Squirrel Removal & Identification
Do you have a squirrel problem in or around your home? Contact Varment Guard for squirrel trapping and removal services!
About Squirrels
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae and are indigenous to North and South America, Eurasia, and Africa. They average around 15 to 20 inches in length but their size depends on the species of squirrel.
What Do Squirrels Eat?
Squirrels aren’t picky when it comes to what they eat. However, their diet usually consists of seeds, acorns, nuts, fruits, vegetables, live bark, and pine cones.
What types of squirrels are there?
There are over 200 species of squirrels around the world! However, the most common types of squirrels include:
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Eastern Gray Squirrel
- Adult body length (without tail): 8 to 10 inches.
- Adult body weight: 1 1/3 to 1 2/3 pounds
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Eastern Fox Squirrel
- Adult body length (without tail): 10 to 15 inches
- Adult body weight:1 2/3 to 2 1/3 pounds
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Red (Pine) Squirrel
- Adult body length (without tail): 6 to 8 inches
- Adult body weight: 5 to 10 ounces
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Southern Flying Squirrel
- Adult body length (without tail): 5 to 6 inches
- Adult body weight: 1 1/3 to 3 ounces
Squirrel Damage to Houses and Other Structures
Squirrels become a nuisance when they gnaw into attics or use buildings for nesting sites and food storage. They may also move into spaces between walls and floors. They often gain access through vents, broken windows, knotholes, and construction gaps under eaves and gables. Unfortunately, these pests have the remarkable ability to destroy wooden shakes and shingles. In yards, squirrels will dig up vegetable and flower gardens, primarily for seeds and bulbs.
Tree squirrels are fond of burying food items such as acorns and nuts; their diggings can be very destructive to turf and other landscaped areas. Utility companies report that tree squirrels often cause loss of electrical and telephone service by gnawing into cables and stripping insulation.
How to keep squirrels away
The best way to keep squirrels away from your yard is with help from a professional wildlife control company like Varment Guard. However, to prevent squirrels from setting up shop on your property, you can follow these tips:
- Pruning. Cut tree branches at least 6 feet from all building surfaces. Removing tree limbs that overhang your roof will sometimes eliminate access by squirrels.
- Refrain From Feeding. Feeding squirrels and coaxing them to approach dwellings and people is a sure way to encourage nesting in nearby trees of the dwelling itself.
- Plant Flowers Squirrels Don’t Like. To prevent squirrels, plant daffodils, snowdrops, allium, or hyacinth.
- Keep Your Yard Clean. Rake your yard regularly to remove any fallen fruit, nuts, or seeds. Use garbage cans with tight-fitting lids.
Methods of Removing Squirrels
Varment Guard’ experienced technicians know how to get rid of ground squirrels, tree squirrels, and pine squirrels. Our methods of squirrel removal and prevention include:
1. Squirrel Live Trapping
When nuisance squirrels are driving you nuts, live trapping is the method of choice. Squirrels often enter the premises via overhead routes, so traps are placed on roof-tops, gutter lines, and power lines. Traps may also be set on other travel corridors like fences, trees, or even the ground. A wide variety of baits (peanuts, peanut butter, walnuts, and more) are used to entice squirrels by smell and visual appeal.
For difficult-to-catch squirrels both a visual bait like ear corn is used along with an aromatic bait for trapping squirrels (like peanut butter). Live-catch traps must be checked at least once daily to remove squirrels, freshen bait if needed, and adjust trap placement.
2. Squirrel Exclusion
Exclusion is the most permanent solution to squirrels getting into your home or business. Sheet metal or aluminum flashing are used to close openings in dormer corners, roof junctions, and siding. Hardware cloth is used on gable and soffit vents. Chimney caps keep squirrels from nesting in flues.
It is important when closing all possible entry points not to trap animals inside, therefore exclusion is done after all the squirrels have been removed from inside by live trapping squirrels.
3. Pruning & Squirrel Nest Removal
To keep squirrels from accessing your home, the experts at Varment Guard offer pruning services. All Varment Guard Technicians are certified and experienced in expert tree pruning. One of the main reasons why we offer tree trimming is because branches can provide a ladder for wildlife, like squirrels, to easily access your structure. Trees should be cut back to at least six to ten feet away from the roof line.
We utilize professional pruning equipment such as pole prunes, pole saws, hand saws, chainsaws (for larger cuts), climbing equipment and hand pruners for smaller trees and shrubs. All debris is then cleaned up and removed.
4. Roof Ridgeline Prevention
We are a Certified Installer of RidgeGuard© and XclusionPro from AAC-ProLine™
Ridge-Guard® is a system for guarding against animal entry at the roof ridge. Installation of Ridge-Guard® eliminates the need in most cases of removing old ridge vents. It stops pests without the need for tear-offs of ridge vent or ridge caps.
Get Effective & Humane Squirrel Pest Control From Varment Guard
Squirrels are persistent, which means removing and preventing them takes a lot of effort. That’s why it’s best to hire a professional wildlife control team to effectively deal with your squirrel problem.
Whether you need squirrel removal from attics or humane live-trapping, Varment Guard offers the services necessary to get and keep squirrels away. Ready to get started with our humane squirrel control services?
We can rid you of squirrel problems safely and efficiently!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Are Squirrels Pests?
Sure, squirrels can be cute… but they can also wreak havoc on your yard and home. Squirrels can sneak into your space looking for food, warmth and water. Once they’re in or around your home, they’ll build nests, gnaw on cables, and cause structural damage. Learn more about these little critters!
What Do Squirrels Eat?
Squirrels are opportunistic foragers. They eat a wide variety of flowers, weeds, shrubs, roots, fungi, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Though they’re primarily considered herbivores, they’ll occasionally hunt small insects and invertebrates. Read more about what squirrels eat!
What Do Squirrel Nests Look Like?
Squirrel nests are called dreys and consist of clumped-together collections of leaves, twigs, bark, moss, and other compressed materials. Squirrel nests look like small, round bulbs of leaves bunched together. Squirrels usually build their dreys into tree cavities or around tree branches that are 20 feet tall or higher. Read more!
How Do I Keep Squirrels Away from My Bird Feeders?
Hang the bird feeders away from trees, use a pepper-based repellent, grease the poles of the feeders, or put safflower seed in the feeder. And if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—give the squirrels a snack of their own to distract them from the bird feeders. Learn more tips and tricks!
How To Keep Squirrels Out of Potted Plants?
Squirrels like to stash nuts and food in your outdoor potted plants. To deter squirrels from digging up your prized geraniums you can sprinkle coffee grounds, cayenne pepper or garlic powder around the topsoil.
What Is The Difference Between A Ground Squirrel vs. Tree Squirrel?
Ground squirrels are burrowing animals, more like chipmunks and gophers than tree squirrels. They have stripes similar to those animals on their bodies but not their faces. When startled, ground squirrels will run to their underground burrow but tree squirrels will shimmy up to their tree nests.
Do Squirrels Eat Pine Cones?
Squirrels don’t eat the entire cone but they love the seeds within them. Pine cones are reliable food sources during the winter.
Does Varment Guard Offer Pine Squirrel Control?
Yes! We solve pine squirrel problems in roofs, attics, and more. We can remove nuisance squirrels that have already made a home on your property and we can provide preventative services such as pruning to keep pine squirrels from returning.
