Squirrels
What is a Squirrel?
A squirrel is a mammal belonging to the family Sciuridae, primarily known for its climbing ability and bushy tail. These omnivores can adapt to various environments, although they prefer wooded areas for their abundance of nuts and seeds. Gray and black squirrels are among the most common in urban and rural areas.
How to Identify Squirrels?
Squirrels, with their medium size and characteristic bushy tail, are natural acrobats, excelling at navigating through trees with remarkable agility. Their presence is frequent in many regions, where the gray squirrel dominates both urban and forest landscapes.
Less common but equally captivating, black squirrels stand out with their dark fur, offering a striking visual contrast against green foliage or snow in winter. These differences in appearance between gray and black squirrels are not only fascinating biologically but also help in recognizing and understanding the diversity of species we share our environment with.
Additional Information on Squirrels
Pest Type
Agile mammal known for its climbing ability and high adaptability to various environments, including residential areas.
Appearance
Squirrels display a medium size with fur ranging from gray to black, complemented by a characteristically bushy tail that aids in balance and coverage.
Lifespan
Capable of living up to 12 years in the wild, their lifespan in urban areas can be influenced by various environmental and predation factors.
Habitat
While they prefer forests and wooded areas rich in food sources, squirrels adapt surprisingly well to urban environments, exploiting gardens, parks, and attics to establish themselves.
Diet
Primarily omnivores, they show a marked preference for nuts and seeds but do not disdain small insects, fruits, and occasionally household products.
Life Cycle
Squirrels’ ability to have multiple litters per year, often in spring and late summer, increases the risk of rapid proliferation under favorable conditions.
Do I Have a Squirrel Problem?
The discovery of damage to exterior structures, nests in attics, or frequent sightings of squirrels around your home can indicate an intrusion. Exterminapro offers inspections to assess the extent of the problem and propose appropriate solutions.
Signs of a Squirrel Infestation
- Material Damage: Squirrels are particularly known for their gnawing habits, which can lead to significant damage to electrical wires and wooden components, increasing the risks of electrical fires or structural degradation.
- Noise and Activity: Scratching, movement, or activity noises in attics, walls, or other structural parts of the house, especially during the day, are telltale signs of their presence.
- Food Stashes: Discovering stashes of nuts or seeds in unusual places, such as vehicles, flower pots, or attics, indicates their attempt to stockpile for less abundant periods.
Risks Associated with Squirrels
Despite their adorable appearance and playful behavior that often delight observers, squirrels can become a serious concern when they invade our homes. Their penchant for gnawing can lead to significant material damage, particularly by attacking electrical wires, posing fire hazards or electrical outages.
Additionally, their ability to compromise the structural integrity of buildings through their burrowing and nesting activities necessitates a prompt and effective response. Exterminapro recognizes the importance of managing these unwanted guests professionally, offering home security solutions that protect both the property and the safety of inhabitants while considering the well-being of these agile mammals.
Treatments to Get Rid of Squirrels
Exterminapro uses expulsion and prevention methods, such as securing entry points and installing repellent devices, to humanely keep squirrels away.
Preventing Squirrel Infestations
- Securing Access Points: Installing metal mesh or solid covers on potential openings, such as vents, ducts, or spaces under roofs, is crucial to prevent squirrels from entering.
- Environmental Management: Pruning tree branches close to buildings limits squirrels’ access to structures, while using natural repellents, such as peppermint or capsicum essential oils, can deter them from approaching.
- Ethical Expulsion Strategies: Exterminapro prioritizes humane expulsion methods, such as capturing and relocating squirrels to suitable natural habitats, while offering informed advice to eliminate attraction sources and implementing sustainable prevention solutions to avoid recurrence, ensuring a harmonious coexistence with local wildlife.
Types of Treatments to Control Squirrels
- Humane Expulsion Methods and Relocation to Suitable Habitats: Exterminapro prioritizes ethical strategies for squirrel control, using gentle capture techniques that do not harm the animals. After capture, we ensure their relocation to natural environments where they can thrive without causing damage to human properties. This compassionate approach ensures peaceful coexistence between humans and squirrels while respecting animal welfare.
- Advice and Assistance to Eliminate Attraction Sources: Our team provides personalized recommendations to reduce your property’s attractiveness to squirrels. This includes advice on securing garbage cans, properly managing food scraps, and eliminating access to water sources. By modifying the environment to make it less welcoming, you significantly decrease the chances of unwanted visits.
- Long-term Prevention Solutions to Avoid Recurrences: To ensure squirrels do not become recurring guests, Exterminapro implements sustainable preventive solutions. We offer the installation of physical prevention devices like squirrel-proof vent grilles, the application of natural repellents that are non-harmful to squirrels but effective in deterring them, and landscape modification around your property to reduce its attractiveness. These measures, combined with ongoing homeowner education on best practices for coexisting with local wildlife, form a comprehensive strategy to effectively prevent future infestations.
How to Permanently Eradicate Squirrels?
Exterminapro is committed to providing sustainable solutions to manage squirrel populations, combining expertise and respect for nature to ensure the safety of your living space.
Intervention Process
How Much Does It Cost?
Get a Free Estimate
The cost of our interventions depends on the extent of the infestation and the chosen methods. Contact Exterminapro for a free estimate and protect your home from squirrel intrusions.
