WILDLIFE REMOVAL

Squirrel Removal in Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

Grey, black, red and flying squirrels out of attics and walls, then sealed out

Squirrel removal for homes in Toronto, Oakville and the GTA. Scratching in the ceiling, a chewed roof vent or a squirrel slipping under the soffit usually means one is nesting in your attic or walls. We check for young first, get the squirrels out with a one-way door or a live trap, then seal every opening with gnaw-resistant material.

If a squirrel has been living near exposed wiring, test your smoke alarms and have an electrician check the wires for damage.

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AT A GLANCE

Squirrels at a Glance

Eastern grey squirrel, grey or black

Size: 40 to 50 cm nose to tail tip; 400 to 600 g
Colour: Grey with a white belly, or mostly black
Body: Bushy tail almost as long as its body
How to tell: Busy by day; a squirrel heard at night is likely a flying squirrel
Active: Active all year; does not hibernate
Where found: Attics, wall voids, soffits and chimneys
Bites or stings: Bites if grabbed or cornered, even through gloves

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Signs of Squirrels in the Attic

If you’ve noticed any of these, call and a licensed technician will tell you what it points to.

Call (905) 739-7888

Scratching and scurrying in the ceiling or walls, mostly early and late in the day
A chewed hole at the roofline: about baseball size for grey squirrels, golf ball size for red squirrels, quarter size for flying squirrels
A torn plastic roof vent, or a loose or rotten soffit with a gap behind it
Squirrels running along branches, wires or an old antenna onto the roof
Leaves and twigs packed into a soffit, piles of cones in the attic or eavestrough, or urine stains below a vent

IDENTIFICATION

How to Identify the Squirrel in Your Home

Four tree squirrels live in this part of Ontario: the eastern grey squirrel, which also comes in black, the red squirrel and two flying squirrels. Grey and black squirrels are the big ones. Red squirrels are noticeably smaller, and flying squirrels are about as long as a red squirrel or shorter. Knowing which one you have matters: they use different sized holes, flying squirrels come out at night when the others don't, and Ontario's wildlife law puts them in three different categories.

Grey or flying squirrel: grey squirrels are busiest early and late in the day. Flying squirrels are the only squirrels in Canada that come out at night.
Black or grey squirrel: a black squirrel is a grey squirrel with extra dark pigment, not a separate species.

TYPES

Types of Squirrels in Ontario: Grey, Black, Red and Flying

Eastern grey squirrel (grey and black)
Sciurus carolinensis
The large squirrel of GTA streets and parks, 40 to 50 cm with its bushy tail. Most are grey with a white belly, or mostly black.
Where found: Builds leaf nests in tree forks and also nests in tree dens, attics and the outside walls of houses.
A game mammal under Ontario's wildlife law.
Red squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Rusty red with a white belly, 23 to 33 cm long, often with a black line along each side and small ear tufts in winter. Its chatter is loud.
Where found: In the city, mostly larger ravines and yards with tall evergreens. It gnaws, gets into attics and may pile cones there.
A furbearing mammal in Ontario, so its den is protected.
Northern flying squirrel
Glaucomys sabrinus
The larger of Ontario's two flying squirrels, about 25 to 30 cm. Grey to brown above, pale below, with large dark eyes, a flat tail and a fold of skin between its legs for gliding.
Where found: Lives in mature woods and comes out only at night. Seldom recorded in Toronto or Halton.
A specially protected mammal in Ontario.
Southern flying squirrel
Glaucomys volans
Smaller, about 20 to 25 cm, and hard to tell from the northern flying squirrel. Like the northern, it eats more meat than other tree squirrels: bird eggs, nestlings and insects.
Where found: Prefers mature hardwood stands with nut trees. Gets into attics and bird houses through holes the size of a quarter.
A specially protected mammal in Ontario.

Grey squirrels often carry fleas and ticks. If fleas turned up after squirrels moved in, see flea control.

OUR APPROACH

How Our Squirrel Removal Works

Step 1
Inspect and Identify
We find out which squirrel it is, because grey, red and flying squirrels use different holes and fall under different Ontario rules. The roofline, vents, chimney and soffits are checked for every way in, and the attic for a nest. From February to August a nest can hold young that can't leave on their own, so the plan accounts for them before work starts.
Step 2
One-Way Door or Live Trap
Vents, the chimney and other openings are secured first. A one-way door then goes over the main entry: squirrels can get out but not back in. Where a door won't work, a licensed trapper on our staff sets live traps. Squirrels caught are released within 24 hours close to where they were caught (Ontario's guidance says within 1 km), and only on property whose owner agrees.
Step 3
Seal Every Entry
Once the attic is empty, holes are closed with gnaw-resistant material. Toronto advises 1.25 cm (half inch) hardware cloth or sheet metal reaching at least 15 cm past the hole. A torn plastic roof vent gets a metal screen box, and an open chimney gets a cap. A squirrel shut inside chews its way out, so nothing is closed for good until the space is confirmed empty.
Step 4
Clean Up the Attic
Nest material, droppings and soiled insulation are taken out and the area is cleaned, so the mess and the smell go with the squirrels. A red squirrel nest is only removed where Ontario's den rule allows it. If the nest was near wiring, we point it out so an electrician can check it.

