Squirrel removal

Squirrels announce themselves differently from raccoons. The noise is lighter, faster and comes in the morning and late afternoon rather than at dusk, and it usually comes from directly above a bedroom ceiling. They are also the most persistent chewers of the animals on this list, which is why a squirrel entry that is patched rather than screened reopens within weeks.

Understand the two seasons. Grey squirrels in this region typically have litters in late winter and again in mid-summer, so the same timing principle applies as with raccoons: removing the adult while dependent young are inside leaves you with young that will die in the structure. A careful inspection for a nest comes before any one-way door.

Step one: inspection, inside and out. In the attic, the inspector looks for nesting material, chewed wiring, droppings and trails through the insulation. Outside, the focus is roof edges, soffit and fascia joints, gable and roof vents, the gap where a roof meets a wall, and anywhere a branch overhangs. Red squirrels get through openings a grey squirrel could not, so the entry may be smaller than you expect.

Step two: the one-way door. A mesh one-way door over the active entry lets the squirrel out and not back in. Every other opening is screened first. Squirrels are strong and determined, so the door and its surrounding seal have to be fastened into sound material, not to rotted fascia.

Step three: nests and young. Where a nest with dependent young is found, it is removed by hand and the young placed in a reunion box outside near the entry so the mother can carry them to an alternate nest. Squirrels move young readily when given a route and a reason.

Step four: exclusion. This is the part that lasts. Entry points are closed with galvanized steel mesh or sheet metal, screwed in place and backed into solid wood. Vents get purpose-made screens. Anything sealed with foam, wood filler or plastic is a squirrel's afternoon project.

Step five: trim the approach. Overhanging branches are the motorway. Ontario's guidance is to trim branches near buildings to prevent easy access to roofs and chimneys (Ontario, preventing and managing conflicts with small animals). A clearance of a couple of metres from the roof edge makes a real difference, though a determined squirrel will still climb a downpipe.

How long it takes. Inspection is an hour. The one-way door stays on three to seven days. Exclusion work is usually a day, occasionally two on a complex roofline. Reunion of young adds a night or two. Tree trimming, if needed, is a separate trade.

What it costs in Ottawa in 2026. Indicative ranges, matching this site's price guide. Squirrel removal with exclusion generally runs $300 to $800. Vent screening and chimney capping is about $150 to $400 per opening, and a house with several vulnerable openings sits at the upper end or beyond it. The inspection is commonly $100 to $250 and often credited. Hand removal of young adds a few hundred. Attic clean-up and re-insulation is separate. The main drivers are roof height, pitch and access, and how many potential entry points the building presents.

What the law says. Ontario allows a property owner or their agent to capture wildlife damaging property under defined conditions, and live-captured animals must be released within 1 kilometre of the capture site and within 24 hours (Ontario, harass, capture or kill a wild animal damaging private property). One kilometre is a short walk for a squirrel, which is the practical reason trapping alone accomplishes little and exclusion is the approach that works.

What makes an Ottawa house different. The mature tree canopy in the older neighbourhoods is the single biggest factor. Westboro, Hintonburg, the Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista and Manor Park have large silver maples and oaks whose limbs reach the roof, and grey squirrel densities in those areas are high. Housing stock matters too: post-war storey-and-a-half houses with knee walls give squirrels wall cavities to occupy, and aluminium soffit on 1970s and 1980s suburban houses pops loose at the corners. Ottawa winters concentrate the problem, because a warm attic in January is worth a lot of chewing to an animal that does not hibernate. Newer Barrhaven, Kanata and Riverside South subdivisions have younger trees and fewer routes onto the roof, and their squirrel calls more often involve vents and roof-wall junctions rather than tree access.

Who should do the work, and what to ask. Wildlife control is not a licensed trade in Ontario in the way plumbing is, so check liability insurance, WSIB coverage, and whether the company works at height safely. Ask: how will you check for young before installing the door. What material are you sealing with, and is it screwed steel mesh. Are you screening all the vents or only the entry. What is the warranty on the exclusion work, how many years, and does it cover any animal or only squirrels. Is clean-up included. A multi-year warranty on the physical exclusion is the meaningful part of any quote.