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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.

Generally, spring is the best time to hire a pest control service, but it also depends on when you notice the infestation. Insect pest numbers are lower in spring before they hatch, making the extermination and prevention process more manageable as nests and eggs of future pests are eliminated. However, don’t hesitate to hire a pest control specialist when you spot signs of a problem.

While vinegar doesn’t get rid of spider webs that already exist, spraying a mixture of vinegar and water in areas where you’ve found webs before will deter spiders from rebuilding there. The acetic acid within vinegar can harm and kill spiders, so they’ll want to stay as far away from this strong-smelling substance as they can get. 

There is no exact science here, due to the nature of nests and how mice raise their young, but a good place to start is to inspect the droppings. A single mouse poops a lot, leaving around 50 droppings in a single day, likely near a primary food source. If you find only sporadic droppings, you likely have a small infestation. If you spot large mounds of droppings, you are dealing with a big problem.