Ah, the joy of watching the critters in your backyard. Birds are hopping about. A chipmunk peeks out from under a pile of sticks. And squirrels are racing around, providing all kinds of entertainment. But if those squirrels are allowed to get too close to your Southern Maine home (or, worse, get inside your home) they could cause some problems. Today we are talking about the problems these animals can cause and some great ways you can discourage them from being on your property.
What's Wrong With A Few Squirrels?
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Squirrels scampering around the back yard are fun to watch, but when they start doing the following things, they aren't so much fun anymore.
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Squirrels can bring ticks and fleas onto your property, which can be transferred to you or your pets.
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Squirrels can chew through screens on porches, windows, or doors.
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Squirrels chew can chew on the wood of your home.
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Squirrels can damage roof areas including shingles, soffits, your roofline, and seals around roof penetrations.
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When your roof is damaged, it can let water into your home, possibly causing wood rot and heat loss, and also allowing pests of all types to get into your attic areas.
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When squirrels get into attic areas, they will soil the area with urine and feces and tear up insulation and other materials to make nests.
Conditions That Attract Squirrels To Properties
If you have certain items in your yard, you will be more likely to have lots of squirrels around. Probably the biggest attractant that brings squirrels in close, are trees. But here are a few more things that can lure squirrels onto your property:
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Bird feeders
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Trees that produce nuts
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Fruit trees
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Sources of water
Keep Squirrels Off Your Property And Out Of Your Home
If you are interested in keeping squirrels away from your Southern Main property and out of your home, there are two basic tasks you will need to focus on, first, removing attractants from your yard, and, second, sealing up your exterior. Plus there are a few more things you can do to outsmart these critters:
If you have bird feeders, keep them a good distance away from your home. Squirrels love birdseed and will go to great lengths to get at it. And, if they are coming in close to your home, they will be more likely to look for ways onto your roof and possibly into your home.
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Remove exterior water sources. If you have pet water bowls outside, consider keeping them inside. If you have puddles in low-lying areas, fill in these areas. If you have items in your yard that hold rainwater, remove them or turn them upside down. Removing water sources will deter a large number of pests, not just squirrels.
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Install motion-activated sprinklers. This can scare squirrels away.
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Put piping along any wires that lead to your home. This will make it very difficult or impossible for squirrels to use those wires to get to your home.
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Remove items, like trellises, that squirrels can climb up to get onto your roof.
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Put wire mesh in downspouts so squirrels and other animals cannot climb up inside them.
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Trim tree branches to at least six feet away from your exterior walls and roof.
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Install wire screens over vents and chimney openings.
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Make sure your attic windows are closed or have screens that are in good-working order.
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Check your roof area for gaps or cracks where a squirrel could squeeze its way in. Repair or fill in any openings you find.
Get Help From The Professionals At Big Blue Bug Solutions
If these steps seem like an awful lot of work or you'd like to get the best squirrel protection possible, reach out to Big Blue Bug Solutions. We have ways to get control of squirrels so you don't have to do so much hard work. At Big Blue Bug Solutions, we're not just bug experts; our team excels at rodent control and is trained in the most advanced products and strategies for the control of rodent pests. Reach out to us anytime with questions. We're here to help you with all your pest control needs.
