Squirrels

This is the common squirrel of parks, suburbs, cities, and the country. Occasionally they will get into homes. Usually in the attic, rarely in the walls. They are quite destructive. Destroying insulation, and chewing on anything available including wires. They have been known to cause fires because of this habit.

Typical damage caused by gray or red squirrels chewing into the attic through a louver.

Sound associated with gray and red squirrels is usually a running sound in the attic during the day when they are active.

About 1/2 the size of a gray. Habits and damage are similar to grays but are encountered much less frequently because they are always associated with evergeen forests.

About 1/3 the size of a gray squirrel. They don't really fly but rather have large flaps of skin between their front and rear legs which can be stretched out and used to glide with. Prefer Mature hardwood forests. Nocturnal. Occasionally get into attics. Noises(running and scratching) usually heard right after dark as they leave for the night and just before daylight when they return. Sometimes noises will be heard if they return during the middle of the night and then leave again.

The end of a metal roof vent. A favorite spot for flyers and bats to get into an attic, if the plug is missing. Other spots would be a 1/2" or larger crack or space behind a gutter, or under the the facsia board at the end of the roof if the underlying sheathing is not tight.

Red and gray squirrels usually give birth from late February to early April and the young do not leave the nest for about 6 weeks. After breeding in late December to early January the females will start looking for a place to build a nest and will sometimes investigate chimneys which they may fall down and then can't get out and subsequently will wind up in a fireplace or in the house if fireplace damper is open and there is not a closed screen or glass door on the fireplace. Typical litter size is 2-7. Sometimes they will have a second litter in July-August.