Why Are Squirrels Chewing Holes In Your Siding in Collierville TN?
A squirrel’s teeth are very sharp. Their teeth can cut into or through most materials, or at least wear them down with time. The reason squirrels tend to chew on everything is that their teeth never stop growing. If the squirrel’s teeth grow too long, they are unable to eat or chew properly. This can eventually kill them if they are unable to get nutrition into their bodies.
Their teeth can also get in the way of climbing if they are too long. So to avoid these scenarios, the squirrels will chew on anything they can get their teeth on to file them down, just like we would use a fingernail file.
Squirrel Breeding Season And Litter Size
Typically, when a squirrel chews into the siding of a house, they are looking for a safe place to nest. Between December to February and then May to June, the squirrels are breeding, so they need to find a safe, quiet place to start preparing a nest for their babies.
An average squirrel can have two to four babies in a litter. The babies will stay with their mother in the nest for seven to ten weeks. The mother squirrel needs to be able to go out during the day to get food, so she wants a place safe from predators to leave her babies. Your attic tends to make the perfect place.
What Happens If They Get Through The Siding Into Your Attic?
If you have squirrels chewing holes in your siding, they will eventually get into your attic. Between each room, the walls have a hollow space and the squirrels travel through it. They also have access to the attic and will nest in the insulation. You can typically hear them running around, making either chewing or gnawing sounds. If there are baby squirrels present, you may hear them crying.
Squirrel Damage And What We Look For
If squirrels get access to the interior of your home, they can do a lot of damage. This can be very expensive as well as dangerous to your home and your family. Squirrels are known to chew the wiring inside of a home. If this happens, we will notify you immediately upon finding any evidence of chewed wiring. You will need to get an electrician to secure it so it is not a fire hazard. Chewed wiring could also interrupt your home’s power, depending on how the electrical wiring is connected.
Squirrel Damage And Additional Health Concerns
Some pipe water lines are made out of plastic. Squirrels can easily chew through them over time. A small water leak may not be noticeable at first, but it is very bad to have a slow leak over a long time period. When there is constant moisture, the chance of mold growth is very high. If you don’t realize mold is there, it can spread and vent through your home. This can make your family sick without you even knowing the cause. A chewed pipe can burst. Then you are dealing with ruined walls and floors. In either case, you will need to call a plumber to take a look, hoping there is no rotted wood.
The main thing is that the hole may be small on your siding, but it can lead to much bigger and more expensive problems. It is always better to stay ahead of the problem and not let it get out of control.
Squirrel Habitat And Modification
There are several things you can do to help prevent this from happening. Make sure tree branches are not overhanging your roof or close to your home giving the squirrels easy access to your roof or siding. Make sure all trash is secured in your trash can, and no pet food or birdseed on the ground. Squirrels will eat birdseed and that will attract them to your home.
When Outside Squirrel Trapping Becomes Necessary
Sometimes there is an overabundance of wildlife in the area around your home. In this case, it is necessary to do outside trapping. We typically do not like to relocate squirrels because it can be difficult for them to survive in a new area. However, if there are too many squirrels in one area, they will start to tear up homes. Apex Wildlife Control offers outside trapping for seven days. We set multiple traps and bait them to catch as many squirrels as we can. We relocate them to another area 20 miles away, so they won’t return to your property.
Interior And Exterior Squirrel Inspection
If you are experiencing one or more of these situations, please give us a call. We can have a wildlife technician come out to your property in no time to assess your home and situation. The technician will do an interior and exterior inspection of your home. He will look inside your attic for fecal droppings to verify that the species is a squirrel. He will also let you know if there is any damage to your wiring, HVAC or duct work. He will check the insulation for urine damage as well. You will receive pictures of all of his findings.
Then he will do the exterior inspection where he checks from the bottom of your foundation to the top of your roof for all potential and actual entry points. He will show you pictures of how the squirrels are gaining access into your home. You will receive a quote the same day for the cost to fully seal your home from squirrel re-entry and to trap squirrels currently in your home.
Apex Wildlife Warranty and Double Money Back Guarantee
Don’t let these squirrels give you any more trouble than they already have. Give Apex Wildlife Control a call. Let us help you take some stress out of your day and get rid of these critters. You can also put your mind at ease knowing you will receive a one-year warranty, as well as a DOUBLE MONEY-BACK guarantee if you are not satisfied with our services. So don’t hesitate. Give us a call and let us help you with your squirrel problems. Have a great day and we hope to hear from you soon!
So, if you are having squirrels chewing holes in your siding in Collierville TN, give us a call today!
