From your ring-side seat at the kitchen window it’s entertaining to watch their amazing feats of derring-do — high-wire acts on the phone lines, death-defying leaps from tree branches, intricate contortions as they hang from your bird feeder to steal a few seeds. Squirrels are nature’s daredevils, but they can also be little terrorists, capable of sneaking into your home to create mayhem and destruction.

“Squirrels aren’t just mean — they’re vicious,” said Thomas Barnes, professor of forestry at the University of Kentucky-Lexington, in a recent New York Times article. “Heck, they can chew through hardware cloth and chicken wire. Vinyl’s not even a challenge.”

Usually entering homes along the roof line, squirrels squeeze through small holes or gaps, enlarging them easily with a little tooth-driven excavation. They’ve been known to gnaw through shingles and wood soffits to get into your cozy attic to build their nests. The pitter-patter of little feet across your ceiling is not a good sign!

Unfortunately, squirrels do not make good house guests. They sharpen their teeth on your beams, chew your electrical wires creating a fire hazard, and tear up your insulation to build a toasty nest (bathroom included). They bring along unwanted friends: fleas and ticks that can infiltrate your house. And come spring, the kids appear, loud and noisy, chattering and bickering, scampering and rolling acorns across the floor — all in stereophonic sound. You might think your problems are over once the last squirrel finally leaves in the summer, but come fall they’ll be back! If you haven’t been diligent about sealing their entry points with gnaw-proof materials — thick plywood, heavy-gauge aluminum flashing or steel mesh — the determined critters will gnaw their way back in, seeking those comfy accommodations you provided last year!

How do you get rid of these pesky interlopers? It can be a serious problem. Trapping generally works; but if there is a litter, the nest will also have to be located and the babies removed by hand. The nauseating odor of decomposing squirrels, not to mention the maggots and beetles that accompany the process, is something you definitely do not want to experience. Squirrel removal is a job best left to professionals. Mother squirrels are fierce and formidable protectors and their vicious bites carry rabies.

Common gray and black squirrels are difficult enough to dislodge, but “we’re seeing more problems with flying squirrels,” said Daniel Stern of Stern Environmental Group, a pest control expert quoted in the New York Times article (click the post title to read the full article). Smaller, nocturnal cousins of the common ground squirrel, flying squirrels exhibit mouse-like behavior, making them particularly tricky to trap. “Eliminating flying squirrels can take a while because you’re basically catching them one at a time,” Stern explained. Trapping is difficult and time consuming and you may need professional help to assure complete removal of this obnoxious pest.

The nuisance wildlife experts at Stern Environmental Group can rid your home or business of these determined and annoying pests. We provide complete removal services, including clean-up and sanitation, for your peace of mind and the health of your family. For more information on squirrel and wildlife removal, visit our website and go to our Wildlife Control page.

Stern Environmental Group provides emergency service 24 hours a day, seven days a week to most of New Jersey, all of New York City, most of Long Island, and parts of Connecticut. If you have any kind of pest problem — bed bugs, insects, bees, spiders, roaches, wildlife — do not put your family at risk, call the experts at Stern Environmental Group today. We provide affordable and efficient pest management and pest control services. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests!