Will Squirrels Leave The Attic On Their Own
If there are squirrels living in your attic, you may be wondering whether they will eventually go away on their own, or you should intervene. Unfortunately, they are not likely to leave permanently unless they are forced out.
Keep reading to learn more about the habits of squirrels and how to recognize their presence if they’ve moved into the attic.
What Time Of Year Do Squirrels Go Into Attics And How Long Do They Stay?
The most common time for squirrels to move into attics is when the weather starts to become cold. When the temperatures drop, these cute wildlife finds attics an ideal place to find shelter and stay warm.
With female squirrels, though, there is an additional issue. They may choose an attic to have their litter of young. This usually occurs twice a year, sometime from August to October and from February to May. Thus, you may start with one squirrel and end up with an infestation!
In some cases, baby squirrels will leave the attic after a few weeks when they are grown and the mother is ready to produce another litter. The young squirrels are ready to leave their nest, and their mother, after about 10 to 12 weeks. However, this is not always the case. As attics provide warmth and protection from predators, the squirrel family can remain in your attic until it is removed by humans.
When Do Squirrels Usually Leave The Attic?
As squirrels need food, they will go outside during the daytime. This usually occurs during the warmer time of the day. So if you hear noises and movements in your attic early in the morning and again before sunset, the squirrels are present.
Additionally, squirrels may leave during the summertime. They will not want to stay in your attic if it is too hot over there.
However, neither of these situations means the squirrels are gone for good. If a squirrel considers your attic its home, it may become angry if it cannot get inside. It may chew a hole in the roof, gutters, or wall, in order to access the attic. This is one reason you should not try to deal with squirrels by sealing up holes in your attic.
Signs You Have Squirrels In Your Attic
Odd noises are common signs of squirrels in an attic. You may hear rustling, chewing, or scratching sounds in the walls or the attic itself. As squirrels sleep at night, these noises generally occur in the evening or morning when they return home after foraging for food.
You may also notice a horrible odor. When squirrel urine or feces accumulate in your attic, it will smell bad. If there is a nest in the attic, you may notice a stale or musty odor. You may also spot squirrel feces on the surfaces if you go into your attic. If you learn to recognize a squirrel’s footprints, you may see these as well.
If there is a squirrel nest in your attic, there are probably others. You may find additional nests around your property.
You may see unusual damage around your yard. Squirrels often ruin bird feeders, feed on plants, eat bark from trees, and dig holes in the yard. If there is a considerable amount of squirrel activity on your property, this is another sign there may be squirrels in your attic. You may see squirrels running on your roof, a fence, or on utility lines.
Squirrels love acorns. If there is a squirrel in your attic, it may be storing acorns away for the winter. When this occurs, it may drop a few on its way into your home. You may see acorns in your home or around your yard.
Will Squirrels Damage Your Attic?
Squirrels can cause a considerable amount of damage in your attic, and even beyond the attic.
First, squirrels love to chew. They can chew on wooden structures, your roof, insulation, PVC piping, and ceilings. These can become a fire hazard if they chew on electrical wiring.
Second, squirrels can contaminate your attic. These animals can carry numerous diseases and parasites, and their droppings may have salmonella bacteria. You do not need to encounter a squirrel in person to become ill. Any wildlife living in your attic can be a health hazard to everyone in your household.
Third, if you use your attic as a storage area, you may find your personal belongings are being destroyed by squirrels. They can chew on your clothing, books, and many other items and use them to build their nests.
Fourth, the exterior part of the attic can be severely damaged, as well as gaps around vents. These issues can result in costly repair bills.
Squirrels that live in your attic can also chew on outdoor power lines, chew through wiring on the roof, damage wiring on the roof by running on it, and dig holes around your yard. You may even find your electricity bills increase because there has been extensive damage done to the insulation in your home.
If you have a squirrel problem or any other nuisance wildlife invading your property, Pest Control Authority Wildlife in North Carolina can humanely trap these animals and relocate them far from your house. We have the tools and highly qualified technicians to handle any squirrel control job and do it at a reasonable cost as well.
Ready to get started? We currently have a deal of $50 off for an attic inspection, so don’t wait to call us for a consultation and schedule your appointment.
