What’s That Noise in My Attic? Squirrels!

What’s That Noise In My Attic?

Have you been hearing noises coming from your attic, ceiling, or walls? If so, there’s a high chance that you may have squirrels in your home. Evicting squirrels from your home and keeping squirrels out for good can be a chore, especially when you’re not sure what you are doing and all efforts you have put forth so far have been unsuccessful. Squirrel control and prevention involves confirming squirrel signs, inspecting attics and roofs, and devising a pro squirrel removal plan.

With the high population of squirrels in Kennesaw, Marietta, and the surrounding areas, if you hear a noise in your attic it is most likely a squirrel. Your attic is the perfect place for a squirrel to live, as it is warm and dry. Female squirrels typically give birth to a litter of squirrels in the wintertime, so it’s very important to act fast at the first sighting (or hearing) of squirrels in your home.

Squirrels Can Cause Fires?

Did you know that squirrels chewing on electrical wiring in your attic could cause a fire? Over 20,000 homes in the U.S. burn down each year due to nuisance squirrels. When a squirrel chews through the electrical wiring, the hot wire and the natural wire touch each other causing sparks to fly, which catches the attic insulation (and any other flammable materials) that are in the attic on fire. This is a reason squirrel control is extremely important.

What Do Squirrels Eat?

Squirrels chew on edible and non-edible items. Their diet includes nuts, tree buds, seeds, green vegetation, and conifer cones. To keep their teeth extra sharp, squirrels gnaw constantly. This also helps squirrels prevent overgrowth.

Squirrels are expert climbers, but they can also thrive in flat environments.

What’s That Noise in My Attic?

There are over 200 species of squirrels, but the two most common squirrels in Georgia are:

• Gray Squirrels:

  If you mainly hear noises coming from your attic during the day and not as much at night, you most likely have a gray squirrel problem. Every fall and winter, gray squirrels flee the leafless trees and chew holes in the rooftops of unsuspecting homeowners. The gray squirrel is the most common squirrel in Georgia, and can be found in both rural and urban areas. Oak acorns, hickory nuts, flower buds, berries, and grass provide the most nutritious food for gray squirrels. Winter is breeding time for the gray squirrel and they commonly seek shelter in attics of homes to keep their babies out of harms way. Another indication is if you hear things falling down your gutters, as it is most likely nuts or acorns from the squirrels.

• Flying Squirrels:

  Flying squirrels are nocturnal. If you hear noises around your attic between 7 PM and 7 AM, it is most likely a flying squirrel. Flying squirrels are a huge problem because in order to keep their ever-growing teeth to a manageable level, they constantly chew and gnaw at things. This can cause a lot of damage to your home. They also occur in much greater numbers than gray squirrels because they live in colonies, so if you see one flying squirrel in your attic chances are there are a lot more living in there as well.

Squirrels are carriers of diseases and their droppings can be very harmful to humans and household pets so it is best leave squirrel removal and clean up to wildlife professionals. The wildlife team at Lookout Pest Control, formerly Any Pest Inc., can help you with immediate wildlife removal, including squirrel control and removal. Contact us today for more information and a free consultation.