Spring has sprung. That means it’s officially squirrel baby season. While we impatiently await the sun’s rays and higher temperatures, squirrels are anxiously awaiting the tiny pitter patter of baby squirrel paws.
As a homeowner, here’s what you need to know about squirrel baby season.
When Is It?
Mating between eastern grey squirrels and between other tree squirrels in North America takes place twice a year—from January to February and again from June to July. Because the gestation period for most tree squirrels is around 45 days, you can expect to see squirrel babies a month and a half after the mating season.
More about Baby Squirrels
Squirrels can have between two and eight babies, but two or four per litter is typical. When baby squirrels are born, they only weigh about one ounce and are one inch in length. They’re completely naked, deaf, and blind.
As a result, these babies are utterly helpless and fully dependent on their mothers, who are great caretakers.
As They Grow
Mom will take care of her babies in their nest until the young ones grow and become fully independent. At around seven to ten weeks of age, weaning will take place. Though the youngsters will be able to leave the nest soon after this time, they will stay near their mother for several weeks as they learn more of the survival skills required for their years in adulthood.
Your Home May Be the Squirrels’ Home
Squirrel mothers are fiercely protective of their young. As a result, they’ll seek out the safest areas to raise their babies—an area away from the elements and away from predators.
Your warm, dark, and safe attic might be the perfect home for a mother and her new babies. If a squirrel mother and her babies are living in your home, you can expect them to stay put for a few weeks—until the youngsters are independent and ready to face life on their own.
They Don’t Make Great Houseguests
It’s admirable that you may want to help a squirrel take care of her babies by allowing her to stay in your home. However, it’s important to realize how destructive and unsanitary squirrels can be.
Squirrels are rodents; their teeth never stop growing during their lifetime. Because of this, they’re constantly gnawing in order to keep their teeth short. Having squirrels in your home will likely lead to structural damage to wood beams, drywall, soft concrete, pipes, and many other materials. The mother may destroy your belongings and make a mess as she makes her nest. The family will also leave feces and urine all over the attic.
The longer the squirrels stay in your home, the most extensive and costly the damage will be.
You Need to Call the Squirrel Removal Experts
If squirrels are living in your home, it’s best to evict them before they can cause any more damage. However, you’ll want to ensure the safety of the animals and ensure the entire family is removed. For these reasons, it’s critical to call humane squirrel removal experts to deal with the situation.
If you attempt to remove a squirrel on your own during squirrel baby season, you could end up leaving her helpless babies behind to die without her care.
The squirrel removal experts will inspect your home and determine where the squirrels are hiding and how many members of the family are living in your attic. They’ll evict the mother using a humane method, such as a one-way door, and then hand remove the babies and reunite them with their mother.
To ensure no other squirrels make their way into your home the next time squirrel baby season rolls around, they’ll also take preventative measures to seal up entry points and reinforce vulnerable areas.
Squirrel removal should only be performed by trained professionals.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!