How To Keep Squirrels Out Of My Attic In Waldorf

Many people think squirrels are benign, even cute; some people even encourage squirrels to come onto their property by feeding them. Even though they may seem harmless at first glance, they can cause damage to property and trees and spread disease, and you may not want them around after learning all the facts.

What Do Squirrels In Waldorf Look Like?

Squirrels are a type of rodent with a bushy tail, usually carried over its back, which it uses for balance. They are like other rodents in that their front teeth grow continually, making it necessary for the squirrel to gnaw objects every day to keep the teeth worn down. While the species of flying squirrels are nocturnal, the other species are out during the day.

There are six species of squirrels found in Waldorf. They are: 

• Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) 

• Eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) 

• Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 

• Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) 

• Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) 

• Delmarva fox squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus) This is a critically endangered subspecies of the Eastern fox squirrel that is found only on the Delmarva peninsula. 

What Dangers Do Squirrels In Waldorf Pose?

Squirrels are very destructive, raiding fruit and nut trees, vegetable gardens, and flower gardens, eating bulbs and flowers, trimming twigs and branches off for their nests, and gnawing the bark off of twigs. When they dig up stored acorns, they leave the hole open, which can cause someone to trip and fall. Inside, squirrels will get in the attic and use the insulation for a nest. They also chew electrical wires and sometimes cause a fire. Occasionally, they can even end up in the living area of your home.

Squirrels also spread diseases. While Maryland squirrels do not spread all of these diseases, squirrels in other places in the U.S. do. According to the CDC, squirrels can spread rat-bite fever, tularemia, hantavirus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, other arenavirus infections, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, yersiniosis, pathogenic E. coli infections, campylobacterosis, giardiasis, and Lyme disease.

A bite from a squirrel is serious and anyone bitten should seek immediate medical care. Most of the other diseases are spread through urine and feces, or by fleas and ticks which bite the squirrel, then bite you.

Tips For Preventing Squirrel Damage

Squirrels are very intelligent animals and can be very creative when trying to find food or a nest space. There are some things you can do to prevent squirrels from damaging your house, garden, and trees:

• Trim tree limbs eight feet away from roofs. 

• Trim upper branches the squirrel can jump off of to get to the roof. 

• Install baffles that block squirrels from climbing trees in your yard. 

• Put bird feeders on a metal pole at least five feet off the ground and at least 10 feet away from trees or other things the squirrel can drop or jump on to defeat the baffle. 

• Put capsaicin in the birdseed. The birds can’t taste it but squirrels hate it. 

• Secure air vents with ¼ inch hardware cloth. 

• Install a professionally manufactured chimney cap. 

• Secure roof vents with professionally manufactured metal screens. 

• If a squirrel is eating your flower bulbs, place chicken wire in the bed to keep the squirrels from digging them up. 

• Regularly harvest fruit, nuts, and vegetables. 

• Put a fence around your vegetable garden. 

Enlist The Help Of The Professionals

Squirrels are hard to control, especially in the attic. Mike's Pest, Termite and Wildlife Control can help with that. When you call, we will come out and do a free inspection from the attic to the crawlspace to identify the pests in your home. We then develop a pest control plan to remove all of the pests in your house. After we are sure the squirrels are gone, we will seal up the entry point so they can’t get back in. Contact Mike's Pest, Termite and Wildlife Control today to get help with squirrels in your Waldorf home.