Our comprehensive 50 point home inspection is designed to determine squirrel entry points and home damage. The attic is a common den site for squirrels where they gain accessing by chewing holes or slipping in between building materials. We then use hands-on removal techniques to humanely evict the squirrels.
Squirrels are notorious for creating large, messy nests within their den site and causing damage through chewing. Skedaddle will thoroughly clear away any nesting material and debris from the den and clean up the mess left behind. We can also replace soiled insulation and damaged ductwork if required.
Our final step is making sure your home is protected, not only against the current intruders, but all the other squirrels in your neighbourhood. To keep them out we will secure the entry points we identified, as well any other potential vulnerabilities.
Squirrels are rodents that seem to be everywhere in our urban landscapes. They’ve adapted well to existing alongside people. Watching them at work burying food or chasing each other through the trees or along electrical lines is amusing. That they don’t fall from these places seems an impressive feat. When squirrels get into your home, their antics are far less entertaining or admirable. They can do a lot of damage in their efforts to access your attic and build their nests. Removing them is not easy, so if you have these unwelcome guests in your house, enlist professionals in Toronto for proper squirrel removal help.
Squirrels give it a rest over the winter months. They take some time out for extended naps and can sleep for long periods of time. While they don’t hibernate, they do enter a similar state called torpor. These shorter periods of deep sleep can still last for days. During this time, squirrels live off of any stores of fat they have on their body. They can do this because lower body temperatures, metabolisms and heart rates reduce their body’s caloric needs. When the weather is warm enough, they venture out in search of their buried edibles.
We are all familiar with the sight of squirrels digging up holes for stashing a nut. They use a technique called scatter hoarding, which involves hiding various food sources in locations scattered around their nesting sites. To locate those treasures later, they rely on something called spatial chunking, where similar food types are buried in the same types of locations, to find them again. When the weather is cold, squirrels prefer some shelter for their nests. Favourite locations can include cavities in trees or the attic in a house.
Though squirrels are not aggressive, they do not make ideal houseguests. Their feces and urine can be contaminated with pathogens that can cause illness in humans and pets. Effective wildlife control efforts for squirrels include cleaning and clearing contaminated areas along with humane removal and exclusion techniques.
FACT:
That cute, fluffy tail on a squirrel’s backside does more than help the animal balance. The squirrel also uses its tail to help break a fall and to regulate body temperature.
FACT:
Squirrels exist on every continent on the planet except for Antarctica and Australia. With more than 280 species, these rodents are diverse. Surprisingly, only two of the 280 species are found in Toronto The Eastern gray squirrel and the red squirrel. All of the black, gray, tan and white squirrels you see are different colour variations of the Eastern gray squirrel. Your best chance to see a white coloured squirrel is in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
FACT:
Like other rodents, a squirrel’s teeth are constantly growing. Gnawing on hard substances helps to keep this growth in check, but when the chewing happens in your house, it can do a lot of damage.
FACT:
A female squirrel usually gives birth to two litters each year. The first litters arrives in early spring and the second by early summer. Each litter contains between two and six pups.
FACT:
Red squirrels are most commonly found in areas of the city with high concentrations of coniferous, or evergreen, trees. That’s because their diet mainly consists of the seeds found in the cones produced by these trees.
Toronto Wildlife Control: How to Recognize Signs of Squirrel Infestation in Winter
Nesting Habits: How Squirrels Build and Maintain Their Homes
Toronto Wildlife Removal: What do Squirrels Hate the Most?
Toronto Wildlife Control: Understanding Squirrels Gnawing Behaviour
Exploring Squirrel Homes in Trees and Your Toronto Home