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Do You Have Squirrels in Your Home?
Sep 29, 2020
Watching squirrels run around in your front yard might seem fun, but no one likely wants pests in their home. Like many pests, squirrels are attracted to the warmth and protection of your home. Unfortunately, these little critters are not good roommates, and they can destroy your home and spread disease.
If you would like to better protect your home, keep reading to learn more about squirrels in your home.
Where Do Squirrels Like to Hide in the Home?
Squirrels like to hide in any part of your home that is secluded but has an access point. An access point can be as small as a half-inch opening. Thanks to their sharp teeth, squirrels can chew a hole to get inside your home. Some of the more common places squirrels like to hide include the attic, walls, crawl space, and ductwork.
Even though they can fit through small openings, squirrels prefer wider openings, so look for natural or unnatural holes that seem to keep getting bigger. While the holes can appear anywhere, they are more common in the attic because squirrels can easily gnaw through the fascia.
What Are the Signs of Squirrels in the Home?
Luckily, many signs may indicate you have a squirrel infestation. Naturally, a leading sign is scratching and scurrying in the attic, walls, crawl space, or ducts. Besides access points, squirrels may chew and gnaw on other materials like wiring, drywall, beams, or molding.
If you do suspect squirrels, check for nests in the attic or anyplace else you suspect them. Of course, squirrels also need to eat and relieve themselves, so if you have squirrels, expect unpleasant odors from squirrel urine and droppings. You may also spot hidden piles of acorns in the attic or walls.
What Problems Can Squirrels Cause?
Squirrels pose many problems if they invade your home. For starters, they can damage your home. In some cases, this damage may only be aesthetic, but if the squirrels gnaw through wires, they can cause electrical damage or even start a fire. If they mess with the ductwork, they may cause holes and gaps, which can reduce the efficiency of your HVAC system.
The other leading danger of squirrels is disease. Squirrels and their droppings can spread diseases like typhus, tularemia, and plague. Parasites like fleas and mites may also pass from the squirrels to you or your family members. If dead squirrel bodies or their droppings get trapped in the ductwork, it can spread bacteria to all parts of the home.
How Can You Get Rid of Squirrels in Your Home?
If you want to prevent squirrels from getting inside your home, you need to seal off the home so the squirrels have no easy access points. However, if you already have squirrels, you may wonder how to get rid of them. Depending on your preference, you have humane and more aggressive options.
Some homeowners prefer the more humane option, which may involve a one-way door so the squirrel can leave but can't get back inside the house. Some traps can also catch squirrels to be released elsewhere. Alternatively, some homeowners prefer a more aggressive approach to ensure the squirrels do not come back.
Squirrels can get into your house simply by chewing a hole, but sealing up your home will go a long way to detour them. If squirrels have already gotten into your home, contact
a skilled pest control specialist. For more information or to get a quote, contact us at Anteater Pest Control Inc. today. We look forward to helping with all your pest control needs, especially with squirrels.
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Bats can be cute when you see them in nature, but inside your home, they are more than just a nuisance. Bats can carry deadly diseases, like rabies, which means that if you have a bat, you need to take steps immediately to solve the problem. Removal Options Removal is best left to a professional due to the risks involved. Single Bat A single bat may get into the house through an open window or the chimney. The good news is that this usually is a one-time event and you don't have an infestation. The best course of action is to remove pets and people from the room with the bat, open all of the windows in the room, and then close off the room so the bat can't get into the rest of the house. With luck, the bat will find a window and leave. If you must handle the bat, wear gloves and do not touch the bat directly. The safest option is to call in a pest service if the bat doesn't leave on its own. Roosting Colony Sometimes your home provides the perfect place for daytime roosting. Little-used attics are most at risk, but bats may also colonize crawlspaces, spaces in your walls, or outbuildings. You should not try to remove an entire colony of bats on your own. A pest professional that is aware of local and federal wildlife laws should be called in to trap and remove the bats. Prevention Tactics Once you are free of the bats, your next step is to ensure that they cannot return. Exclusion If a bat can't get into your home, you can't have a bat problem — which is why exclusion is your main goal. Your pest service will inspect your home and find the likely entry points that the bats are using. You can also watch your home during the twilight hours to find where the bats are emerging. Once you know the likely entry points and have had all bats removed from the house, you can seal up the openings so the bats can't regain access to your home. Alternative Dwellings If you live in an area with a high bat population or would simply like to keep these beneficial insect-eaters nearby, then providing alternative dwelling options can be just the ticket for diverting bats away from your home. You can buy or build simple bat boxes. These boxes are typically attached to trees or poles to provide a more attractive roosting space for the bats. Cleanup Safety Bats are not clean animals. If a bat has been roosting in your home, then you will have droppings (called guano) and urine to deal with. Guano Sanitation Bat guano can carry histoplasmosis, a fungal spore that can cause a chronic respiratory disease. If you must try to clean up on your own, you need to cover all of your skin, wear gloves and eye protection, and use a respirator mask. All debris must be cleaned up and all surfaces must be sanitized with a bleach solution. Professionals will also use a HEPA vacuum, which has a strong filter that ensures none of the possible fungal pathogens remain in the air. Dead Bat Removal Extreme caution is necessary if there are dead bats in your home. Conditions like rabies can still be transmitted from dead animals. Wear gloves and do not touch the bat directly if you attempt to remove it yourself. The area where the bat was found must also be completely sanitized with a bleach solution. For more assistance with a bat in the home, contact Anteater Pest Control, Inc.
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