Pest Pros: Can Squirrels Be Pests?

CAN SQUIRRELS REALLY BE PESTS?

BY JOSH BOONE OF PEST PROS

You probably had one of two thoughts when you read the title. Either you thought, “but squirrels are just cute little critters who live outside. How could they bother anyone?” or you thought, “Ugh, don’t remind me…” Anyone who first thought has never had a squirrel try to make a nest in their home. All the traits that make squirrels delightful to watch when they’re outside--their pep, their industriousness, their relentlessness-- often make them a nightmare when they’re inside. Here are problems squirrels can cause when they’re allowed to get inside your home and how to prevent them. Reading this probably won’t make you stop loving the little guys, but you might look at them a little differently.

THEY SNEAK IN

As you’ve no doubt observed countless times, squirrels are expert acrobats. Climbing sheer surfaces, shimmying across beams and cables, even fearlessly leaping amazing distances-- they do it all. Unfortunately, these gymnastic inclinations serve them all too well when they’re BREAKING AND ENTERING. Squirrels seeking food, water, shelter, or warmth often see houses as excellent opportunities. If they can find the tiniest opening up high (and occasionally down low), they’ll use their unmatched dexterity to reach it. Usually, squirrels enter your home through damaged vent screens, uncapped chimneys, natural building junctions, peeling shingles, siding discrepancies, or occasionally just make their own hole. They can also leap from nearby power lines, tree branches, or high plant life. If the opening they find isn’t big enough, they’ll make it big enough--damaging your home in the process. The hole your robber squirrel makes getting in could even become a passage for all kinds of other pests, too. If the squirrel has pests like fleas, other pests might follow it in fast. Then, the squirrel will have made their problem YOUR problem--which really isn’t fair.

THEY BUILD NESTS INSIDE HOUSES

Ok, so you can see why squirrels might be annoying while they’re trying to get into your home. But are they that big a deal once they get inside? This is the part where people who have had squirrel problems before stare into the distance and shake their heads solemnly. When many pests get inside your home, they’re too small to do much damage fast. Not squirrels. When squirrels build winter nests, they’re relentless. They’ll grab chunks of whatever they can grab, smashing, munching, and crashing through everything else in the process. Squirrels often slash up insulation, paper products, linens, fabrics, and even structures to scavenge nest materials. Their nests grow while often the rest of your attic gets ripped to shreds. The damage squirrels inflict on attics can lead to all kinds of other problems too. Damaged insulation can lead to drafts, mold, severe heat and cooling loss, and even safety concerns. They’re turning your nest.. into their nest!

THEY GNAW ON ELECTRICAL CABLES:

Squirrels are rodents, and just like many other rodents, their teeth never stop growing. To keep their growing teeth healthy and sharp, they’re gnawing on something all day, EVERY day. The problem is, if they get into your home, they may end up gnawing on something they really shouldn’t bite, like wires or cables. Soft, plasticwrapped electrical wires are an ideal squirrel teething target. They’re brightly colored, nice, soft, and easily accessible. If squirrels chew on electrical wires enough, however, they--and you--are in for a nasty surprise. Squirrels can easily chew on wires until they break through the wrapping and expose the wiring. Depending on where the wire is, it is always possible to spark and start hazardous and damaging electrical fires. Even if the wire doesn’t spark, squirrels could cause other disruptive or annoying electrical damage. And all because they can’t stop munching.. it’s an addiction.

THEY CAN INFLICT STRUCTURAL DAMAGE

The damage they can inflict on a property isn’t purely cosmetic, either. If you store anything in your attic--boxes of old photos, scrapbooks, etc.--it could end up nesting material for your unwelcome house guest. Forget about old clothes or other fabric products--there’s no way soft targets like those could escape their attention. Drafts and holes in insulation created by burrowing squirrels could drive up your heating bill and much more. In rare circumstances, these pests could even damage the structural integrity of part of the building itself!

Everybody likes squirrels. They’re cute, they’re funny, and they’re always up to something rascally. When that “something rascally” has to do with inconveniencing you in your own home, however, they’ve gotta go. Anytime you need some help with a rowdy rodential resident in your home, give us a call. We can safely and effectively remove your squirrel and ensure they can’t get in again.