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Flying Squirrels
Gray Squirrels
Recommendations
There are several species of squirrels, but here we are covering the tree squirrels that inhabit the attics causing damage and noise.
Squirrels are abundant in the wilds because their natural predators are less abundant. Because of this population increase and a decreasing natural habitat due to construction, we start to see them in our attics. They seek warm, safe shelter during the fall and winter months in particular.
A frequently asked question is: What can I do to run them out of our attic and keep them out?
Answer: To date we have not found anything quite effective in running them out and keeping them out of attics spaces.
If you do run them temporarily(example moth balls), it would run you out as well. Even at that, after sealing up their entry points, they would gnaw inside making another entry point. A trapping program is best.
Flying Squirrels
Click on image to enlarge
Normal habitat is inside tree cavities in hardwoods.
Smaller than the grey squirrel,entering the smallest of cracks and holes. They are about 9 inches long, which includes a 3-4 inch tail, weighing about 3 ounces as an adult. Dense soft brown fur, white belly.
Diet: Seeds,nuts, insects,bird eggs,fruits
Can enter the attics through the eaves and soffits. Don't really fly, but glide into attics from trees. They do this by means of a thin skin that extends out from the sides of the body and connects the front and hind legs as shown in the above picture. In "flying," the squirrels leap spread-eagled and use their outstretched gliding membranes for gliding and their bushy tails for guidance. Glides of 60 metres (almost 200 feet) or more have been recorded.
Nocturnal-major activity at night
Normally have 2 litters a year, 2-4 young per litter.
When trapping for these squirrels: place the traps in the attic, where they are commonly found.
Squirrels chew ornamental and potted plants. Damages screens. May gnaw on wood, electrical wiring and insulation causing fires.
Can by commonly heard,making a great deal of noise at night between sunset and sunrise. May be heard landing on the roof or the sides of the house.
Will seek shelter and a hiding place,likes to hide in the insulation.
Gray squirrels are about 18 inches long, including their 9 inch tails and are larger than the flying squirrels. They weigh about 1-1.5 lbs. as an adult. Their coloration is usually gray, salt and pepper, but can have tan hairs in the fur as well, white belly. The winter coat is grey above with a white underside; the summer coat is shorter, sleeker and brownish grey above.
Red squirrels have red/brown upper parts in summer but may show some grey on the back in winter, leading to some confusion. Red squirrels are smaller, lighter, have ear tufts, prominent in the winter coat and brown on the legs and tail.
Natural habitats are wooded areas in tree cavities, can be found near hardwoods like oaks and hickory trees. Will construct feeding shelters out of leafs.
Generally have 2 litters a year,2-4 young per litter. They normally breed in midwinter and late spring. Gestation is about 44 days.
Diet consists of bird eggs, insects, berries, fruit,vegetables, nuts and nestling birds. They like to hoard their food.
Gray squirrels are active during the day, expecting to hear them during the daytime. Can inhabit the attic areas as well as crawl spaces. They like to enter the attic areas from your gutters and nearby trees and bushes. Installing gutter guards, or down spouts with screen may prevent them from climbing up to the roof through a down spout.
Removal of any diet source: bird seed for example, because they attract the squirrels is the first order of business.
There are no poison baits on the market that squirrels will eat and none are labeled as squirrel bait,just mice and rat bait are available.
Live trapping squirrels is the only way to remove unwanted squirrels. You may want to consider local ordinances for trapping squirrels, in that they differ.
Sometimes a professional trapper with a nuisance control license is needed to not only capture the squirrel, but relocate it as well. Go about 4-5 miles away to relocate the squirrels or it will find it's way back to your area.
The Safeguard Trap Model # 50450 is a perfect medium humane box live trap for squirrels, rats, muskrats. It has a front release door to set the critter free to it's natural environment. Safeguard Traps are made with a heavy-duty reinforced spring-loaded door, to provide maximum performance and superior animal retention. This durable trap is made from galvanized wire mesh for strength and resilience.
Comes fully assembled. Place lure in the back of the trap as the animal walks in,it triggers the the front door to securely snap shut,catching the animal unhurt.
Cannot harm children, pets, birds or poultry.
Covered by a 1 year warranty against manufacturer's defects.
Automatic locking doors to provide an almost escape proof catch every time.
This closing mechanism on this trap is one of the best in the market.
Used by many professional wildlife control companies
Safeguard Trap Model # 50450
Place traps where you hear or see the activity.
Put peanut butter on a cracker or piece of fruit behind the trip pan is very helpful as a lure.
Next use sunflower seeds on top of that and trail a line of sunflower seeds out the front door of the trap so that there are "free" seeds a couple of feet in front of the trap. This will help overcome any anxiety the squirrels may have about entering the trap.
For trapping gray squirrels you will want to place their traps along their pathways or points of entry. Such areas are along the roof, at the base of a tree, or base of the building they are entering.
Flying squirrels would need to be trapped inside the attic areas, in that they glide into the attics. Look for their areas of activity,such as droppings, when placing the traps. The insulated areas, with their tunnels and nests that look like piles is another place to set up the traps.
After trapping and relocating the squirrels you can seal the openings with 1/4" mesh hardware cloth or metal flashing. Look for all possible entry points. If you are not handy with tools, many nuisance wildlife control companies will seal entry points with a year's guarantee for a fee.