Getting squirrels out of your garage requires a combination of removing the animals, sealing their entry points, and eliminating whatever drew them in. Squirrels need a gap of only 1.5 inches to squeeze inside, so even a small opening around your garage door, vents, or roofline is an open invitation. The good news is that most garage infestations can be resolved in a few days with the right approach.
Find How They’re Getting In
Before you do anything else, locate every entry point. Squirrels typically exploit gaps where the garage door meets the frame, openings around wall vents for exhaust fans, spaces where soffits don’t sit flush against siding, and damaged fascia boards along the roofline. Walk the exterior of your garage in daylight and look for chew marks, greasy rub marks, or small holes. Check corners where the roof meets the wall, as these “roof returns” are a favorite entry spot.
Inside, look for the telltale signs: small dark droppings (about 3/8 of an inch long with blunted ends), shredded paper or insulation gathered into a nest, chewed cardboard boxes, and an ammonia-like smell from urine. You’ll often hear scurrying, scratching, or the sound of nuts rolling across surfaces, especially in the early morning or late afternoon when squirrels are most active.
Check for Baby Squirrels First
This step is critical and easy to overlook. Squirrels nest twice a year, typically in late winter and again in midsummer. If a female has set up a nest in your garage, there may be babies that can’t survive on their own. Look carefully in shelving, storage boxes, corners, and any insulation before you start sealing gaps or setting traps. Baby squirrels won’t be independent until about 12 weeks of age.
If you find babies without a mother present, place them in a small cardboard box lined with a soft towel and provide a heat source. A sock filled with dry uncooked rice and microwaved for one minute works well, as does a plastic bottle filled with hot tap water and wrapped in a cloth. Don’t give them food or water. Set the box as close as possible to where you found them, ideally right near the entry point the mother has been using. Give the mother a full 24 hours to return and retrieve them. She almost always will if the babies are warm and near the original nest location.
Use a One-Way Exclusion Door
The most effective removal method is a one-way exclusion device mounted over the squirrels’ main entry point. This is a short mesh or wire tunnel that lets squirrels leave but prevents them from re-entering. You can buy commercial versions or make one from hardware cloth. Mount it flush against the wall or fascia with no wobble, directly over the hole squirrels are using. Seal every other opening you’ve identified before installing the exclusion door, so squirrels have only one way out. Within a day or two, the squirrels will leave to forage and won’t be able to get back in.
Live Trapping as a Backup
If exclusion doors aren’t practical for your setup, live cage traps are the next best option. Use a trap that’s at least 16 inches long and 5 inches high and wide. Smear peanut butter directly on the trigger pan, then place whole peanuts (in the shell) on the pan, behind it, and leading into the trap entrance. If conditions are hot and dry, orange slices work surprisingly well because squirrels are drawn to the moisture.
Place the trap along the squirrel’s path of travel. That usually means near the entry point or along a wall where you’ve seen droppings and activity. The trap must sit flat and stable on the surface. A wobbly trap will spook the squirrel before it steps on the trigger. Check traps at least twice daily, as a trapped squirrel left in a hot garage can overheat quickly.
Know Your State’s Laws Before Relocating
Here’s something most people don’t realize: in many states, it is illegal to trap a wild animal and release it somewhere else. Massachusetts, for example, flatly prohibits the capture and relocation of wildlife, with fines of $25 per animal on top of additional penalties. Some states require a permit even to kill a squirrel that’s damaging your property, and that permit still won’t authorize relocation. Other states allow relocation only within a certain distance.
Before you drive a trapped squirrel to a park across town, check your state wildlife agency’s rules. Violations can carry fines, and relocated squirrels often don’t survive anyway since they’re dropped into unfamiliar territory with established competitors. A one-way exclusion door sidesteps this problem entirely because the squirrel leaves on its own terms.
Why Repellents Rarely Work
Sprays made from capsaicin, peppermint, eucalyptus, or garlic are widely sold as squirrel repellents, but their track record is poor. Wind, rain, and time break them down quickly, and squirrels are persistent enough to tolerate unpleasant smells until they fade. Granular repellents made from predator urine or dried blood can create a temporary barrier outdoors, but they have strong odors you probably don’t want inside an enclosed garage.
Ultrasonic devices are an even worse bet. These emit high-frequency sounds marketed as intolerable to rodents, but there is no scientific evidence that they work. The Federal Trade Commission has issued repeated warnings to consumers about misleading claims from manufacturers. The fundamental problem with all repellents is that they don’t address the root issue. If squirrels have a nest, a food source, or an easy entry point, a bad smell or annoying noise won’t override those incentives.
Seal Every Opening Permanently
Once the squirrels are out, closing their entry points is the only way to keep them out for good. Use 16-gauge or heavier galvanized steel hardware cloth or metal flashing over holes and gaps. Squirrels chew through wood, plastic, foam sealant, and even aluminum with ease, so the repair material matters. For gaps around the garage door, install weatherstripping with a metal backing or a rubber seal rated for rodent resistance.
Pay special attention to where utility lines or pipes enter the garage, as even a small gap around a conduit is enough. Trim any tree branches that hang within 8 to 10 feet of the garage roof, since squirrels can jump that distance horizontally. If your garage has vents, cover them with hardware cloth secured by screws rather than staples.
Clean Up and Assess Damage
After the squirrels are gone and the entry points sealed, you need to deal with what they left behind. Squirrel droppings can carry leptospirosis and salmonella, so wear gloves and a dust mask when cleaning. Spray droppings and nesting material with a disinfectant solution before sweeping or vacuuming to avoid stirring up dried particles.
Inspect any wiring in the garage carefully. Squirrels gnaw constantly because their teeth never stop growing, and electrical wires are a common target. Chewed wiring with exposed copper is a genuine fire hazard and should be repaired by an electrician before you use the garage normally. Check insulation as well. If it’s been shredded for nesting material or saturated with urine, replacing the affected sections eliminates both the odor and the health risk. Urine-soaked insulation and drywall will continue to smell like ammonia indefinitely if left in place.
Remove What Attracted Them
Squirrels enter garages looking for shelter, nesting material, or food. Store birdseed, pet food, grass seed, and garden bulbs in sealed metal or thick plastic containers. Cardboard boxes, old newspapers, and fabric scraps are prime nesting material, so keep stored items in hard-sided bins. If you keep trash cans in the garage, make sure they have tight-fitting lids. Reducing clutter also eliminates hiding spots that make squirrels feel secure enough to settle in. A clean, well-organized garage with sealed entry points is one that squirrels will pass right by.