Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) are medium sized arboreal or tree squirrels. Their back is grizzled dark to pale gray and may be tinted with reddish coloration on their hips, feet and head. The tail and stomach are white to pale gray. In the north, both their ears and soles of their feet grow heavy fur during winter. Generally, there is no difference between males and females with respect to size or coloration.

Eastern gray squirrels have two breeding seasons per year and most breeding occurs in December through February and May through June. Females can have two litters per year, one from each breeding season. Average litter sizes range from 2 - 3 individuals. The winter litter is generally smaller than the summer litter. Both sexes of squirrel remain reproductively active throughout their lives. The squirrel easily adapts to whatever situation confronts them. The secret to their survival is how quickly they learn the ropes around the neighborhood. If there is no food available, the squirrel will travel for miles to find it and then set up his home nearby. Their nest, called a "drey", is usually built high up in the trees. If no tree is available, the squirrel will build it in the next best thing, an attic.

The squirrel is one of Country's most common wildlife pests. If you hear noises in your attic, odds are you have a uninvited guest named Mr. Squirrel. The most common noise complaints are folks hearing lots of "scratching". This could be a sign that a female squirrel is preparing to have her young. This should be addressed immediately before the young are old enough to also cause damage to your home and electrical wiring.

Damage also comes from chewing. Since the squirrel is a rodent, their front teeth always grow causing the squirrel to constantly to chew to keep teeth sharp and at a manageable level. In nature they chew tree bark, twigs and other natural hard items. In your attic, they chew wiring, support beams, roof braces and electrical fixtures. They can destroy your insulation by trampling it, pushing it down, which reduces your R-factor. Their urine and fecal matter will also collect in your insulation. They also cause damage in drywall by digging holes in the ceiling. This is usually the mother squirrel exercising her back leg muscles to prepare for birth. If you hear chewing or scratching in your attic don't hesitate , call a professional from your local area s as soon as Possible.

The most common problem of squirrels is that they will enter  the your attic through existing holes or chew their way through weakened areas of roofs, vents, soffets (soffits) to gain access to a warm and safe environment. Once inside they can cause significant damage which include:

How To get Rid Of Squirrels?

One of the only ways to get rid of squirrels is to actually capture the animal and remove it from the dwelling, 90% of the time, the squirrel is not in your home by accident. Once a squirrel takes up redidence in your attic he will cause damage by chewing wires in your attic, This could lead to a electrical fire. The Picture to the left is a photo taken from an attic in Northern Virginia, This Photo clearly shows that a squirrel was chewing on these wires inside the attic.

Important Fact: It is estimated that more than 40,000 incidents of house fires annually are caused by faulty electrical wiring. As such, it is the leading cause of fire-related casualties, claiming about 500 lives with property losses estimated at over $500 million annually. Out of these 40,000 fires it’s believed that 40% are caused by rodents chewing on wiring.

The Bottom picture is the end result of a squirrel chewing on wires, this is a house in Maryland that had squirrels in the attic area, the problem was diagonosed and a estimate was given to remove the squirrels, the homeowner chose not to have anything done and what you see is the results of leaving squirrels in your attic for a extended period of time. This Particular person tried to use Moth Balls to drive the squirrels from the attic, this is a common myth about Moth Balls, People try to use them as a repellent, There is no repellent on the Market that is labled for use on Squirrels, and if you would have to use about 800lbs of Moth Balls in a normal size attic for this method to be affective.

Dont let Squirrels over run your home. Give one of our Qualified Professionals Found here a call today.