Squirrels Are Not Welcome

Have you been awoken in the middle of the night by hearing noises in your attic? You can tell yourself that it's the wind so you can fall back asleep or you can go check it out. There has to be an explanation for the noise that you are hearing: the wind, pipes, paranormal activity or wildlife pests such as squirrels.

There are different species of squirrels; however, the Eastern Gray squirrel also known as a Tassel-eared squirrel is the main squirrel seen in our area. Squirrels particularly like to nest in wooded areas, but their habitat is becoming slim due to demolition. New construction is being built which takes away their habitats, so squirrels need to look for new homes that gives them shelter and has a consistent food source nearby. During the fall, squirrels can travel up to 50 miles to search for a better place to occupy. Unfortunately, those places could be in your attic.

Squirrels can gain access into your home by jumping from a tree limb onto your roof or find a hole as small as a golf ball. If these nuisance pests locate a hole that is not as big as a golf ball, they can use their razor sharp teeth to rip apart your roof , vinyl siding, soffit or gutters to gain access. As a homeowner, you want to ensure your bush and tree limbs are at least six to eight feet away from any structure to prevent squirrels from jumping onto the roof. Also, homeowners should go around the home to look for any signs of an entry area which squirrels can squeeze through. The common areas to look at are the roof, ridgeline, soffits, gutters, and attic vents.

Once inside your attic, squirrels will make a huge mess that can cost you thousands of dollars in damage. These pests will chew on insulation, wires, rafters and/or any boxes you have stored. They use these things to build their nest where they will sleep and raise their young. Unfortunately, the wires the squirrels chew on will be exposed which can cause a fire hazard. The rafters can weaken if squirrels chew on it for a lengthy amount of time which can collapse the roof. These nuisance pests will urinate and leave their feces all within the attic area which will cause your home to have a foul odor. Ticks, mites, fleas and internal parasites are common in squirrels and can effect humans.

The best proactive approach to ensure your home is not invaded by squirrels is to contact a licensed wildlife control and removal company. Elite Wildlife Removal would be more than happy to work with you to give you piece of mind knowing your home is rodent controlled. We will conduct a thorough inspection to determine the entry areas in which squirrels can enter and seal them so they will not be able to gain access in that location. If you happen to have squirrels already occupying your home we will trap the pests, remove them from the home and seal the entry areas. We will also clean up the mess they made and disinfect the attic area. Give us a call today at 804-867-7184 to schedule an appointment to ensure your home will be squirrel free.