Silver Bullet Pest ControlPepper flakes, owl statues, mothballs, ultrasonic boxes — every hardware store has something that promises to keep squirrels away. Most of it works for a few days, if at all. Here is what actually keeps squirrels off your roof, out of your attic and away from your garden in New Jersey, and when it's time to call Silver Bullet Pest Control.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • Licensed by NJ Fish & Wildlife for wildlife work • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the hole or the chewed spot to 973-510-2585 — we'll tell you if a squirrel is already living inside.
What keeps squirrels away from a house for good is taking away the way in: sealing roofline gaps, vents, soffits and chimneys with metal they can't chew, plus trimming branches back from the roof and removing easy food. Sprays, scents, noise makers and fake owls only make squirrels uncomfortable for a short time, and they get used to them fast. If a squirrel is already inside, it has to be let out with a one-way door before the last hole is sealed. Silver Bullet Pest Control does the whole job — removal, exclusion and repair. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Gray squirrels are everywhere in North Jersey — older tree-lined streets in Bergen and Passaic counties, wooded lots in Essex County, and the big shade trees in almost every town park. They don't target a house because it smells good or because of the color of the siding. They pick it for three simple reasons:
Food matters too. Bird feeders, fallen acorns, open trash and vegetable gardens keep squirrels hanging around your yard, and the longer they hang around, the more likely they are to test the roof. That's why the honest answer to "what keeps squirrels away" always starts with the house itself, not a spray bottle.
We hear about all of these from homeowners. Here is how they hold up in real life:
| Method | Does it keep squirrels away? | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Sealing gaps with metal mesh and flashing | Yes — the only long-term fix for the house | Must cover every gap, and nobody can be inside when the last one is closed |
| Trimming branches back from the roof | Helps a lot | Squirrels still climb gutters, wires and siding corners |
| Chimney cap | Yes, for the chimney | Doesn't protect vents, soffits or roof edges |
| Hot pepper (capsaicin) sprays and flakes | Short-term, mostly in gardens | Washes off in rain; has to be reapplied often |
| Peppermint oil, mothballs, predator urine | Little to none | Smell fades in days; mothballs are not meant for attics or living spaces |
| Fake owls and hawks | Only for a few days | Squirrels learn it never moves |
| Ultrasonic or flashing-light devices | Rarely | Squirrels get used to them; walls and insulation block the sound |
| Loud radio or lights in the attic | Sometimes nudges a squirrel out | Won't move a mother with young, and it comes right back without sealing |
| Trapping and relocating yourself | Not a good plan | Wildlife rules apply, young can be left behind, and new squirrels move in |
The pattern is clear: anything that only bothers squirrels fades. Anything that blocks them lasts. See our home remedies for squirrels and raccoons for a closer look at the popular DIY tricks.
Walk around the house with binoculars and look for dark gaps, chewed wood and stains at the roof edges. Any opening about the size of a golf ball, or a soft spot a squirrel can chew into, is a target. Squirrel-proof fixes use heavy metal mesh or metal flashing, not foam or wood alone.
Plastic and aluminum vent covers are easy to chew. Covering them with sturdy metal screening, and putting a proper cap on the chimney, takes away the most common openings we see in North Jersey homes. We install chimney caps ourselves.
Trim branches well back from the roof where it's safe to do so, and keep vines off the walls. Gutters are a common squirrel highway, so loose gutter ends and the gaps behind them deserve a look too.
In the yard you can't seal anything up, so the goal is different: make your yard less rewarding than the neighbor's. These steps help the most:
One more honest point: you will never have a yard with zero squirrels in North Jersey. The realistic goal is squirrels in the trees, not in your attic, your garage or your car engine.
Females look for a warm nest site to have young. Attic noise in January to March is often a mother squirrel.
Young squirrels are in the nest. Sealing now without a one-way door can trap babies inside.
A second litter for many squirrels. Another busy time for roofline chewing.
Squirrels gather food and look for winter shelter. This is the best time to fix gaps before cold weather.
If you hear chirping or tiny scratching, there may be young inside. Read about baby squirrel and raccoon season in NJ before doing anything.
This is the most common mistake we see. A homeowner finds the hole, nails a board or stuffs foam over it, and a day later there is new chewing right next to it — or worse, a squirrel chewing its way into the living space because it can't get out.
Signs a squirrel is already inside:
The right order is: find every opening, seal the small ones, put a one-way exclusion door on the main entry so the squirrels can leave but not return, and seal that last spot once they're all out. In baby season that timing matters even more. Our page on signs of squirrels in the attic can help you tell squirrels from mice or raccoons.
Squirrel loose in the living area? Close the room's interior door, open a window or outside door in that room, and keep pets and kids away. Then call or text 973-510-2585.
We check the whole roofline, vents, soffits, gable ends, chimney and attic so we know every way in, not just the obvious hole.
Small gaps are sealed and a one-way door goes on the main entry, so the squirrels leave on their own and can't get back in.
Once they're out, the last openings are closed with heavy mesh and metal that squirrels can't chew through. Chimney caps are installed where needed.
We repair chewed soffits, fascia and trim ourselves, and we can clean the attic and remove and replace soiled insulation.
We're licensed by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife work and serve Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties from our base in Garfield. Want a ballpark first? See what affects squirrel removal cost.
Tell us where you're hearing or seeing squirrels and send a photo of any holes. We'll give you a free quote and explain exactly how we'd keep them out.
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The best squirrel repellent for a house is not a repellent at all — it's sealing the openings with metal so they physically can't get in. Sprays and scents fade within days, and squirrels get used to noise and fake predators. Exclusion plus trimming branches is what lasts.
Not for long. The smell fades quickly, and a squirrel that wants a warm attic will put up with a little peppermint. It's harmless to try in a small area, but don't count on it.
No, and we don't recommend them. Mothballs are a pesticide meant only for sealed containers, the fumes can bother people in the house, and they don't reliably drive squirrels out.
Only for a few days. Squirrels quickly learn that a plastic owl never moves or hunts, and then they ignore it.
It can help for a while. Many birds aren't bothered by hot pepper while squirrels are, so pepper-treated seed can cut down squirrel visits, but garden sprays wash off in rain and need regular reapplying.
Not until you know nobody is inside. Blocking an active hole can trap squirrels, or their young, in the attic, and they often chew a new hole or get into the living space. Use a one-way door first.
Late winter and late summer are the busiest times, because that's when females look for nest sites for their young. Fall is the best time to fix gaps before they settle in.
They try to, if any gap is left. Squirrels return to a nest site they know, so sealing every opening with chew-proof material is what keeps them away.
Wildlife rules in New Jersey are set by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and can change, so check with them before trapping any animal. We're licensed for wildlife work, which is the simplest way to stay on the right side of the rules.
Sí. Revisamos el techo, sacamos las ardillas con una puerta de una sola vía y sellamos la casa con metal. Hablamos español: llame o mande texto al 973-510-2585.
From our base in Garfield we keep squirrels out of homes across North Jersey, including:
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
