Where should I relocate a trapped squirrel?

Relocating a trapped squirrel will greatly depend on the laws that govern your locality. It is important that you find out more about the laws so as to avoid problems in future. You need to appreciate the fact that laws differ from one locality to the next and what is legal in one place may not be necessarily allowed in the next.

The question that most people ask themselves is the type of area they should relocate to. What you should note is that there are some laws that may prohibit the release of squirrels on the public lands. The best area to release squirrels is a debatable topic but most people are for the opinion that they should be released in wooded areas. There are also others that suggest that the squirrels be released in areas that are undeveloped but with adequate water around.

For squirrels, relocation is hard because they have already become accustomed to their own home territory. However, if you don’t deal with the infestation, things just get from bad to worse because of the fact that the population of squirrels grows so rapidly.

If there are baby squirrels involved, you need to relocate them together with the mother if that is possible. However, if the mother bolts, dies or has already been relocated without your knowledge, you should consider taking them to a rehabilitator.

When you are releasing the animals and you have two traps, one with the mother and the other with the babies, the babies should be released first. The mother should follow. When the mother doesn’t have experience, she may abandon the tiny ones. The only humane thing to do is to keep watching at the site of release to make sure that all the babies have been retrieved.

If you release babies on their own, they have very slim chances of survival and they may not make it. If you choose to use the babies as bait, make sure you keep them warm at all times to avoid death.

However, if you can, you can create a new home for the mother and babies and seal out the attic or home. You may choose to wait until the babies are old enough and then relocation will be much easier. Where should I relocate a trapped squirrel? The best answer can be taken from the wildlife expert as they know better than a non experienced person.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Squirrels page or email us if you have any other questions about Where should I relocate a trapped squirrel?