While a group of squirrels playing up in trees at a park is joyous to watch, those same squirrels setting up housekeeping in your living space isn't such a fun thing. In fact, squirrels are considered to be a pest just like rodents, bees, and termites.

Like their distant relative, the rat and mouse, squirrels are also rodents and will inflict serious damage to your home if you don't keep them away. When they seek shelter and nest in your home, they chew through your home's electrical wiring and can burn down your home. Additionally, the squirrels will build nests and quickly reproduce and make your pest control project a whole lot harder.

The best way to deal with your local squirrel population isn't to poison or trap them, it is simply to prevent their access into your house and other structures. To do so, follow each of these pest control tips:

Tip: Trim All Trees Well Away from Your Home's Roof

Since squirrels like to run up trees and jump from one branch to another, you can prevent them from jumping off a tree and onto your home's roof by trimming all branches well away from the roof. While the sound of squirrel feet running around on your roof may not bother you, once they get on the roof, then they will chew on your house and look for areas where they can access your attic to make nests.

Tip: Install Hardware Cloth Over Vents

If your home has vents around the foundation and along the roof's eaves that are currently covered with chicken wire, then you should cover them with hardware cloth. Hardware cloth is not made of fabric but is actually a metal mesh. It is sold in rolls at all hardware stores, and the squares are small enough to keep out squirrels and small rodents while still letting air flow through the vent.

Tip: Seal Skirting and Wood Siding with Aluminum Flashing

If you live in a mobile home with skirting or a home with wood siding, then you should walk around your entire house and look for any gaps. Gaps smaller than a pencil can be sealed with silicone caulking. However, larger cracks or holes need to be sealed with impenetrable metal. The cheapest and best-looking option is to use the aluminum flashing sold for roofing projects. Attach pieces of the metal flashing over any areas where squirrels or other rodents could use to access your living space. 

For professional help, contact a local pest control exterminator that has experience working with squirrel problems.