Squirrels are an interesting breed of animal. Most people like to see them as they race around in the yard and trees, doing their natural things such as gathering food, playing, building nests, etc. They are commonly seen raiding a bird feeder and many a person has had fun watching the creative ways these animals try to get to some bird feeders, even the ones with "squirrel guards" on them. Rarely do you find one that will work. I have personally observed squirrels jumping from high up in a tree to try and land on the bird feeder in the middle of the yard, then they miss and go back up the tree and do it again til they succeed. These are the animals most people enjoy.
But there is a side to these animals that many people, (maybe like yourself), don't understand, and that is the territorial side. Squirrels guard their territory and mark it their own distinct way. Dogs, Cats, and other wild animals such as moles, etc. mark there territory by leaving urine in places. Squirrels do too but they also tend to chew on things, namely houses. This is a way to mark their territory on your house or someone elses. sometimes not a big spot, but just enough to show this is their area.
The other reason they chew alot is because of a fact not widely known of squirrels and that is their teeth continually grow, they don't stop growing like our teeth. If they didn't chew on things that are hard, their teeth would grow in a half circle and eventually be so long they couldn't eat and they would starve to death. Wood is a good hard substance and your home usually is full ot it. This is another reason they chew on houses, maybe yours.
There is a third reason they chew on houses and this is the one i generally get called in for squirrel control where i service. They want to get rid of squirrels in their attic.
I get a call that goes like this. "Uh yes, I have noises in my attic, I generally hear them early morning, then throughout the day at different times and then right about dark I hear alot of noise and then it quiets down just a couple hours after dark, do you know what this kind of noise might be?"
I say, "Yes, that sounds like squirrels, they generally spend their day out and about, sometimes visiting their den site (your attic) at different times, then come back in during the night when their major predators such as hawks, owls, etc are commonly out hunting. What I can do for you is come out and do an inspection for $XXX and determine exactly what the noise is and figure out where they entered your home. At that time I can set up squirrel traps, generally over the hole and a couple baited traps with a system that works well for me. When squirrels are caught and I need to make a trip back it is $XXX for each trip back. I will at that time give you a quote for repairs where the entry point is to ensure this problem does not happen again. I will do a 62 point inspection and let you know if there are any other areas that could be problem areas in the future and give you my recommendations for repairs at that time."
The main reason I get calls like the one above is because as squirrels, raccoons, birds, etc. move around a house, they often times find places that either a bird like a woodpecker drilled a hole or the contractor maybe didn't completely seal a dormer, soffit/fascia edge, gutter line, etc. that leaks air from the attic to the outside. These squirrels feel that warmer air and start to chew their way into the attic. Once inside they find that an attic is much like a glorified hollow tree, much warmer, much safer, so they take up residence and don't pay you rent. You hear the noise, and wonder what is going on up there, and squirrels are naturally curious and will sometimes wonder what is going on down there and chew a peak hole just to look and then seal it up with insulation that is available. It generally doesn't mean they are moving in to the living area.
Squirrels can be controlled when they are chewing on your home and gaining access in the attic. The best and safest way to solve the problem is to contact a professional in your area.
| Feel free to email me at TriState@AAllAnimalControl..com for more information. Joshua S Jones |
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