BITES AND STINGS

Are Squirrels Dangerous? Bites and Disease

The bigger risk is to the house. A squirrel may bite if it is grabbed or cornered, its teeth go through gloves, and a mother guarding her young has been known to go after people and pets. The City of Toronto says squirrels are not known to carry rabies, though Ontario notes any mammal can get it. If a squirrel bites or scratches you, wash the wound right away with soap and warm water, call your doctor and report it to your local public health unit.

RISKS AND DAMAGE

What Damage Do Squirrels Do in an Attic?

Squirrels are rodents, and rodents gnaw. In an attic they chew insulation and the covering on electrical wires, and bare wires can start a fire. Over time the chewing can also weaken rafters. Outside, they chew siding and under the eaves to make a way in, and a squirrel sealed inside does more damage getting out.

Chewed wiring, which is a fire risk
Torn insulation soiled with droppings and urine
Chewed siding, eaves and roof vents
Holes dug in lawns, and bulbs and planted seeds eaten in gardens
Raided and damaged bird feeders

A squirrel living in the attic is a property problem that grows the longer it stays, and it needs a professional once wiring may be involved or the squirrels keep chewing new holes.

CAUSES

Why Squirrels Get Into Your Attic

An attic or wall void is a dry, sheltered place to nest, close to food. Tree squirrels prefer cavities to leaf nests, and buildings count as cavities. Bird feeders keep them coming back, and branches, wires and old antennas give them a route to the roof. From there, a torn vent, a rotten soffit or a loose shingle is enough.

What Draws Them In

A warm, dry attic or wall void to nest in
Bird feeders and spilled seed
Nut trees, ripe fruit and garden bulbs
Garbage and compost bins without tight lids
Branches, wires or antennas that reach the roof

How They Get In

Plastic roof vents, which squirrels can tear open
Rotten or loose soffits
Loose shingles
Chimneys without a cap
Loose siding and vent screens
Holes into the garage

HABITS

Squirrel Habits Through an Ontario Year

Habitat

Grey squirrels build leaf nests called dreys in tree forks, use tree dens, and move into attics and the outside walls of houses. In the city, red squirrels favour larger ravines and yards with tall evergreens, nesting in tree cavities, underground or in round nests in the branches. Flying squirrels keep to mature woods with large trees.

Diet

Grey squirrels eat seeds, acorns, walnuts and other nuts, bark and fungi, and raid bird feeders for millet, corn and sunflower seed. Red squirrels stockpile nuts and cones and also eat berries, mushrooms, sap and bird eggs. Flying squirrels add bird eggs, nestlings and insects.

Life Cycle

In Toronto, grey squirrels breed twice a year. The first litter arrives in February or March and the second in June or July, usually two to six young and sometimes eight. The young are born hairless and blind, and leave the nest to explore around weaning, at 10 to 12 weeks. Red squirrels also have two litters, and Toronto's wildlife calendar puts flying squirrel litters in May. So an attic nest can hold young any time from late winter to late summer.

Seasonal Behaviour in Ontario

Squirrels don't hibernate in Ontario. Grey squirrels sit out the coldest days in the nest but are active most of the winter, and their mating chases start in December. By late March their nests are full of young. A second round of litters follows in early summer, the last of the year by August. In the fall, squirrels spend their days gathering and storing food.

PREVENTION

Deterring Squirrels: How to Keep Them Out of the Attic

Trim tree branches so they end 1.8 to 2.4 m (6 to 8 feet) from the roof.
Take down old TV antennas, which give squirrels an easy climb to the attic.
Repair loose roof vents, rotten or loose soffits and loose shingles before a squirrel finds them.
Cover open vents and holes with 1.25 cm (half inch) hardware cloth or sheet metal that reaches at least 15 cm past the opening.
Fit a metal screen box over plastic roof vents, which squirrels can chew and pull open.
Put a cap on the chimney.
Take down bird feeders, or protect them from squirrels and clean up spilled seed.
Wrap trees that stand alone with a 60 cm (2 foot) metal band about 1.8 m (6 feet) up, held with wire and springs so the tree can grow.
Before you close any hole, make sure no squirrel is inside. One that is shut in will chew its way out.

