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DIY animal removal is rarely a good idea and is not advised for many reasons. First, these types of animals can carry diseases and, therefore, pose a health risk to you, your family, and your pets if mishandled. Second, depending on your city or municipality, it may be illegal to remove or handle wildlife yourself. 

Sealing your home against these animals yourself is also a bad idea. Trapping an animal under your house will cause odor and insect problems when it passes away. 

If you’re having trouble with your traps, first examine them for flaws that would allow a squirrel to escape easily, such as loose doors or hinges. It’s also important to consider the location of your trap: Place it in areas with higher squirrel traffic, and make sure it’s on a sturdy surface so it can’t wobble or tip (squirrels aren’t likely to walk in a trap that isn’t stable). Lastly, try changing out your bait—in-shell peanuts or peanut butter often work best.

Ticks are most commonly found behind (or even inside) ears, behind knees, in belly buttons, in the hair, and in your underarms. If you find a tick on your body or on your pet, use a pair of clean tweezers to grab the tick as close to the surface of your skin as possible. If you simply yank or twist it, you can leave the tick’s mouth parts lodged in your skin and will need to remove those carefully with the tweezers. 

Once you have removed the tick, flush it down the toilet and wash your skin with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Know the signs of lyme disease such as fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, and a rash.

Squirrels hate not having access to secure shelter or food sources. Your best line of defense is to make your property less attractive by removing access to these things. There are chemical squirrel repellents, but these have mixed success. According to Pennsylvania State University, you can apply products containing the bittering agent denatonium saccharide to a squirrel's favorite fence, tree, or roof spots. However, you need to reapply repellents regularly, which aren’t scientifically proven effective.