You'll either have to enter from above on the roof or in the attic or bust a hole in the drywall. For strongly entrenched squirrels, an exterminator may be needed to help eliminate them from walls.
Squirrels stuck in walls and can't get out eventually die, leaving behind an odor of rotting flesh that can linger and travel throughout your home. Removing squirrels in walls is not recommended for homeowners since it puts you at risk for disease.
If a squirrel gets trapped in your wall and is totally without food and water, then it will probably not survive for much longer than two days; however, if the squirrel has access to water, they might make it eight days to two weeks.
One immediate tip: really listen and identify the exact area the sound is coming from and pound right on that spot. Animals will ignore banging on the wall if it is merely nearby, if you pound directly next to them they will quiet down - usually once is all it takes, but sometimes you have to do it a couple of times.
Moving your bed away from the wall is a good first step. Anything you can do to add a significant amount of mass to the wall will help a little, maybe a large bookcase or something of the sort, even something like a couch can help a tiny bit. Masking is also a good idea like the other guy said.
1. You Hear Scurrying. The first sign of squirrels in your house is the sound of scurrying. You will hear slight scratching or tapping move up and down your walls and across your ceilings.
If the animal is small and fast, like a rat or squirrel, you need to mount a trap on the hole right after you cut it. Don't let the animal jump out and into your bedroom! If the animal in your wall is dead, then you just have to follow the smell and cut a hole in the wall and remove it.
Make noise: Bang on the ceiling and rafters with a broom handle, talk or yell loudly into the attic, bang pots and pans at the attic entrance, turn on the radio, TV, or loud music, and leave it playing. Use bright lights: Turn on a bright spotlight or strobe light in the attic and leave it on night and day.
The time of day at which you hear scratching can also be an indicator of whether or not you have squirrels or mice. Squirrels are most active during the day while mice are predominately nocturnal. So, if the scratching you hear comes primarily at night, you can probably bet you're dealing with mice.
Professional Pest Control: For effective and safe removal, consider hiring a pest control professional, especially for protected species like bats.
Damage caused by a squirrel in the ceiling
We have seen squirrels that are caught inside a house bite through ceilings. Finally, on the off chance that they can't get out or get into the living space, they may wind up dying inside the attic. This creates more problems for the homeowners.
Examine Droppings: As unpleasant as it may be, the appearance of droppings can help identify the animal. Monitor Activity: Note when the noises are most frequent. Sounds in the wall at night usually indicate nocturnal animals like mice, rats, or raccoons.
Squirrels have a strong sense of smell, which they use to find food sources and shelter. You can repel squirrels using scents they hate such as, capsaicin, white vinegar, peppermint oil, coffee grounds, cinnamon, predator urine, garlic, dryer sheets, Irish Spring bar soap, and rosemary.
If you hear scratching in your walls at night, it could be mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, bats, termites, carpenter ants, or roach colonies. By far, the most common nighttime wall-scratchers are mice, and they're most likely the pests who are disturbing your sleep. What Are Mice Doing When You Hear Scratching?
Spray Squirrel Deterrents
Coyote and red fox urine seem to work the best, so consider purchasing sprays or liquids that either contain or mimic these odors.
Just about everything a squirrel does creates noise. Although squirrels are primarily active during the day, that doesn't mean you won't hear them at night, too, especially flying squirrels.
Squirrel birthing and mating season occur twice a year. Squirrel mating season happens once between December and February, then again in late June through August. With the gestation period lasting 38 to 46 days, female squirrels will give birth in early spring (February through April) or late summer (August/September).
Yes, a variety of pests (including rats) can chew through walls. Mice, rats, squirrels, and raccoons are known for their ability to chew their way through wood, drywall, plaster, and other building materials.
If you are unable to simply reach down into the wall and retrieve the critters, you will need to cut a hole in the wall where they are trapped. Unless you are an experienced DIYer, this will likely mean calling a wildlife removal professional.
Get them out.
It might be as easy as banging on the rafters or going into the attic and speaking loudly. You can also try putting a bright light in the attic and leaving it on, playing a radio around the clock or putting rags soaked with cider vinegar in the attic (squirrels don't like the smell).
Then, open a window to the outside so the squirrel has a way to get out. Next, soak some rags in apple cider vinegar and put them in the room, since squirrels dislike the smell of apple cider vinegar. Alternatively, try making loud noises to drive the squirrel out of its hiding place and make it flee.