From Kitchener to Toronto, the squirrel removal jobs we attend never cease to bring a certain joy to our day. Although squirrels are considered pests and their ability to enter your home must be controlled, it’s always nice to take part in safely removing them from the premises and ensuring it was done humanely.
During this visit out to Kitchener, we were returning to follow up on a previous squirrel removal job we did, where we had determined and secured the entry point from future intrusions and set up a 1 way door. The point of the one way door is to ensure the wildlife are able to leave the attic safely, but are completely hindered from getting back in.
So what did we see on this visit? A few baby squirrels had already escaped their nest in the attic and realized they were locked out. There were also a few other squirrels still on the inside of the 1-way door and it seems the outside squirrels were waiting for the ones on the inside.
Watch the video below to see the baby squirrels and their seeming confusion. It looks like we got there right on time.
The problem with not removing squirrels from your attic
Grey and red squirrels cause the most problems for home owners in inner-city areas of a city. The average person sees a squirrel at least once a day. With those numbers you can expect that a large portion of the removal calls we get will be for squirrel issues, and they are. While doing our rounds in Kitchener, we’ve found that for the most part, squirrels will rummage through garbage cans and dumpsters, but from time to time they attempt to get into a home, and when they do, they can cause quite a stir if they’re not removed in a timely manner. Here is a really good article that shows what kind of damage a squirrel can do to an attic if it’s not removed promptly. This home owner waited ten years and the damage was extensive, but if you read it, you can really get a feeling of the urgency associated with harbouring animals in your attic.
When squirrels do decide to make your home theirs, they’re known to shred insulation for nesting material, leave droppings and urine all over the place, chew through wood and electrical wires (fire hazard), and to chew holes to get in and out of your attic. All these factors lead to a high cost of repairs, and puts your family at risk of disease. Just imagine what 4 months of urine buildup in your attic can do to your ceilings.
Where do squirrels take shelter and build nests?
Squirrels will take refuge or build their nests anywhere there’s enough room for them to do so within a building or home as long as it’s safe from the elements and humans. They don’t hibernate which means calls to remove squirrels occur year round. WIth that said, if your home isn’t secured from intrusions, and it does offer the comfort a squirrel is looking for (holes in the walls of your home, garbage and food placed at easy reach) you have the potential to have a problem. Some forms of wildlife make noise, and others are quite quiet so if you aren’t seeing or hearing signs of them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
When squirrels have determined that your attic or some area in your home is safe, you can expect them to give birth to at least two litters a year; one litter in the spring and one in the fall. If they go undetected for over 2 years and are not removed, the problem will compound because other squirrels from the area will come around to father new babies too.
Should you exterminate squirrels?
Unfortunately it’s still legal in Canada to exterminate squirrels because they are classified under the rodent category, but as we’ve mentioned in the past, extermination and poisons are not humane. There are absolutely no long term benefits to extermination, there are several long term affects that must be considered and when holes and entry points aren’t secured properly, wildlife end up getting back in. The long term effects come in the form of the smell and bacteria of dead carcasses, exposure to poisons, un-fixed holes and the problem with recurrence.
Do you need squirrel removal services in Kitchener?
If you are hearing or seeing signs of squirrels in your attic, you definitely want to get them removed. If you suspect something, there’s absolutely no harm in doing a careful do-it-yourself home inspection. Check the outside of your home for holes, even take a quick peek in your attic (use a flashlight if you don’t have light up there). Older homes are more susceptible to wildlife intrusions and so overall, if you do see definite signs of wildlife, our advice would be to arrange for inspections at least every 3 to 7 years depending on the age of your home. If you encounter any animals whatsoever during your own inspection, do not take matters into your own hands. Be safe and call the professionals in squirrel removal today!