Tips To Keep Squirrels Away From Your House
If you have a squirrel problem at your house, you’re just a phone call away from help from professional pest control specialists, who will be necessary if you have discovered a squirrel inside your home. Many people insist on trying to get rid of squirrels that have invaded their home without the help of trained exterminators, and this is just not wise because of the danger involved with these animals.
If you have a squirrel problem, our first suggestion is to avoid squirrel repellents you see in home goods stores because they simply don’t work. While these products may serve as a temporary deterrent for the squirrels around your yard, they will not get rid of them for good. Squirrels are extremely determined little pests, and once they choose your home as their new hangout, they are very hard to get rid of, but there are steps you can take keep them out of your yard, garden and home for the time being.
First, remove any food and water provided for your pets from the decks, porches, and yard surrounding your home. With colder temperatures upon us, it’s time to keep your animals indoors as much as possibly anyway. Those bowls of food and water are invitations to the squirrels in your area to hang out near your home, so the sooner you remove the bowls of food, the sooner your squirrels will be forced to look elsewhere for their next meal.
Next, take a thorough walk around the exterior of your home and check for any holes or spaces that these critters can enter your home through, and patch them up immediately. Make sure you close holes and spaces with durable materials that will last such as metal, glass or aluminum. Squirrels can gnaw their way through plastic, wood and similar lightweight materials, so choose the toughest stuff on the market to protect the interior of your home from these pests.
If you have bird feeders in your yard, move them to the farthest corners and as far away from any doors or windows to your home as possible. Squirrels are big fans of bird feeders, so if the feeders are close to your home, the squirrels will be close to your home, also.
Squirrels
Squirrels are probably one of the most common species of wildlife the average city dweller runs into (outside of pigeons). Most of the time, they are running around lawns, trees and bushes and around wooded areas. They are famous for grabbing acorns and nuts and hiding them in the ground as well as running up trees and across electrical wires, rooftops and other areas.
For the most part, squirrels are generally not a nuisance, but the act they live in such close proximity to homes and other buildings which means they can sometimes get inside walls, attics, basements and other areas. It’s then that squirrels can become a destructive nuisance and may require contacting a squirrel exterminator.
Where do squirrels live?
Squirrels usually live in trees. They build very large nests high in the trees to give birth, hide food and raise their young. The nests are made from leaves and other debris, but they run up and down trees on a constant search for food. During certain parts of the year, they hide food in trees, bury it in yards and find other places to hide food so they can get to it during the winter months.
Squirrels live all across North America. They are highly adaptive and live in warmer climates and climates where there is severe winter, snow and cold. They are also found in all corners of the world, except for Antarctica and the Arctic Circle. They survive in rural areas but also adapt well to urban areas.
Are squirrels dangerous?
In general, squirrels just want to be left alone, so they are not usually dangerous. They are sometimes a nuisance, however. Plus, if cornered or sick, squirrels will bite to fight their way out of a situation. Finally, their tendency to gnaw on objects can also be a problem.
SQUIRRELS
About Squirrels
Since we continue to invade wildlife’s natural habitat with our buildings and homes, we leave them no alternative but to enter our homes.
Squirrel populations are expected to continually rise due to the plentiful food supplies and mild climate patterns.
Humane Squirrel Removal
Envirotech’s strategy is to use humane methods to remove the squirrel(s) as safely as possible. Typically, we try to establish a strategy that forces the animal to leave your home without return, (one-way exit). This way the squirrel(s) are able to leave and find shelter on their own terms, along with bringing their pups if any are present.
Exclusion
After we safely remove the squirrel, we find and secure entrance points, such as holes, wires, cracks, and beams – anything they might use to reenter the structure. We make sure that your house is 100% nuisance wildlife proof.
Sanitize
Our squirrel pest control experts will then complete a proper cleanup to ensure the animal’s harboring area and feces are cleaned up and thoroughly sanitized. This provides safe living conditions for your home after the critter has been driven out.
Squirrel Control
The incessant scratching, gnawing and chattering of squirrels in the attic or ceiling voids of your home or cottage can make you crazy. Squirrels are active throughout the year and gain access to your home or cottage through tiny holes in the soffit, facia or even through compromised vents. Squirrels are a species that can cause a lot of damage to a home – insulation, (In severe cases the damage to attic insulation, substantially reduces it’s R value and requires replacement) electrical system, wood beams – and they not only let themselves in, but their entry points easily lead the way for other wildlife to enter. Squirrels can squeeze through small holes and cracks, and if they can into a home through one, so can mice, bats, skunks, rats, and sometimes even raccoons. The longer you wait to take control of your squirrel issue, the higher the chance you’ll be paying more out of your pocket.
Squirrels carry quite a bit of nesting material into the attic of your home or cottage which could be disease ridden of full of gnats, ticks and flees. They urinate and defecate all over your attic which develops into a terrible odour which is toxic and can cause damage to your ceilings. Squirrel feces can spread Salmonella and their bite transmit rabies to humans and pets.
Inspection and Assessment
During this step, our expert wildlife technician will gather information from the home/cottage owner or resident and conduct both an interior and exterior assessment of you home or cottage, this service will take up to an hour depending upon the individual needs of your Squirrel situation.
Gathering information, the information gathered from you is beneficial in your technician being able to focus his/her attention on the key areas and situations specific to your experiences and needs.
Your interior assessment, during the interior assessment the technician will require access to your attic as well as any other area where you have experienced Squirrel sightings, noises or have found droppings, excrement and or damage. In these key areas he/she will be investigating to determine both the level of infestation as well as ascertaining that it is a Squirrel that is the invader. Attention will be paid to possible nesting sights, runways (Squirrels often use wall voids, between ceiling to move throughout your home or cottage), damage incurred, accumulation of droppings, location of droppings and the presence of wildlife babies. This information is necessary in the strategic removal of unwanted Squirrels from your home or cottage
Squirrel
Squirrels have a tendency to chew on edible and non-edible objects. Because their teeth grow continuously, their constant gnawing helps maintain sharp teeth and prevent overgrowth.
Diet
Generally, squirrels feed on tree bark, seeds, walnuts, acorns, other kinds of nuts, and the various fungi that are found in the forest region. They are an opportunist in searching for food, and therefore can adapt to a wide variety of habitats. Squirrels change their diet based on the current season and eat whatever is available. They feed on buds of hardwood trees in spring, winged seeds of maple in summer, along with some other berries and other wild fruits. During autumn, their diet comprises mostly of hard nuts, hickory nuts, beechnuts, pine seeds, and butternuts. During this time of year, they are also working hard to stock up their supplies for winter.
Habitat
Often seen scampering from branch to branch, squirrels are seen in all kinds of environments, including parks, neighborhoods and wooded areas. The ideal habitat for a squirrel has an abundance of nut-producing trees and a diverse selection of other food sources available during different seasons
Life Cycle
Gray squirrels breed in mid-December or early January and again in June if food is very abundant. Most females begin their reproductive life at one year old. Males usually are sexually mature by 11 months, but maturity can be delayed by as much as two years if the young males are around a dominant adult male. During the breeding season, noisy mating chases take place when one or more males pursue a female through the trees. When not breeding, the gray squirrel is solitary. Pregnancy lasts about 44 days with one to eight pups in each litter. The young are cared for by the mother and are weaned after they are two months old.
Diseases
The gray squirrel is a host to many diseases and parasites, including lice, worms, and ticks.