While squirrels are often portrayed as friendly, but, mischievous critters or wacky furballs in movies, TV, and popular culture, in reality, they can be quite dangerous homewreckers. Not only can squirrels invade and nest inside of your residential or commercial property, but they can also shred wires, insulation, and drywall as well as contaminate your home or business with fleas, ticks, and waste. If you suspect squirrels may be living on your property, then it is important to know what to do to keep a small nuisance squirrel problem from turning into an out-of-control infestation.
Here are seven signs of a squirrel infestation that you should look out for.
7 Squirrel Infestation Warning Signs
- Damage to your house – Squirrels may be little creatures but they can create a lot of havoc. Most often, they create destruction to your attic in their attempt to build a warm nest close to food and water sources. Here are a few examples of structural damages to look out for:
- Frayed wiring
- Teeth marks in woods and/or walls
- Air vent damage
- Holes in shingles
- Roofline damage
- Water damage to walls and/or ceilings
- Chewed up furniture – If you find your furniture chewed up and you’re sure your pet isn’t the culprit, then there is a strong possibility that invasive squirrels are responsible—especially if you’ve been experiencing other signs of a squirrel infestation.
- Strange noises at night – Nocturnal rodents are somewhat easy to identify in your home because they make scampering, scurrying, and chewing noises inside walls and attics at night.
- Droppings in your attic or garage – Invasive squirrels have a bad habit of leaving their droppings, puddles, and stains along floorboards, inside attic entryways, and throughout your walls; however, scattered waste is a common behavior of all rodents. Therefore, you may need a wildlife professional to inspect your property to determine which rodent is infesting your home.
- Unpleasant and unidentifiable smells – If you notice an extremely unpleasant smell that is similar to ammonia, then you likely have squirrels in your house either leaving droppings or decomposing due to starvation.
- Strange footprints – Small are unique, squirrel footprints have four toes in the front and five toes in the back. If you suspect squirrels are roaming your home, laying down flour on a piece of cardboard can catch their paw prints and help you to easily identify your unwanted pests.
- Squirrels congregating outside your home – Squirrels are territorial creatures. If you see large groups of squirrels gathering or fighting outside of your home, then you may want to take caution and consider calling in the professionals.
Rely on the Squirrel Removal Professionals at Critter Control®
Squirrels are quick, agile, and very difficult to catch on your own if you do not have the proper experience and tools. Therefore, instead of attempting ineffective and costly methods to trap and remove nuisance squirrels yourself, you should contact the critter removal experts at Critter Control® of Polk County to permanently resolve your squirrel issue.
At Critter Control® of Polk County, we pride ourselves in using eco-friendly and humane methods of removal when it comes to unwanted critters inside your home or workplace. If you encounter squirrels or other nuisance rodents on your Polk County property, keep your distance and contact the wildlife removal experts at Critter Control® of Polk County immediately at 863-204-2815.
