Squirrel and chipmunk control · Southeast Michigan
Squirrel and Chipmunk Control in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan
Scratching overhead in daylight is usually a tree squirrel. The same noise after dark is usually a flying squirrel, which Michigan law protects differently. Chipmunks dig against foundations and steps. An exterminator settles which animal it is before promising to remove it.
Quick answers
Squirrel and chipmunk control in Southeast Michigan: the quick facts
Overhead scratching in daylight is usually a tree squirrel. Overhead scratching after dark is usually a flying squirrel, which is a different animal with different legal protection. Chipmunks are a ground problem, burrowing against foundations, steps and retaining walls. The species has to be settled before removal is promised.
- Most common here
- Eastern fox squirrel
- The big rusty one. Gets into attics and soffits through roofline gaps.
- Worst months
- Apr to Sep
- The months with the most sightings in Michigan, from public records anyone can check.
- How it gets in
- Roofline gaps, soffits and vents
- They enter high. Loose soffit returns, gable vents and rotten fascia are the usual three.
- Included in
- The Honorable Shield plan
- Covered by the plan, with free re-treatment between visits. Or book one visit.
Squirrels and chipmunks in Michigan.
Squirrels get into attics through chewed gaps at the roofline, and chipmunks dig in under steps, patios and walls. Scratching overhead is often the first sign.
We name the animal, check for young, and use a method Michigan law allows. We show you every opening so it can be closed once they are out.
Seasonal pattern
When are squirrels and chipmunks worst in Michigan?
This is when squirrels and chipmunks are actually recorded in Michigan, month by month, from public observation records rather than from a guess.
Warning signs
How squirrels and chipmunks announce themselves.
Scratching or rolling sounds overhead in daylight
The same noises after dark, which points at flying squirrels
A chewed or lifted soffit, gable vent or roofline gap
Burrow holes against the foundation, steps or a retaining wall
What to look for
What a squirrel or chipmunk problem looks like at home.
Most people hear it or see the damage before they see the animal. These are six of the signs people notice, and what each one tells us.
A ragged hole a couple of inches wide at the roof edge. Squirrels chew in at corners and gaps.
A bent or chewed louver corner. Vents are a common way into the attic.
A clean two-inch hole with no dirt pile, tight against steps, walls or the foundation.
A squirrel on the roof every morning is often traveling to a way in. Branches over the roof make it easy.
Chipmunks dig under walls, steps and patios. One sitting on the wall often has a burrow nearby.
Flattened insulation, leaves and droppings near a sliver of daylight. Sounds in daytime point to squirrels.
How our exterminators get rid of squirrels and chipmunks.
Name the animal and check for young
The technician reviews attic or yard activity, sounds, droppings, burrows, travel routes, and visible entry points, and checks roofline openings, vents, soffits, fascia, chimneys, siding gaps, and ground level access, so the service is not based on a guess. During squirrel nesting periods, the technician considers whether dependent young may be present before anyone closes an opening.
Pick a method Michigan law allows
What we can do depends on the species, where it is and current Michigan wildlife rules. We tell you the method before we start, treat under your plan, and check back on your regular visits. If the job needs something we do not do, we tell you who to call.
Show you the way in and what drew them
We do not seal holes or make repairs. We show you every opening we found so you or a contractor can close it once the animals are out. Tree limbs over the roof, bird seed, pet food, wood piles and dense cover all draw squirrels and chipmunks, so the technician tells you what to change.
Every squirrel and chipmunk control visit
The full Honorable TriShield™, every time.
Three layers. The house, the lawn, then the property line. Not a rushed spray along your baseboards. A cheap quote usually skips two of the three.
Foundation barrier
Three feet up the wall. Three feet out from it. All the way round the house, plus windows, doors, the garage and the roofline. That strip is the road bugs use to get in.
Measured with a tape, not eyeballed
Granular yard moat
A ring of granules across the lawn. Rain wakes it back up. So does your sprinkler. In a Michigan summer that is most weeks.
Skipped by most companies. Granular costs money.
Property line
We spray the whole property line. Bugs get stopped at the edge of your yard, not at your back door.
