Squirrels can chew through wires, insulation and even wood, causing property damage. They may also damage landscaping, dig up gardens and eat newly planted seeds and vegetables.
To mitigate problems caused by squirrels, advise your customers to upgrade to rodent-proof trash cans, eliminate or move bird feeders away from the home and deter their entrance into vegetable gardens and fruit trees with repellents.
Squirrels are a Threat to Birds
squirrel control is a common pest of Missouri homes, causing damage to trees by gnawing on branches or limbs that could fall and cause property damage, damaging home eaves and siding, entering attics or chimneys, chewing bark, twigs and nutshells, destroying gardens by burying seeds and eating plants and stealing bird food from feeders. They also travel power lines, shorting out transformers, clogging drains and eating grass and flower bulbs.
Shrewd and well-adapted predators, squirrels are a natural part of the ecosystem. However, they are also known to frighten or even kill birds, especially those that nest in high places where squirrels can easily access eggs, nestlings and adult birds.
To understand how squirrels respond to avian alarm calls, Tarvin and fellow Oberlin undergraduates Marie Lilly and Emma Lucore spent a few winter days biking around campus searching for squirrels. Once they spotted one, they played the shrieks of a red-tailed hawk (a known squirrel predator) followed by a playlist of multi-species songbird chatter and listened for responses.
As expected, the hawk call triggered classic alert behavior in the rodents, including freezing, searching the skies and fleeing. But when they heard the soothing soundtrack of bird chatter, they returned to business as usual more quickly. According to NOVA Next, it’s possible that this chatter serves as an “all clear” signal for squirrels wary of a predator threat. These blase vocalizations aren’t the kind of sentinel “all clear” calls that evolved to communicate that a predator has passed, but they might be just as effective for squirrels.
Squirrels Damage Property
While squirrels can be cute and amusing, these animals are still wild creatures that are capable of causing damage to homes and property. Their teeth can chew through wood, plastic and masonry siding, break glass windows, and tear open attic vents to gain access to a house. Once inside, they can destroy insulation and other materials, chew on electrical wiring and cause serious damage to stored items. They can also raid bird feeders and dig up gardens and flower beds, destroying growing plants in the process. Additionally, squirrel feces and urine can carry Salmonella bacteria, introducing this disease to people who touch it. In addition, they can introduce fleas and ticks to households, posing a health risk for pets and children.
Squirrels are attracted to houses because they provide shelter, temperature regulation and food. A home’s roof and attic are also perfect places for nesting. As the weather turns cold, squirrels search for warm and safe shelter from harsh winter conditions. Homeowners can take steps to limit squirrel entry to structures by closing holes and ensuring that chimneys and dryer vents are not exposed. Trimming branches that are touching or near houses and asking utility companies to place PVC pipes over utility lines can also prevent squirrels from climbing onto a home’s roof.
These preventive measures will reduce the need for squirrel control, but if you have already experienced problems with squirrels, a professional pest control company can implement more aggressive strategies to help you get rid of them. Moreover, a home inspector can assess your property to identify vulnerable areas that might attract squirrels and recommend other effective preventive measures.
Squirrels are a Pest
While squirrels are often tolerated and even admired in their natural habitat, they can become pests when they invade areas they don’t belong. They can cause damage by gnawing on wires (which creates fire hazards), damaging trees, and entering homes to eat and nest. They can also spread disease through fleas and ticks that carry them and other pests.
Squirrels have a natural tendency to climb, and as such, they’re not afraid of venturing up into residential or commercial structures to find food and shelter. They’re also known to chew through electrical wiring and wood siding. Their incisors never stop growing, so as they gnaw at insulation in an attic, it gets contaminated with squirrel poop and urine, which causes a fire hazard.
In the fall and winter, squirrels are especially active and aggressive as they look for warmth and shelter. They frequently travel power lines and can short circuit transformers. They may also chew or eat vegetables, fruits, and seeds in gardens and plant nurseries.
The most effective squirrel control strategy is to prevent them from finding sheltering or feeding sites near homes. This can be accomplished by upgrading trash cans to rodent-proof versions, removing bird feeders from the property, and trimming branches that touch the house or are within 6 feet of it. In addition, utilizing sound and visual deterrents such as noisemakers or ultrasonic devices may temporarily deter or harass them but should not be considered long-term solution.
Squirrels are a Hazard to Health
Squirrels, like all animals, carry several diseases that are potentially dangerous to humans. These diseases are most often transmitted when people inadvertently come into contact with squirrel feces or urine. People are also at risk of disease if they become bitten by fleas, ticks or mites that attach themselves to squirrels. These parasites can spread diseases like Lyme disease, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and plague to people.
The likelihood of a person contracting a disease from squirrel infestation removal is determined by several factors including the proximity and frequency of exposure, health and hygiene practices, immune system status and other environmental conditions. Individuals with compromised immune systems are at greater risk of contracting a disease from squirrels than those with robust immune systems.
Although squirrels are generally tolerated, sometimes these rodents make their way into homes where they can cause damage and discomfort. They may chew through wood, insulation, duct work and electrical wiring in walls or attics. Excessive chewing can lead to structural damage, fire hazards and expensive repair bills. Screening vents and chimneys, replacing torn window screens and filling cracks or crevices can prevent squirrels from entering a home. Using a repellent around the perimeter of a property can discourage squirrels from lingering near a house. However, repellents must be reapplied frequently as they lose effectiveness with rain and UV radiation.