Critter Removal Indianapolis is a family-owned squirrel removal company serving Indianapolis and surrounding areas. We specialize in humane exclusion, sealing your home to get squirrels out and keep them out for good, rather than relying on traditional trapping alone.
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When someone calls us for squirrel removal, it’s always because they’re hearing noises from their attic or in their walls – typically quick scurrying noises – and that’s obviously distressing.
Below are the most common signs of a squirrel in attic spaces or walls.
Fox squirrels and pine squirrels are active during daylight hours. If you hear pitter-pattering and scurrying during the day, that’s usually squirrels. Heavy footsteps and chittering at night is almost always a sign of raccoons.
Pine squirrels are smaller and can fit into foundation areas and travel up into the vaulted space of your walls. You’ll hear them in the wall, in the corner of the home, or in between floors of a two-story house. All types of squirrels can be in the attic.
Squirrels chew through wood siding, vinyl siding, and even aluminum if they’re really adamant about getting back in. The most common damage is along the roof line. Where the roof ends, there’s often compromised wood, soft wood, rotting wood, and natural gapping. That’s the prime area to look at around the perimeter of the roof line.
The timing of the noises can help identify what type of squirrel you’re dealing with. Flying squirrels are nocturnal, so you’ll hear those at night rather than in the morning and during the day.
Expert Tip from Our Technicians: “If you knock on the wall or knock on your ceiling and the noises stop completely, then it’s quiet, and maybe it picks back up in 30 seconds, that’s usually not a squirrel, that’s a mouse. They’re more afraid, they’ll stop and freeze. Whereas if you knock on the ceiling or the wall and you hear something go scurrying and running away from you, that’s usually a squirrel, because they’re going to get away from that sound rather than freeze.”
Indianapolis is home to three main squirrel species that we handle regularly. Understanding which species you’re dealing with helps our technicians prepare the right approach before they even arrive at your home.
Fox squirrels are the most common species we encounter. We’re going to see those more in attic spaces only. They store their food outside – they dig holes in the yard to bury their nuts – so they naturally need to leave the home regularly for food. This makes them easier to deal with through exclusion. We put up the exclusion door and patch everything, and they’ll usually evict themselves within the day. They can chew back in, but it’s not as high-frequency because all their food is outside, so they’re not too worried about getting back in right away.
Pine squirrels are a different breed entirely. They’re more territorial and they store their nut cache in the attic, basement, or crawl space – their food source is in the home. That makes it much more difficult because they have every reason to chew back in.
We’ve had some jobs where we’ve done an exclusion, got everything sealed and patched, and then we go out there the next day and there’s two new chew holes on the home. Their entry points are sometimes half the size of a fox squirrel, so it’s a lot more detail-oriented – basically trying to find a needle in a haystack at times.
Pine squirrels can squeeze through openings as small as a golf ball, and they can burrow into foundation areas and travel into walls, vaulted spaces, and between floors.
Flying squirrels are nocturnal, which is the key difference between them and other species. About 10% of our total squirrel projects for a year are flying squirrels, so we don’t encounter them too often, but we can handle them effectively when we do. Gray squirrels are also present in the area but are essentially a color variation of the fox squirrel and are handled the same way.
Our approach to squirrel removal in Indianapolis focuses on long-term exclusion rather than just trapping. If we’re just going out and trapping one or two squirrels, it might not even be the ones that are getting in your home.
Even if we were successful in getting the ones in your attic, it’s a seasonal solution – all of the areas of your home are still wide open, and you could have the same issue in three months, or a different wildlife issue in two weeks. To make sure we remove the squirrels and keep them out for good, we follow a 5-step process.
When you call, we’ll ask diagnostic questions to start identifying the situation before the technician arrives. We use filter questions, such as asking when you’re hearing the noises and where. That can denote what type of squirrel infestation you have, and that can completely change the approach we’ll take. We may be able to offer same-day or next-day inspections depending on our availability.
We go out and look for any entry points on the outside of the home that the squirrel could be getting in through. From there, we build your estimate for the removal and repair process. You’ll receive a fixed-price digital quote with photos – no hidden fees.
We will install a one-way door to the main entry point on your home. It looks like a trap, but it’s not. It’s just a cage with no back to it, but has a flap in the middle. The squirrel goes out for food and water naturally, and the flap comes down so they can’t get back in through that main entry point.
We then look over the entirety of the home to make sure any other portions are sealed as well, because if you remove squirrels from one spot, they can move to another easily.
