How to Keep Squirrels from Damaging Your Long Island Home

Compared to many pests we see on Long Island, squirrels aren’t so bad, right? They’re fluffy, cute, and always down for a snack! Loveable as they may be, squirrels are a major nuisance for Long Island homeowners each winter. With their agile bodies, strong legs, and sharp claws, squirrels can quickly cause significant and costly damage to Long Island homes. Luckily, by taking the proper precautions, squirrel damage can be prevented. 

Identifying Squirrel Damage 

If you think you may have a squirrel problem indoors, consider what’s going on outside in your yard, too. Squirrels will often uproot plants and flowers, leave remnants of eaten fruits or nuts, dig up small holes, and even damage birdfeeders, leaving behind chew marks.

Inside, it’s quite possible you’ll find these pests taking up shop in your home’s attic, soffits, or eaves. When squirrels are building nests, they’ll often damage homes and structures by chewing openings and holes straight through a structure’s siding and eaves underneath. They may even gnaw through unscreened chimneys and opt to make their cozy nests there, then once they’re comfortable in their new nest, they’ll move on to chewing up your home’s insulation and wiring, putting your home at risk of fires and shorting out transformers. 

Aside from some of the tell-tale visual signs of squirrel damage such as chewed up wires, holes in your roof, and damage to insulation, vents, rafters, and personal belongings, if you’re dealing with a squirrel problem in your home, you may even start to smell a musty odor from the squirrel urine or find droppings inside your home. Hearing something strange? Squirrels also make scratching, gnawing, and chewing noises, so if you’re hearing any of the above, it’s time to get your situation checked out! 

It’s worth mentioning that even though squirrel damage is marked by these sensory indicators, many other common household pests on Long Island like rats and mice can cause some of these same issues. If you’re noticing any of these pest issues in your home, be sure to contact Suburban Exterminating’s team of trained professionals to accurately identify the type of pest you have.  We’ll make sure to identify and eradicate the current issue, and help you prevent future squirrel issues. 

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So, How Do Squirrels Get in the House in the First Place? 

Squirrels are clever creatures, and will go about entering a home through a variety of methods. Uncapped chimneys are an easy target for them, but as mentioned earlier, they don’t mind chewing a few holes here and there to get the job done. Tree limbs touching your house? That’s an easy walkway for an agile squirrel right to your home! As with any household pest, any small opening in your house makes you susceptible to squirrel damage. 

How to Keep Squirrels Away from Your House 

Preventing squirrels from getting into your home starts with a few simple methods: 

1. If you have any tree branches touching your house (or within 6 feet of any portion of your house), trim them back. 

1. Keep doors closed when not in use. 

1. Seal all possible entrances securely, including openings at joints of siding, overhanging eaves, and where utility cables or pipes enter your home. 

1. Cover your chimneys and vents with mesh screens to keep squirrels and other wildlife creatures from entering. 

1. Call Suburban Exterminating’s wildlife team to use exclusion services in order to prevent squirrel access to your home. 

Need Squirrel Removal from Your House? We’ve Got You! 

Dealing with squirrels in the attic? Don’t sweat it! At Suburban Exterminating, we have a full team dedicated to wildlife control on Long Island. Whether you’re dealing with squirrels, raccoons, bats, or rats, our team will help you get rid of your unwelcome guests. To schedule a free estimate, call or text us now at (631) 864-6900.