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Damage to Your Home or Business

Squirrels are members of the rodent family and within Southern Ontario, we commonly encounter both the eastern gray and the red squirrel.  The eastern gray squirrel is usually gray or brown-gray with a belly showing a white, light gray or black. The red squirrel is smaller and has reddish brown fur with white underparts. Both are active during daylight hours and are primarily herbivores, feeding on roots, stems, bark, shoots, leaves, fruits, nuts, seeds, fungi, flower bulbs, and occasionally insects. Squirrels have rootless teeth which means that they keep growing giving them a habit of gnawing continuously to wear them down. Inside the home, squirrels can chew through drywall, piping, wood, plastic and even wiring creating a fire hazard. We only use 100% proven squirrel removal techniques.

Squirrels have slender toes with sharp claws making them excellent climbers. They keep to themselves, busy collecting and hoarding seeds and other food. Red squirrels store food where they live, whereas grays will store it elsewhere. They will often stash away more than they need and sometimes forget where they put it.

Squirrels can enter a building from the roof or from ground level and work their way up to the attic. Squirrels can chew holes into homes and scamper within the walls and attic spaces where they build nests, cause structural damage and pose numerous health risks. A large amount of pine cones, nuts and fungi in the attic is a sure sign of the presence of squirrels. Entrance holes can be difficult to spot, as they can be as small as a golf ball.

Squirrel

Squirrels produce two litters of babies (pups) per year – one in Spring and one in late Summer – with a gestation period is 38-44 days. Litters can be anywhere from 1 -7 pups in size, however a typical litter will include 3-4 pups. Pups will not venture out of the nest until seven to eight weeks and are not weaned until 10 to 12 weeks. This activity can cause major damage to buildings and pose unwanted health risks to businesses and home owners.

Squirrels typically have 5-6 den sites in residential areas. Killing or capturing the adult likely won’t solve the problem, since the babies could still be living in the attic, chimney, walls, roof or vents.

Health Risks to Humans

Squirrels are busy rodents that can run up to 25 km an hour. When in distress they will flick their tails back and forth while vocalizing to warn their neighbours and may attack if they sense a threat. A mother squirrel can be quite aggressive if she perceives danger or is separated from her babies. Thus, you should never try to corner a squirrel.

Squirrels usually build several nest sites within a dwelling of dry leaves and twigs that can measure up to several feet in size. Professionally removing the contamination is extremely important as squirrels and their nests carry ticks and fleas, which can be harmful to humans and pets.

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Squirrel

Raider Wildlife Control takes pride in assisting our residential and commercial clients with the humane removal of wildlife and pest issues that are compromising their structures, property and/or health in the following areas: Hamilton, Niagara Falls, Caledonia, Grimsby, Burlington, St. Catharines, Stoney Creek, Oakville, Thorold & Lincoln.