SQUIRRELS

Sciurus carolinensis - Eastern Gray Variety

GENERAL INFO: Everyone has squirrels around their house. But how many of you have them in your attic? Eastern Gray squirrels have a tendency to take shelter in your homes when they have their young. They usually stay inside until they grow larger and in the meantime make quite a mess. Squirrels are rodents and their incisors continually grow. Thus the need to continually gnaw to wear them down. If you hear noises in the attic during the daytime (scurrying back and forth) it could just be the cute gray squirrels that your neighbor was feeding this morning.

THREAT: They commonly enter by tearing a hole in your soffit or going down the chimney. This doesn't mean that they do not enter in other areas. They will gnaw through wiring which can create a dangerous fire hazard. There have been many instances when I have been in a client's attic and have been accidentally electrocuted by exposed wiring chewed by squirrels and rats. Squirrels also carry fleas, ticks and other parasites. When they take up residence in your attic or home, they often leave behind these critters that can then take up host on humans or pets.

REMOVAL / PREVENTION: Limit their food sources: Do Not Feed Them! Bird feeders close to your house are like putting down a welcome mat for squirrels. They are looking for food and shelter. If the food is next to a great shelter, chances are they will soon be moving in. Also remove trees or branches that overhang the roof. Many people like to use one way valves on the home to exclude squirrels. We usually discourage this, as it welcomes further damage to the structure. For example, if the mother squirrel passes through the valve while her young remain, she will create a new point of entry to get back to her young. If she cannot, there is a possibility the home owner could end up with a dead animal odor from the litter she left behind.

IMAGES: Click for larger image.

SPECIES CAPACITIES

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GEOGRAPHIC RANGE

AVG. BREEDING RATE

Up to x 12 Annually

DID YOU KNOW?

Eastern Gray squirrels that have adapted to urban situations where predator risks are minimal have a prevalence of albino and black colored specimens amongst their populations.

Squirrels create thousands of small food caches each season, remembering where each and everyone is located.

Eastern Grays are very fond of bird feeders, often destroying them in search of the peanut and sunflower seeds. Many commercial bird feed vendors put hot chili flakes in with their feeds to deter the squirrels, as the birds are unaffected by the flakes and cannot taste them.