Colorado, private property
Dead Squirrel Removal
Colorado has three tree squirrels. Colorado Parks and Wildlife says the fox squirrel is common in urban and suburban areas statewide, and the Colorado State Publications Library notes that it is the one Denver-area residents most likely see in their backyards, and is not native to Colorado. Abert's squirrels live only in ponderosa pine forest, and pine squirrels in high timber.
Before you pay anyone. Do not handle a dead squirrel with bare hands. Colorado's health department says not to handle dead rodents or rabbits bare-handed, and the department says plague is frequently detected in rock squirrels and other ground squirrels, and that prairie dogs are very susceptible. Several dead rodents in one area should be reported to your local public health agency.
What this covers
- A squirrel lying in a yard, on a patio or in a garden bed
- A squirrel in an attic that can be reached from the attic access
- A squirrel in a garage or a crawl space with a working access
Where the limit is
A squirrel sealed inside a finished wall or ceiling: operators do not open finished surfaces. A die-off of several rodents or rabbits, which is a public health report before it is a removal job.
Operators work where an animal can be reached without cutting into a finished wall, ceiling or floor: open ground, a crawl space hatch, removable lattice or skirting, an attic access, a garage. They do not open drywall, plaster or other finished surfaces.
This page promises no arrival time. Calls route by ZIP where an operator covers the address, and whether anyone is available for yours, and what it would cost, is settled on the call.
How a call goes
- Say where it is and whether there is more than one.
- Say what kind of squirrel it looks like, if you can tell.
- Describe the access if it is indoors: the attic hatch or the crawl space door.
- Where an operator covers the address, the visit and the price are agreed on the call.
Questions about this animal
Can a dead squirrel carry plague in Colorado?
Plague occurs naturally in Colorado wildlife. Colorado's health department says it is frequently detected in rock squirrels and other ground squirrels and chipmunks, and that prairie dogs are very susceptible. Colorado's health department says not to handle dead rodents with bare hands, not to mow over sick or dead animals, and to report sudden die-offs to local public health.
Will the county pick up a dead squirrel?
Rarely. Jefferson County Animal Control, which serves unincorporated Jefferson County, does not remove rodents of any size, and Arapahoe County tells residents they can wear gloves and double-bag dead wildlife such as rabbits and squirrels for routine trash service.
Is the squirrel in my yard a native species?
Probably not, if you live in the Denver metro area. The Colorado State Publications Library says the fox squirrel, the one Denver-area residents most often see in their backyards, is not native to Colorado.
Not sure this is the right page? Who removes a dead animal in Colorado works through the public and private split, and the locations page sets out what the larger cities publish.