Aww, the first signs of a new year and forthcoming spring… the weather is warming up a bit, the birds are tweeting, signs of new life are evident everywhere. Unfortunately, during 
February in North Carolina, you may find a family of squirrels nesting in your attic. Usually babies of any kind are cute and cuddly, but perhaps the sight of a litter of squirrels nesting in the attic of your North Carolina home does not inspire you to reach for your camera to post pictures of the cuddly tykes on Instagram. As cute as they may appear, squirrels don’t belong in one’s home, as that kind of living arrangement can threaten their lives and the infestation can cause damage to your home.
Perhaps you haven’t seen the squirrels, but you suspect that they may be living in the attic of your Mooresville or Davidson, North Carolina home. There are certain signs that can indicate that you have some furry rodents scurrying around in your attic. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the sound of scampering during the day could be one of the first signs of squirrels nesting within the home since they are active as they enter and exit the attic to forage for food. According to Paws.org, squirrels don’t hibernate during the winter, but they build warm, cozy nests where they can rest and where mother squirrels can potentially give birth.
January and February is the first birthing season of grey squirrels in the North Carolina area, with the second batch beginning in mid-summer between July and August. According to Clemson University’s Forestry and Natural Resources department, the litter size of squirrels can range from 1-6, with 2-4 being the average range. When squirrels are born, they are teeny-tiny and have the potential to fall into the cavities of the attic walls, causing them to die before they have a chance to scamper from tree to tree. In addition to the sadness of having a squirrel die because it’s not in its natural habitat, the scent of the decomposing animal can emanate from the attic, causing an almost unbearable stench. A family of squirrels may reside in your attic for at least eight weeks, and during that time, a squirrel could chew on the wiring, which could be a fire hazard.
According to www.squirrels.org, grey squirrels can build nests in many unusual places, with an attic or a crawl space being the most common. They can also build nests in cars, chimneys, barbeque grills, and other places around your residence. The site also suggests that once squirrels take up residence in an attic or crawl space, trapping them is the only realistic way to resolve the problem.
Squirrels, while extremely cute and entertaining, especially when they’re itty bitty babies, do not belong in people’s homes. If you suspect that you have squirrels residing in your North Carolina home, call Animal Solutions Inc. to have them humanely remove the critters. They can also help locate any openings in your home that squirrels can potentially enter, which will help prevent squirrel infestation during the summer birthing season.
Sources
http://www.squirrels.org/facts.html
