Buddy of mine lives in a rental and has squirrels in the attics and the walls. Small town, landlord calls conservation agent who sends him to me. I have coon cage traps and some 5x5 connis. Any thoughts on how to do this? I have read peanut butter in a cage trap but is a coon sized one too big? Will look for the entrances this weekend and go from there but would love some advice from those of you who have been there and done that.

We have no adc people in our area. Except for beaver and otter and i take care of most of that.....that is why I got the call

Kfin,
That first phone call is exactly how I got started way back in 1987. Hard to believe there aren't any professional NWCOs in your area these days, but if the state is sending work your way, it sounds like you have a solid profession waiting for you to answer the call. Small town doesn't matter, a pro can make a living just about anywhere, even if it's part time work at first. Being able to learn by doing and make mistakes on a buddy's house is better than making beginner mistakes on a paying customer's house.
As far as this particular job goes, you need squirrel sized traps so check Tomahawk or Safeguard trap companies and buy 4. I'd go with three standard single catch type traps and one multi-catch with a nosecone/one way door. Gray, fox, and red squirrel traps should be set at the squirrel's entry point to the attic from the OUTSIDE. That would mean securing the traps to the roofline and/or fascia, depending on where you find the entry point. No cage traps in attics - that's for amateurs. On the other hand, if it's flying squirrels you'll first need to check legal status (e.g. we can kill southern flyers, but not northern flyers in my state) and set at least a dozen large Victor rat snap traps in the attic on their trails and in their toilet areas.
Good luck!

Coni's will work great on squirrels.

Just read a good article in the last Trappers Post on using 5 x 5 body grips for squirrels. Good article.

Even rat traps screwed down work good.

I catch tons of squirels in my Coon cage sets.

Hey, Big Bob, I rarely catch anything other than opossums and once in a great while, a skunk in my raccoon cages. This did not used to be the case but we've been using lures and marshmallows that are not attractive to anything else. ( Especially cats and squirrels ) I'm not familiar with your area but if the customer is unwilling to pay for something, then I'm unwilling to catch it!

If you use anything other than a cage. Make sure it is secured down. I know it is common sense. But I have found rat traps attached dead squirrels in odd places.

kfin, here is a blog post we wrote which describes a basic squirrel job. http://www.frontlineanimalremoval.com/how-to-catch-a-squirrel/ It may help.

However you catch them- cage trap in attic, rat trap, body grippers, or one way door traps- make sure you find all the exits/entrances and seal them up good...Or the squirrels will be back.

No offense to your buddy's landlord, but a lot of landlords try to skimp on the seal/up repairs and the squirrels keep coming back. Squirrel removal for a few hundred bucks versus a more thorough (and costly) removal and proper fix is most times pennywise and pound foolish.

I like the fact you have this info available to people with a squirrel problem. I get razzed all the time (by WCO's) because I have "too much info" regarding bat exclusion work on my website. Sure, I lay out exactly what I do to solve their problem. If someone wants to attempt it themselves, they can find plenty of info online.... might as well be from my site. I'm already booked solid with spring bat exclusions, which pretty much blows the theory that I'm cutting my own throat.

Regarding the squirrel info, the only issue I noticed was it is written as though there is only ONE squirrel. And of course, once in a while that is true, but in most of my squirrel jobs the number removed ranges from 2 to a dozen or more (grays). These are the attic dwellers, not every neighborhood squirrel. I target the rooftop entry points, never setting traps on the ground. I will set where the tree limbs meet the rooftop, but not in the yard.

Over the past 24 years I've worked out a fairly standard procedure. After locating the entries, leave them all open for a couple days and do a heavy trapping program. I use 3 to 4 traps at EACH entry area. Sometimes there will be seperate "families" using opposite ends of the structure, so I don't block off any holes at first.

Trap until catches drop off. Then I install a one-way excluder door for a day or two, leaving just a pair of traps at each entry area. I never set a single trap, as a bird can ruin your chance for a catch. Always set more traps than you need so any non-targets don't totally ruin your day. I'm not driving 35 miles just to release a sparrow and re-bait.

Once the guilty party (or parties) are removed, finish up with the repairs and exclusion work. I also do a lot of tree branch removal (one of my favorite add-on services), cutting back about 12 feet from the structure. Having the towable lift is advantageous for those jobs.

I know a lot of guys install the one-way multi-catch traps on initial set-up, but I've had squirrels chew back around the multi at the entry area or at a new location on the very first day. I like to remove a few before covering the entry hole(s) to reduce the possibility of creating more damage to the structure.

Once in a while you can tell it's just a single or pair by the activity level and sign. I will use a multi right off the bat in those cases. It's like any other call.... experience will dictate the exact procedure for the particular job.

And as Kevin mentioned, I never set traps in an attic. Squirrels are very neophobic and sometimes avoid traps for a week or more inside the structure as it is something new in their domain. Setting them outside seems to eliminate the waiting game. Most likely due to the fact they forage for food outdoors, and are more likley to respond to bait outside as compared to in the attic.

Pic below: I set this job up, drove to Subway about 5 miles away, inspected another home in the area, and returned within 2 hours of set-up and had 4 for 4. Ended up catching 8 from this small home in 2 days, then repaired and squirrel-proofed the soffit around the chimney.

BTW... I use primarily 5x5's, and sometimes the 4x4 or 4x3 simple squirrel traps that fit in the gutters. My standard mounting for 5x5's is with the Fields spring hooks. Might take a few extra minutes to set up with trap shelves, but with the super-quick trap changes it saves time overall.

I have been waiting until dusk/dark to put up my multi-catch traps, when I am sure the offending critters have gone in for the night. It seems to have been working well for me. Right now love is in the air up here for the squirrels and I have been loaded with calls. For the most part it has been two squirrels.

Ron's right kfin. What he described is the best way. Our blog post was a simplistic display of one method.

Steve mentions the timing aspect that is important too.

Ron and Steve thanks for sharing. Detailed posts shows your passion.

Dominic