Sure, you’ve got squirrels in your yard. Everybody does. It’s NOT unheard of, however, to have discovered that squirrels have moved into your home…Even worse, they may be raising a family in your home. Isn’t necessarily a great thing.
Squirrels can do a lot of damage and even cause danger to home occupants if they’re chewing on wiring before the homeowner has even realized they’re present.
How Do I Know If I’ve Got Squirrels?
Squirrels are busy animals, and leave some tell-tale signs that they’re present in your home. These might include:
- Chewing or scratching noises in the attic or walls. Squirrels are diurnal, so they’re active during the day. When your home is quiet, you might hear rustling, jumping and gnawing sounds.
- Chewed insulation. Insulation is attractive for bedding for invading squirrels, so look for signs that something has been making holes in or fluffing up your home’s insulation.
- Droppings and urine. A dead giveaway that you’ve got squirrels is finding piles of their droppings. While they’re similar to the droppings of other animals such as bats and rats, squirrel feces look like pellets with rounded edges. Squirrel urine may soak into your ceiling or walls, so don’t assume that any “water damage” you see is water.
- Damage and chewing at entry points. Squirrels have very strong teeth, so there are few non-metal materials that will hold them back. (And squirrels CAN chew through wire mesh.) Look for holes chewed in roofing material, shingles, window frames and near vents, plumbing or other entryways into your home. The squirrels may have created an entrance for themselves.
- You see squirrel prints. Squirrel footprints in dust or sawdust are a dead giveaway. While many rodent footprints can look similar, gray squirrel prints are between one-and-a-half and two-and-a-half inches long (depending on whether it’s a fore or hind print) and look like this. Red squirrel prints will be slightly smaller.
- You notice damaged food containers. Like any animal in your home, squirrels will be looking for a free meal. You may noticed holes chewed in pet food bags or any other dry food storage containers.
Even When They’re Gone, They’re Not Gone
Even if you’ve managed to evict the squirrels from your home, you may need professional help in cleaning up from the damage they’ve caused with chewing, feces and urine.
Pest management professionals like Anderson Wildlife can not only help you evict the squirrels from your home, but ensure the mess is properly cleaned and repaired.
