This is the time of year that animals start looking for a location to hibernate during the cold months. Squirrels are one of the unwanted nuisance pest that can take up residence within your attic. These pests cause a lot of noise while everyone has settled down for the evening and they can also cause a lot of damage to your home as well. Squirrels have extremely sharp teeth which can cut into roofing material, vinyl siding and even electrical wires. How can they gain entry into homes? That's an excellent question. They look for any weak area or hole around your home that gives them access.
Once squirrels find a promising food source, they will take up residency by it. Squirrels only need a golf ball size hole to gain access. If the hole is not that small, they will chew their way into the building. The damage squirrels do to your biggest investment can be significant. Squirrels gain access into your attic by gnawing into your roof material, vinyl siding, wooden beams, or soffit. Once they reach their destination they get to work by gnawing on wires, ripping through insulation to build their nest, and scrounge around looking for food. Just like rodents, most homeowner’s policies may not cover damage to your home cause by a squirrel nor any remediation. The cost comes right out of your pocket.
The wires they gnaw on can short out and spark which could cause a fire.
Insulation is no longer good because while the squirrels were building their nest, they left their urine and fecal behind. A guest you invite over would be able to smell the scent from the contaminated insulation which is very strong and unpleasant, also other squirrels will be able to smell the scent and invite themselves over as well. You will no longer have just one squirrel, but also a family of them. Not only do squirrels leave a bad scent; however, they also carry Lyme positive ticks into your home including diseases like tularemia, leptospirosis and other diseases common in mice.
If you hear noises in your attic and believe you may have squirrels, give Elite Wildlife Removal a call at 804-867-7184. We will conduct a thorough inspection to determine the animal activity, the entry areas in which it entered your home, and go over with you cleaning up their mess. Our friendly staff will be more than happy to work with you regarding any of your wildlife removal needs.