Once that exclusion door is on the home, we need to return every two, three, or four days to make sure the squirrels are not chewing back into other spots or reaching any new or pre-existing points to get back in.
The timeline depends on the type of squirrel and how many are in the attic – sometimes there’s just one, sometimes up to four or five. An average exclusion project takes about two weeks total, but pine squirrel jobs require more frequent visits and can take significantly longer due to their persistence.
Once the squirrels are fully excluded, we remove the one-way door and complete the final seal of all entry points using professional-grade materials like flashing and corrugated steel mesh.
Our exclusion service ensures that if an animal re-enters through a sealed area, we’ll fix it at no extra cost. We won’t stop until we find a resolution for you.
A Note on What “Repair” Means: “It’s wildlife barrier installs – patching with materials like flashing and corrugated steel mesh. It’s not going to look like its original state. It’s going to keep the animals from getting back in, which is what we specialize in.”
While squirrels don’t present the same health hazards as raccoons or bats, they can cause significant structural damage that shouldn’t be ignored. Here’s what our technicians typically find.
Squirrels are opportunists. If the roof decking or shingles are already compromised and there’s rotting wood, it’s soft and easy to chew through. They’ll feel the airflow and smell the pheromones from when they originally got in. Other points along the roof line might look closed off, but even a small section of compromised wood is enough to invite squirrels into your attic space.
Squirrels like to chew on wires and similar structures. Due to this fact, they could harm your electrical wires, so it’s important to act on an infestation because they could cause a fire hazard. While serious electrical damage from squirrels is uncommon, the risk is real enough that prompt removal is always recommended.
Homeowners will use their own methods to patch, and oftentimes that’s easy stuff like foam. But squirrels chew through foam in two seconds, so it’s definitely not a good preventative measure. Professional-grade materials are required to keep squirrels from re-entering.
Why Acting Fast Matters: “Sometimes we’ll start a project and things seem to be going smoothly. The homeowner hasn’t heard anything for a week, and then all of a sudden there’s a whole family running around in the attic again because they’ve chewed back in. We’ve been on some jobs where there’s seven squirrels in the attic. We’ve sealed 20 entry points at that point, and it’s just relentless. But we won’t stop until we find a resolution.”
Squirrel activity in Indianapolis follows a predictable seasonal pattern. Knowing when to watch for signs can help you act before a small problem becomes a major infestation.
Squirrels breed and have their kits in early spring, and sometimes they can have two litters a year. We’ll see upticks in spring as they’re brooding, and then another uptick in early June.
As temperatures start to drop, squirrels begin making food stores for the winter. They don’t really hibernate, but their heart rate might slow, and they’re looking for warm, protected shelter. They kind of go into a fight-or-flight state. We’ll definitely see an uptick as we go into mid- to late fall and then through early winter.
With any animal issue, the sooner it’s handled the better. If you’re hearing something running around in your ceiling, that’s an obvious sign to call someone. Don’t wait for the problem to grow – one squirrel can quickly become a family.
Squirrel infestations aren’t just a rural problem – they’re extremely common in Indianapolis suburbs and urban neighborhoods.
If you’ve got a bunch of homes and they’ve all got bird feeders out there with sunflower seeds and peanuts – some people even feed squirrels – they’re definitely going to be comfortable being around. They’re not going to be deterred or scared of people, and they’re going to see a big open hole on the roof and think, may as well go in.
If a squirrel was born in an attic, that’s what they know – a warm, quiet, protected space is home to them. They’ll seek out similar environments in nearby houses.
We’ll be working on one project in a cul-de-sac of a subdivision, and by the end of the week we’ll have five inspections for houses along that same road. Whether they’re just now getting that spark to call, if there’s one issue going on in the area, it’s probably going to happen to your home before too long.
Quick prevention tips: Consider taking down bird feeders temporarily, and remove food sources that make squirrels comfortable on your property. We also offer inspections to come out and look over the home and make sure any entry points are buttoned up before they become a problem.
One Problem Can Invite Another: “We’ve had projects that have featured multiple animal types. Raccoons can be the head honchos – if they find a hole big enough, maybe one a squirrel made, they’ll take that opportunity to make it bigger and go in. Sometimes there’s raccoons in one attic, squirrels in another, and bats in both. That’s why sealing every entry point matters – it’s not just about the squirrels you have now.”
