Squirrel Removal in Memphis, TN

Squirrel excluded from a roofline entry point during a removal service in Memphis, TN

Memphis's tree canopy is a big part of why squirrels are one of our most common calls, especially in Midtown, East Memphis, and Germantown, where mature oaks, sweetgums, and pecans overhang rooflines and put an attic within easy jumping distance of a squirrel's normal travel route. We see two species regularly: the Eastern gray squirrel, the smaller, more common tree squirrel most homeowners picture, and the Eastern fox squirrel, a noticeably larger, often rust-colored squirrel that favors more open, park-like yards and the edges of newer subdivisions in Collierville and Cordova.

Unlike rats and mice, squirrels are active during the day, so most homeowners hear them differently — heavy scampering, thumping, or rolling sounds in the attic during daylight hours, especially early morning and evening. They get in through gaps in fascia boards, damaged soffit panels, gable vents, or a roof-to-wall seam that's opened up over time, and a mother squirrel will often chew a hole specifically to create a nesting spot for a litter.

Because a mother squirrel may be present with pups too young to follow her out, our removal method uses a one-way exclusion door wherever possible, letting animals leave on their own schedule to forage but not re-enter, rather than trapping and potentially separating a mother from a nest still inside. Once the attic is confirmed clear, we seal the entry point and any other vulnerable roofline gaps with heavy-gauge material squirrels can't chew through, and check for chewed wiring or insulation damage while we're up there. Squirrel activity peaks in late winter and late summer during the two breeding seasons, so calls tend to cluster then. Call (877) 240-9073 for a roofline and attic inspection.

📞 Call (877) 240-9073

Request This Service

* Indicates required field

Other Services

Gray Squirrels vs. Fox Squirrels in Memphis

The Eastern gray squirrel is the smaller, grayer squirrel most people picture, common wherever there's mature tree canopy — which in Memphis means Midtown, East Memphis, and older, tree-lined streets throughout the city. The Eastern fox squirrel is noticeably larger, often with a rust-orange belly, and tends to favor more open ground and the edges of parks, golf courses, and newer subdivisions with scattered mature trees rather than dense urban canopy. Both will use a roofline the same way, but knowing which one you have helps confirm entry point size and whether a litter is likely present.

How Squirrels Get Onto the Roof

Memphis's mature tree canopy is the biggest factor — overhanging oak, sweetgum, and pecan limbs put a roofline within easy jumping distance of a squirrel's usual travel route. From the roof, they work damaged fascia, gaps in soffit panels, gable vents, and any roof-to-wall seam that's separated slightly over time, sometimes enlarging a small gap into a nesting hole deliberately. Homes closest to Overton Park and other heavily wooded pockets of Midtown see this pressure especially often.

One-Way Exclusion Doors

Because a mother squirrel may have a litter of pups too young to leave the nest on their own, we install one-way exclusion doors at the entry point wherever the situation allows — a device that lets animals exit to forage but not return, so the attic clears naturally over several days rather than trapping animals inside or separating a mother from pups still in the nest.

Confirming the Attic Is Clear

We don't seal an exclusion point until we've confirmed activity has actually stopped — checking the one-way door and listening for continued sound before final closure. Sealing too early with animals still inside creates a much worse problem than the original one, so we'd rather take an extra day to be certain.

Sealing Rooflines Against Squirrels

Squirrels chew through lighter materials easily, so roofline exclusion uses heavier-gauge hardware cloth and metal flashing than a typical mouse-sized gap needs. We check the entire roofline while we're up there, not just the confirmed entry point, since a squirrel that's been active for a while has often tested more than one spot, and we look for chimney caps and vent boots that need attention at the same time.

What Squirrel Removal Costs

Cost depends on the number of entry points found, whether a litter is present requiring a one-way door and a wait-and-confirm approach rather than a single quick seal, and how much roofline exclusion material is needed. We quote the one-way door and monitoring phase separately from the final sealing and any related attic cleanup, so you can see where the cost is coming from at each stage. Call (877) 240-9073 for an inspection.

Squirrel Breeding Seasons

Both gray and fox squirrels in the Memphis area have two breeding peaks a year, generally late winter and again in mid-to-late summer, and attic activity calls cluster around both. A female actively raising a litter is more determined to stay in a good nesting spot, which is part of why timing and the one-way door method matter so much during these windows — rushing a seal before pups are old enough to leave on their own almost always backfires.

Damage Squirrels Leave Behind

Beyond the noise, squirrels chew wiring, compress and soil insulation, and can damage soffit and fascia from the outside working to get in. We check for these signs during every squirrel job and can pair the exclusion work with an attic cleanup and re-insulation if the damage warrants it, rather than leaving you to discover the extent of it later on your own.

Chimneys, Vents & Other Entry Points

Rooflines aren't the only way a squirrel gets into a structure — an uncapped chimney is one of the most common entry routes we find on Memphis's older homes, since a chimney flue looks and feels like a hollow tree to a squirrel looking for a den site. Bathroom and kitchen exhaust vents, dryer vents without a working flap, and gaps around HVAC penetrations on the roof are other overlooked routes we check on every squirrel inspection, not just the roofline and soffit.

Preventing Squirrels Long-Term

Trimming tree limbs back from the roofline, capping chimneys, and screening gable and roof vents with squirrel-rated mesh are the most effective long-term deterrents, and we point out specific opportunities on your property during the inspection rather than giving generic advice that may not apply to your particular roofline and landscaping, especially on a heavily wooded Midtown or East Memphis lot.

Licensed for Wildlife Exclusion

Squirrel work sits at the intersection of pest control and wildlife handling, and our technicians are trained specifically in humane exclusion methods like one-way doors rather than trapping and relocating, which is both less effective long-term and, for certain situations, regulated under Tennessee wildlife law. We follow the applicable state regulations for every squirrel job and can provide documentation of our licensing on request.

Flying Squirrels: A Different Attic Problem

The Southern flying squirrel is present throughout the Mid-South and behaves very differently from the gray and fox squirrels most Memphis homeowners picture — it's smaller, strictly nocturnal, and lives in colonies, so an attic infestation often involves a dozen or more animals rather than a single mother and litter. Because they're active only at night, flying squirrels are sometimes mistaken for a mouse or rat problem based on sound alone, until an inspection reveals a colony nesting together in one section of the attic. Exclusion follows the same one-way door principle, but timing has to account for a whole colony leaving and re-entering on different nightly schedules.