How to Get Squirrels Out of the Attic: DIY or a Professional?

If the attic floor is sound and you are comfortable working up there, you can try a few things yourself. The City of Toronto suggests making the attic unpleasant with bright light and noise, such as a talk radio station, but only once any young can leave on their own. Confirm the squirrels have gone before you close anything.

To test an opening, block the other holes, stuff that one loosely with crumpled newspaper and wait 24 to 48 hours. If the paper hasn't moved, the squirrels have most likely left.
For a squirrel stuck above a fireplace damper, hang a thick rope, about 1.25 cm across, down the chimney so it can climb out. Don't light the fireplace until it is gone.
If you live-trap a squirrel on your own property, Ontario's rules say to release it within 24 hours and within 1 km. Trapping a mother can leave her young to starve.
Body-gripping traps and poison can lead to criminal or provincial charges.
Call a professional when the floor isn't sound, the hole is high on the roofline, young may be in the nest, or new holes keep appearing.

Squirrels and Ontario's Wildlife Rules

The squirrels here fall into three categories under Ontario's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. When wildlife is damaging your property, you, or an agent you hire, may deal with it on your own land, within these limits. Rules change, so check ontario.ca before you act.

The grey squirrel, black ones included, is listed as a game mammal.
The red squirrel is a furbearing mammal. Destroying its den needs ministry approval or a licence to trap furbearing mammals.
Both flying squirrels are specially protected mammals. The general ban on trapping them does not apply to someone protecting their property; the release rules still do.
A wildlife removal business may capture and release squirrels but not kill them, and acts only when the property owner asks.
Squirrels caught alive must be released within 24 hours and within 1 km of where they were caught, and on private property only with the owner's permission.
A sick, injured or orphaned squirrel goes to an authorized wildlife rehabilitator.

WHY CHOOSE US

Why Ontario Homeowners Choose Sting Out

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Licensed Trapper on Staff

When an animal has to be caught, a licensed trapper on our staff live-traps it. Bats are never trapped: they leave through one-way doors, in Ontario's exclusion windows.

Ontario's Release Rules

A live-caught animal is released within 24 hours, close to where it was caught, and only on property whose owner agrees. Sick, injured or orphaned animals go to an authorized wildlife rehabilitator.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Squirrel Removal: Questions We Get

Are black squirrels a different species?

No. Black squirrels are eastern grey squirrels with more dark pigment in their fur, a colour form of the same species. Ontario's wildlife schedules list them together as the grey (black) squirrel. Grey and black are the most common colours in Toronto, and a few white ones are known around Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Do squirrels hibernate in winter?

No. None of Toronto's squirrels hibernate. Grey squirrels stay in the nest on the coldest days but are active the rest of the winter, living on food they stored in the fall. They start mating in December and the first litters are born in February or March, so a squirrel in the attic in winter can soon mean a nest of young.

Can squirrels chew through electrical wires?

Yes. Squirrels chew the insulation around wires, and bare wires can start a fire. Where a squirrel has lived near exposed wiring for a while, Ontario advises testing your smoke detectors and checking the wires for damage, or having an electrician inspect them.

What is making noise in my ceiling at night?

If it is a squirrel, it is most likely a flying squirrel, the only squirrel in Canada active at night. Grey and red squirrels move about by day. Flying squirrels use holes about the size of a quarter and can leave urine stains below the vent they use. Other animals are out at night too, so the entry hole and droppings are checked before anything is set.

Can I trap a squirrel and move it somewhere else?

Not far. Ontario's rules say a live-trapped squirrel must be released within 24 hours, no more than 1 km from where it was caught, and on someone else's land only with their permission. Moving it also leaves whatever drew it in, so the opening still has to be closed, for example with a metal screen box over a torn roof vent.

Will squirrels come back after they are removed?

They can, through any opening left unsealed. Squirrels sometimes chew a new hole to get around a one-way door, and other squirrels try the same weak spots. That is why every entry is sealed once the attic is empty, and why trimming branches back from the roof helps. We don't promise a house will stay squirrel-free.

How much does squirrel removal cost?

We quote each job rather than publish a set price. The cost depends on the number of entry points and how high they are, whether a one-way door or live traps suit the job, whether there are young in the nest, and how much cleanup the attic needs. Call (905) 739-7888 or send the quote form. The quote is free.

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026

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Squirrel Removal Across Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

We remove squirrels from homes and businesses throughout Toronto and Southern Ontario.

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