Squirrels inside your home aren’t as cute as they are when they are outside. They can make loud noises at all hours of the day, especially in the morning. They can cause property damage by gnawing on electrical wires. They can expose you to diseases and parasites. All of these are very good reasons to call for professional squirrel removal.

Why are squirrels getting into your house in the first place? What attracts them to it? There could be a number of factors involved.

Weather

Squirrels do not hibernate during the winter. During the spring and summer, they collect food and store it away. During the colder months, they live off the stores they have collected. Nevertheless, they do require protection from the frigid temperatures in a warm nest, preferably one that is near their stores. Unfinished attics often provide plenty of warmth even during the winter, as well as storage areas in the spaces between joists in the walls and the attic floor, which is the ceiling of the house.

You may be able to keep squirrels out of your home by inspecting the exterior for any cracks or holes that could allow entry and sealing them off before winter, if possible. Just make sure that there are no squirrels or other wild animals already in your home before you seal their potential entry points. Otherwise, they could become trapped inside, a situation that is not good for either you or the squirrels.

Food

Food is a strong motivator behind many wild animal behaviors, and squirrels are no exception. During the spring and summer, squirrels not only need to find food to feed themselves but to store it for the winter so they have food when cold weather sets in. The closer they can make their homes to food sources, the easier it is for them to forage and store what they find. Therefore, if you have bird feeders on your property or trees that bear fruit and nuts, you are likely attracting squirrels to your property. You may be able to deter them by keeping your yard clean and clearing away fallen fruits and nuts and reconsidering bird feeder placement on your property.

Predators

Squirrels are very small prey animals that many predators may feed upon. Examples include snakes, weasels, foxes, and birds of prey, such as owls or hawks. Domestic pets, such as dogs or cats, may also prey upon squirrels. Squirrels seek shelter and safety from predators by building nests high above the ground. In the wild, this means in a tree, but sometimes they move from a tree onto the roof of a house. From there, if they can get into the attic, they can find even better protection from predators. You may be able to prevent squirrels from getting onto your roof by pruning back tree branches that are close to it.

Babies

Squirrels do not necessarily look for these advantages only for themselves. Female squirrels that are pregnant are also looking for a place to raise their babies when they are born. The baby squirrels are helpless and dependent on their mother during the first weeks of their lives, so they need protection from predators such as they can find in a secluded attic. They are born hairless, so they need warmth that an attic’s insulation can provide. Close proximity to sources of food benefits the entire squirrel family.

Call Skedaddle for Humane Squirrel Removal

You may not discover that squirrels are attracted to your home until they are already inside. Call Skedaddle for any issues regarding wildlife control in Madison. We remove the animals safely, with no risk to either you or the squirrels. We then prevent them from coming back and decontaminate the areas where they have been.