One of the fun things about spring is seeing all the new little wildlife animals arrive. Like most people, we get excited about seeing raccoon kits and squirrel kittens as they begin showing themselves. Spring is a busy time for us. Many of our urban wildlife, including squirrels, seek out human structures to have their offspring. Our homes provide them with easy access to food and safe shelter from predators, which are both especially important when little ones are around that can’t feed or defend themselves. When spring rolls around, we’re always curious to determine which animal is our first baby encounter. This year’s winner was a surprise.

An Unexpected First

Squirrels aren’t usually the first offspring we spot. This is only the second time in 32 years of operation that Skedaddle has seen baby squirrels before any other species. Usually, raccoon kits are the first arrivals. Squirrel babies season does happen in the spring, but it usually isn’t quite this early! As unusual as this first sighting was, it isn’t the most unexpected thing about this particular event.

When our Ottawa wildlife technician, Joe Russell, arrived at a previous client’s house to investigate suspected squirrel activity, he did not expect to discover a nest of squirrel kittens on the roof! Not only that, but the roof was also covered in snow. Mama squirrel dug a den out of the snow and constructed the nest within the cozy snow shelter, and that was where she gave birth to her litter. “It’s rare for us to find squirrel babies this early in the year, and even more rare to find them born in a pile of snow.” Bill Dowd, President and CEO of Skedaddle shared.

Why Were the Squirrels on the Roof?

There is a reason the squirrels were on the roof and not in the attic, as the homeowners had feared. As we mentioned, this client was already a Skedaddle customer, which means that we had previously serviced her house. When our team handles a squirrel removal, the process always involves exclusion techniques.

No matter what type of wildlife we’re handling, our first step is to ensure that all animals are safely removed. We also seal off any potential entry points. Our technicians know which techniques and materials to use to cover the openings so that wildlife can’t re-enter at a later time. In this situation, the homeowners thought they had a squirrel in the attic, but because we’d already performed exclusionary measures, the mama squirrel could not get inside the home. Instead, she built her nest on the roof.

What Did the Technician Do With the Kits?

Since Joe found the nest of squirrel kits on the roof and not in the home, he left them there. Mama squirrel had no way to enter the home, and neither she nor the kittens were doing any damage to the house where they were. The safest thing to do was to leave the nest where it was.

Had the squirrels been inside, we would have first made sure we got mama squirrel outside. Then we’d place the babies in a heated baby box and put that on the outside of the home where mama would easily find it. Mother squirrels have a strong maternal instinct, so they come back for their offspring. When the kittens’ mother finds her little ones in the baby box, she removes them and takes them to another nest location.

Humane Squirrel Removal

If you find a nest of squirrel kits in your attic, it’s best not to try to handle the situation yourself. Skedaddle technicians know how to humanely and safely remove the mama squirrel and her little ones so that they can continue their squirrel lives in a more suitable environment. Contact Skedaddle when you need help with wildlife removal.