the American Red Squirrel, the Black Squirrel, the Eastern Gray Squirrel, the Fox Squirrel, and the Western Gray Squirrel), but the signs of squirrel infestation are going to be very similar regardless of which species you may be dealing with.
Here are the most common signs of squirrel infestation:
Scratching Sounds
This is likely to be the first sign you will notice if squirrels have moved into your home. Early in the mornings and late into most nights you will be able to hear faint scratching and scrabbling noises made by the animals’ tiny claws as they scamper about in your attic or between walls.
Bite Marks
Another common sign of squirrel infestation is to find bite marks alongside wood beams, baseboards, exposed wiring, soffit, eaves, etc. If you hear suspicious scratching noises coming from your attic or walls, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for wood chips or bits of insulation strewn about your home.
Bad Smells
Like most wild animals, squirrels are messy and they build messy nests where they accumulate leftover food, feces, and urine, which will give off a very strong and highly unpleasant scent. If you start to notice the musky odor of squirrel pee, it’s a very good sign that some squirrels have taken residence in your home.
What Do You Do If You Have Squirrels At Home?
Once you have confirmed (or suspect) that a squirrel, or a family of the little buggers, has moved into your home you must take the right steps to get rid of them.
The very first step you must take once you have confirmed that a squirrel infestation is going on is to eliminate all sources of food that may be encouraging the squirrels to take residence in the first place.
The next task is to find their point of entry into the house and close it off. This may be easier said than done since squirrels can easily squeeze through very small openings. Start your inspection inside the attic, followed by any exterior eaves and vents.
You may attempt to trap the squirrel yourself. Squirrels are typically not aggressive and if you approach them with patience and care, you may be able to trap them with a large towel or squirrel cage.
However, if cornered, like all wild animals, they may resort to biting and scratching and you don’t want to get bit by one.
As such, we recommend that if you suspect or confirm a squirrel infection at home, you call a pest control expert.
Leaving the task of eliminating a squirrel next to the experts will minimize the risk of exposure to harmful pathogens, as well as maximize the chance that the squirrels can be given humane treatment.
After all, who would want to harm such cute creatures?
The Squirrel Has Been Removed. Now What?
Now that your furry invader is gone, how do you go about cleaning up the mess left behind? How do you go about the highly unpleasant task of cleaning squirrel pee and poop?
Due to their accelerated rodent metabolism, squirrels urinate and defecate a lot. As a result, even a short-lived squirrel infestation is going to leave behind piles upon piles of smelly poop and pungent urine.
Since rodent urine and fecal matter are known disease vectors, it is very important that you learn how to safely clean and dispose of squirrel waste.
Squirrel droppings resemble that of rats, being similar in color and size. Squirrel urine resembles rat urine in that it is very difficult to spot unless you find a fresh puddle. Dried squirrel urine will leave behind a faint, white chalky residue. so look out for that.
The easiest way to locate squirrel waste is to keep an eye out for piles of droppings. As opposed to rats, which poop as they scamper about and leave droppings spread everywhere, squirrels tend to enjoy marking their territory in a single spot and love to leave piles of pee and poop.
How Do You Clean Up Squirrel Pee?
The very first thing to keep in mind is that squirrel waste can remain infectious for a while after it’s been left behind. The CDC recommends that you allow one week to pass before attempting to clean up. They also recommend that you open all windows and doors in the immediate vicinity 30 minutes before you start.
The next thing you have to do is pick up all of the droppings and clean the dried-up urine stains. To do this, put on some heavy-duty rubber gloves and use a commercial disinfectant or bleach product to thoroughly spray the entire area.
Once any stuck-on droppings and dried urine spots have soaked through with disinfectant, take some paper towels or thick cloth to physically pick up and remove all of the animal waste. You may dispose of the waste in the garbage, being careful to avoid any waste from touching any clean surfaces.
After all physical waste has been removed, the CDC recommends that you mop the area using plenty of disinfectant or bleach. If the urine and/or poop came into contact with upholstery or carpeting, the CDC recommends having the materials steam cleaned by a professional to eliminate all traces of contaminants.
The same procedure can be used to dispose of dead squirrels or squirrel nests. Just make sure to seal the dead animal/nesting material inside a thick plastic bag before disposing of it in the garbage.
