Have you heard scratching in the walls at night or at quiet times during the day? You aren’t hearing things—you might have squirrels in your home. If you have new (and unwanted) houseguests, you’ll need to work quickly to get them out. Understand what it means when squirrels call their home yours, and call humane wildlife removal services for help.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!
Signs of Squirrels
You’ve already heard the scratching in walls, one sign that there might be squirrels in your home. After hearing scratching, it’s time to pay attention to other indications and if they’ve left other marks.
Squirrels are gnawing animals that will chew through any material to build their home. Drywall, roof shingles, fascia boards—there’s no material that’s safe from a squirrel. Squirrel urine and droppings are other common signs. Squirrels leave behind a buildup in the home that may resemble water stains. If you’ve noticed stains along the walls, be sure to do a double check and confirm whether it’s water or not.
These critters are also messy nest builders. Check around the house, crawlspaces, and the attic to see if anything resembles a nest. A good marker of one is if you notice a loosely built pile of various materials, such as insulation, wood, paper, moss, or leaves.
You may also notice tracks around the home. Squirrels are bounding creatures, with longer back paws that have five toe prints and smaller front paws with four toe prints. You may have also noticed more fighting squirrels around your property. They’re territorial creatures, and if they start acting aggressively around each other, it’s because they’re trampling on each other’s space, causing them to fight for food, shelter, and other resources.
If you’ve noticed any of these signs around your home in addition to the scratching in walls, it’s a good possibility you have squirrels.
The Damage They Cause
As you’ve no doubt noticed from the various signs, squirrels can cause serious structural damage. Squirrels are rodents, and like all rodents, they’re constantly chewing, damaging wood, drywall, and even metal. They’ll gnaw through various home materials to create entry points, causing damage in whatever they chew to gain access inside. Squirrels enter your home through a hole that usually goes unnoticed until after careful and thorough inspection.
These critters will find a way in if it means getting shelter and food. They’ll chew up wires and pipes, rip into soffits and the roof, and shred duct work. Not only will this mean expensive repairs for you, damaged wires are an electrical hazard. Wire damage is dangerous, causing lighting issues and inconsistent electric flow. The additional costs you’ll need to repair your property, along with the headache that comes with dealing with this problem is not fun, and it’s something that can be avoided with removal and proper maintenance.
Don’t keep waiting for that scratching in walls sound to disappear. If you continue to hear that noise, it means the squirrels keep chewing, meaning those repairs and costs will continue to add up.
What You Can Do
The best solution to stop the scratching in walls is to hire professional animal wildlife removal services. Squirrel removal experts have comprehensive, long-term, and humane solutions to get rid of squirrels and ensure they won’t return. These services identify the issue, give the squirrels a thorough eviction, and decontaminate your home so it’s free of the animal, its odour, and any dangerous bacteria.
It can be tricky to deal with squirrel removal yourself, and you can’t always be sure your methods are fully effective. Using safe and human methods to reduce the harm to the animal, removal experts seal up all entry points to prevent future access. Experienced professionals can take care of this problem effectively and efficiently with permanent solutions so squirrels don’t find their way back into your home.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!