Every squirrel removal project is different. Rather than quoting a one-size-fits-all price, we provide a fixed-price digital quote based on your specific situation after an in-person inspection. Here are the main factors that affect cost:
Pine squirrels are a higher-value job because of the extra time it usually takes and how difficult they can be. They’re more territorial, they chew way faster, and their entry points are sometimes half the size of a fox squirrel – it’s a lot more detail-oriented.
Multistory homes, complex roof lines, and certain siding materials require more time and specialized materials. Where one roof line hits another, or a peak that didn’t get fully sealed, those natural gaps are prime entry points that need professional attention.
Some homes have one obvious entry point. Others have multiple areas of compromised wood, natural gapping, and soft spots along the roof line that all need to be sealed. The more entry points, the more material and labor required.
Sometimes there’s just one squirrel, and sometimes there’s up to four or five. The longer the infestation has been going on, the more damage has accumulated. A recent, single-squirrel issue will be significantly less than a multi-squirrel infestation that’s been going on for months.
“We provide honest inspections and fair quotes. We focus on what actually needs to be done. We’re not going to recommend unnecessary work. And there are no extra charges for return visits. Everything is included in your initial quote.”
Exclusion is our primary method, but trapping is available for specific situations:
We really only try to do trapping if it’s an outside issue only. If they’re not getting in your home, if they’re just wandering the yard, being a nuisance or aggressive, or creating damage to patio furniture. That’s not really anything we can do in an exclusion process because they’re not getting in.
Trapping involves daily checks of the traps we place. Usually, we do a week or two worth of trapping, and we’ll come back and rebait, adjust, add more, and take the animals away.
Trapping can also come into play as a last resort during an exclusion project. That usually happens when we’ve been on a project for a while and we’re like, okay, we’ve pulled out all the stops – this squirrel is just so persistent that we recommend trapping now.
We focus on what actually needs to be done, not upselling unnecessary services. We offer inspections to come out and look over the home and make sure there are entry points that need buttoned up.
Squirrel exclusion requires multiple return visits – that’s built into our process. Our fixed-price quote covers the full project, including all return visits, monitoring, and final seal-up.
As a family-owned company serving Indianapolis since 2018, we’re a dedicated team who knows the area and takes on every project with personal care. We won’t stop until we find a resolution for you. Patience is a virtue when it comes to certain types of squirrels, and we will be there every step of the way for the homeowner.
Critter Removal Indianapolis provides expert squirrel removal services in Indianapolis, Indiana and within a 15-mile radius of downtown, including for communities like:
We schedule inspections as quickly as possible – same-day when available, or typically within one to two days. Sometimes there’s opportunity to start the project the same day if the quote is accepted once received.
Our primary method is exclusion using one-way doors. The squirrel goes out for food and water naturally, and then the flap comes down so they can’t get back in. We then seal every other potential entry point on the home so they can’t simply move to another spot.
An average exclusion project takes about two weeks, but timelines vary depending on the species, the number of squirrels, and the condition of the home. Pine squirrels take longer because they’re more territorial, they chew back in faster, and we need to come back more frequently. We’ve had some projects take up to three months.
Fox squirrels are the most common squirrel in Indianapolis and typically stay in the attic. They store food outside, so they naturally leave the home and are easier to exclude. They’ll usually evict themselves within the day. Pine squirrels, meanwhile store their food inside the home, are more territorial, chew back in faster, and can fit into smaller spaces. They require more time, more return visits, and more detail-oriented work.
Compared to bats and raccoons, squirrels don’t really always leave latrines in the attic – they usually go outside to do their business. The main concern is structural damage and electrical wire chewing, which could present a fire risk. Pine squirrels may leave nut caches and debris in the attic that homeowners want cleaned up. If cleanup is needed, we can help.
Trying to patch entry points with foam or other household materials. Squirrels chew through foam in two seconds. The other mistake is waiting too long to act. The sooner the better. One squirrel can quickly become a family, and open entry points can invite other wildlife like raccoons or bats into the home as well.
We’re happy to provide a second opinion. Our inspections are thorough, our pricing is transparent, and we focus on what actually needs to be done – not unnecessary upselling. Contact us for a free inspection and compare.
Even large raccoons can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps if they’re determined to get inside.
When bats take up residence in your home, they often bring with them disease and destruction.
Each fall, cold weather drives mice to search for food and shelter, making professional mice control essential.
Don’t let squirrels cause more damage to your home. Whether you’re hearing noises in your attic, walls, or ceiling, our DNR-certified team is ready to help with expert squirrel removal in Indianapolis, Indiana. Call us today or schedule your inspection online.
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