Squirrel Control and Removal
Squirrel Info: Squirrels are members of the rodent family. The most frequently
dealt with nuisance squirrel is the Eastern Gray Squirrel. They measure around 16-
18 inches from nose to tail and weigh approximately one pound. Gray squirrels are
active year-round and arboreal, meaning that they live primarily in trees. They feed
on a great variety of foods, such as nuts, seeds, fungi, fruits, and of course the
seed in your birdfeeder. They store nuts and acorns in holes in the ground. Gray
squirrels breed throughout the year, but there are two distinct peaks, in the winter
and summer. After about six weeks, two to four young are born, and raised in a
nest for about three months. They prefer cavities in trees (or homes), and when
cavities aren’t available, they will build a nest out of leaves and twigs high in a tree.
Nuisance concerns: Squirrels have easily adapted to humans. They frequently use
buildings as nesting areas. Squirrels love to stay in an attic or soffit. They often find
a small opening and will chew a wider hole to gain access to the building. They
bring nesting material into the home, and make quite a bit of noise scurrying around
and caching nuts. They often fall down the chimney flu and make a lot of noise or
enter the fireplace. Sometimes they fall down a wall from the attic and get stuck.
They often chew their way into commercial buildings or apartments. They often
enter the attic through the gable vent. Squirrels can cause a fire hazard in homes by
bringing in nesting material, and by chewing on power lines. Squirrels can leave
behind a lot of droppings and urine in the attic. The droppings not only smell bad,
but they pose a biohazard risk, and the smell attracts new squirrels. I highly
recommend attic decontamination services if you've had squirrels living in your attic.
Wondering how to get rid of squirrels? There is no magic spray or device that
you can use to make them go away. Some people try to sell predator urine, such
as coyote or fox urine to get rid of squirrels, but that doesn't work. They also try to
sell ultrasonic sound emitters. These devices are worthless at eliminating squirrels.
Some old wive's tales recommend the use of mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags to
make them leave, but I've been to countless homes where these techniques failed -
biologists know that these attempts won't work. The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take
care of your problem is with trapping and removal of the animals.
Call ANIMAL DC, LLC at (860)230-0310 or (860)334-3901