Are squirrels chewing holes in your siding in Memphis TN? If you have squirrels chewing holes in your siding, you're not alone. No one wants to come home to see a hole in the siding of their house. Squirrels don’t care how long your day has been or what you have to do. And these little creatures literally have nothing to do all day but eat, chew holes and make baby squirrels.  A squirrel will chew and crawl into any place that they find convenient, including the siding on your home. We can help reduce the likelihood of squirrels chewing holes in your siding in Memphis TN!

Squirrels are very good climbers and can access almost any surface, no matter how steep. They move around easily because of their hand-like paws that can grasp onto any crevice. They also have sharp nails that can dig into any surface. Squirrels are incredibly quick and nimble, which makes them very good at wreaking havoc around your home. Squirrels will tear things up in a very short amount of time.

A squirrel’s teeth are also very sharp. Their teeth can cut into or through most materials or at least wear down the items 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.

Did you know that if a squirrel didn't constantly chew on things, their teeth would grow up to six inches in a year?  Imagine a squirrel with walrus teeth!  That's an image that will stick with you for a while!

A squirrel’s teeth can also get in the way of climbing or hinder its normal routine if the teeth are too long. As a result, squirrels will chew on anything they can get their teeth on to file down their teeth, just like we would use a fingernail file.

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. You will see squirrels chasing one another for breeding rights, and to find a mate.  Once the "courtship" is over, a mother squirrel will need to find a safe and quiet place to start preparing a nest for her new arrivals.

Squirrels have two to four babies in a litter. The babies will stay with their mother in the nest for seven to ten weeks. Mama squirrel has to go out during the day to get food, so she wants a nice safe place from predators to leave her babies. Your home makes the perfect nursery for her babies!

When a squirrel sees a predator, it will give an alarm call to alert other squirrels nearby.  This call sounds like a hoarse cat meow, which is interesting since most of the time, these predators are feral cats!

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. The squirrels travel through this space. They also have access to your attic and will nest in the insulation there as well. You will typically hear them running around, making either chewing or gnawing sounds. If squirrel babies are present, you may hear them crying.

If squirrels get access to the inside 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 has occurred, we will notify you immediately upon finding the evidence of any chewed wiring. You will have to get an electrician to check the wiring so it is not a fire hazard. Chewed wires could also interrupt your home's power depending on the electrical wiring source.

The main issue is that the squirrel 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 before it gets out of control.

Water pipe lines are made out of plastic and squirrels can easily chew through them.   A small water leak may not be noticeable at first, but it can be very bad to have a slow leak over a long time period. If there is constant moisture, the chance of mold growth is very high. If you are not aware of the mold, it can spread and vent through your home, making your family sick. The chewed pipe could burst and then you are dealing with ruined walls and floors. In either case, you will need to call a plumber and have him take a look, hoping there is no rotted wood because of the leak.

There are several things you can do to help prevent this from happening. Make sure tree branches are not hanging over your roof and bushes are not 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 there is no pet food or bird feeders on the ground. Squirrels will eat bird seed and that will attract them to your home.

If there is an overabundance of wildlife in the area and around your home, it will be necessary to do outside trapping. We typically do not like to relocate animals because it can be difficult for them to survive in a new area. However, if there are too many animals in one area, they will start to damage people's homes.

Apex Wildlife Control offers outside trapping for seven days. Our technician will set multiple traps and bait them to catch as many squirrels as we can. Once trapped, the technician will then relocate the squirrels to another area 20 miles away, so they won’t return to your property.

If you are experiencing one or more of these problems, please give us a call. Our technician will perform an interior and exterior inspection of your home. He will look inside of your attic for fecal droppings to verify that the species is a squirrel. He will let you know if there is any damage to wires, damage to your HVAC, or duct-work. The technician check the insulation for urine damage as well. You will receive pictures of all of his findings.

The technician will then do the exterior inspection where he is looking 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 animals are gaining access to your house. You will receive a quote the same day for the cost to fully seal your home from wildlife re-entry and to trap the squirrels currently in your home.

So if squirrels are chewing holes into your siding in Memphis TN, give us a call today.  We're here to help!