Squirrels often get a bad rap. They are sometimes called “big rats with fluffy tails.” Many people think of them as being nuisances that should be chased off or removed. However, our team at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control loves them and we think you should too! You may be surprised by how important squirrels are to our ecosystem. Learning about the positives of these tree-dwelling critters may help you enjoy nature a little more.

They Like To Garden

As you may know, squirrels like to eat seeds. If you own a bird feeder, you have likely observed their dietary preferences directly. However, squirrels don’t always eat their seeds right away. They sometimes bury deposits of seeds to eat later. While they may come back and dig them up, the process spreads seeds all over. Helping plants propagate their seeds in a wider area is an important part of maintaining a healthy ecosystem. While we don’t know how squirrels decide when or where to bury their seeds, we do know that spreading plants around helps to keep the ecosystem more complex. If you want to know why this is important, look at the difference between farmed trees and a natural forest. The benefits of this curious squirrel behavior are immense. We should all be grateful for these furry little gardeners.

They Are Very Amusing

Squirrels can be fun to have around. Admittedly, this benefit is a little less serious than maintaining a healthy environment. Nonetheless, sitting and watching squirrels run around can be a great way to pass the time on a warm day. The little guys are serious acrobats. They also do strange things like rubbing their faces on acorns. If you sit for a little while and watch a group of squirrels, you can be almost sure you will see a few things to make you laugh. In our minds, that is a good reason to have squirrels around.

They Eat Insects

Though squirrels are best known for eating acorns and other seeds, they are omnivores. They sometimes feast on insects. If you are a gardener or like to keep your lawn looking beautiful, you may be getting a helping hand from the neighborhood squirrels. Many varieties of insects eat plants and leaves. Squirrels eat those pesky bugs, acting as natural pest control. Although squirrels also eat vegetation, they primarily focus on berries and seeds. As mentioned above, this plays an important role in helping plant life spread.

They Are Surprisingly Smart

Most people think of squirrels as being troublesome rodents. However, they are surprisingly intelligent (perhaps that is why they can be so troublesome). Watch the squirrels in your yard for a little while and you may see them being clever little tricksters. For example, they sometimes pretend to bury seeds to fool would-be thieves. They also have some brilliant maneuvers for escaping predators. Furthermore, if you want to see tenacious problem-solving, try to keep a squirrel away from your bird feeder.

Let Us Humanely Handle Your Squirrels

Humans get a lot of benefits from having squirrels around. Nonetheless, many homeowners would prefer not to have them nesting in their property. At Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we understand and are here to help.
We use humane strategies to remove and exclude squirrels and other wildlife from your properties. Even if you don’t love squirrels as much as we do, you can count on our humane techniques. We focus on working with squirrel behavior to keep them away long-term. Contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control today to learn more.