The layer a cheaper quote quietly leaves out
How to identify what is in your attic.
These are the squirrels and chipmunks we treat that have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties, most-recorded first. Each one is identified by independent naturalists, so the animal in the photo is the animal named.
The big rusty one. Gets into attics and soffits through roofline gaps.
Same roofline entry points, smaller and grayer.
Burrows against foundations, under steps, patios and retaining walls.
Smaller and far noisier in a roof space. Caches food in insulation.
Nocturnal, so the first sign is scratching overhead after dark.
All of these have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations, pulled 2026-09-25. Photos: Eastern fox squirrel by davis0117 (CC BY); Eastern gray squirrel by Mila C. (CC BY); Eastern chipmunk by roy pilcher (CC0); American red squirrel by oksanaetal (CC BY); Southern flying squirrel by otiegoat (CC BY).
What it costs
Squirrel and chipmunk control is included in the Honorable Shield plan.
There is no special tier to buy. Squirrels and chipmunks are covered by the normal plan. If they come back between visits, so do we, free, within 48 hours. Your price depends on the size of your house, not on which bug you have.
| Honorable ShieldRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Keeping them out all year | Killing off one problem now |
| You get | All three barrier layers, every visit, on a schedule | All three barrier layers, one time |
| If they come back | We treat again, free | A follow-up is $247 |
| Other pests | Over 20 pests, rodents included | This one only |
| Price | From $61 a month | From $497 |
Prices are the starting figures: a home up to 1,000 square feet, or half an acre for yard work. What is covered is set out in the plan terms.
Squirrel and chipmunk control, answered straight.
Can squirrels damage electrical wiring?
Yes. Squirrels gnaw wiring and anything else in reach. Deal with the animal, then get a qualified electrician to check any damaged wiring. Do not leave that one.
Do chipmunk burrows damage foundations?
They can contribute, around patios, steps, retaining walls and foundations, where the burrowing is concentrated. How much actual risk depends on the soil, the hardscape and what condition it was already in. A burrow by the foundation is a reason to look, not proof of a problem.
Can Honorable relocate a trapped squirrel?
It depends what Michigan wildlife rules allow for that species. We tell you what we can and cannot do once we have seen the animal and the property.
Can I seal the hole after the squirrel leaves?
Only once you are sure nothing is left inside, young included, and the other ways in are dealt with. Close it too early and you either trap an animal in there or it tears a new hole trying to get back to its young.
Are squirrels and chipmunks included in Honorable Shield?
Yes. Squirrels and chipmunks are on the list of pests Honorable Shield covers. If you only have a rodent problem, Rodent Shield covers mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks and voles. We do not seal holes, make repairs or clean attics, so we show you the openings and you or a contractor close them.
Michigan wildlife rules matter
Squirrel and chipmunk work is wildlife control, not only pesticide or household rodent service. Michigan DNR publishes separate nuisance wildlife rules and permit information. Current DNR squirrel guidance states that live capture and release of squirrels is not authorized except for permitted research, and Michigan also distinguishes game species, ground squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels, and nuisance animal control work.
Because legal methods can depend on species, property, season, local restrictions, and the provider's authorization, Honorable describes only methods that have been verified for the specific job. If a requested wildlife service falls outside the company's authorization or equipment, referral to a permitted nuisance animal control provider may be the appropriate next step.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
On Honorable Shield, see a covered pest between visits? We come back within 48 hours and treat it again. You pay nothing.
Squirrel and chipmunk control where you live.
Old streets with big trees get different bugs than new build on cleared ground. Pick your town to see what we actually find there.
That is not all of them. See all 38 towns, or ask us if we reach your street.
Other pests we treat
One plan covers every one of these. No extra charge when something different shows up.
From our blog
Every visit includes all three barrier layers. See what we treat, or ask an exterminator.
Squirrel and chipmunk control · Licensed and insured
Request a Squirrel and Chipmunk Inspection
If you are hearing attic activity, seeing chewed roofline openings, finding nesting material, or dealing with chipmunk burrows around hardscape or the foundation, Honorable Pest Control can inspect the property and explain what we can do and what to change.
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