Category Archives: Squirrels

October Pests for New Jersey – What to Know

October Pests for New Jersey - What to Know
October Pests for New Jersey – What to Know

Fall brings comfortable temperatures and beautiful colors to the northeast region. But NJ pest control experts know there’s a downside to this seasonal shift. With the cooler weather comes an increase in pest problems as the animal kingdom seeks the perfect residence to hole-up for the winter season. Which pests should you be on the lookout for this fall?

Scary Stingers

Bees, wasps and yellow jackets become more active in the winter as they seek out additional food stores and nesting places. Prevent injury with fast stinging insect removal from the pros at Stern.

Funky Flyers

Germ-carrying flies are out in force during the fall season, as are smelly stink bugs, which infiltrate every crack and crevice of your home and automobile.

Creepy Crawlers

As the coming winter chill presses forward, ants, cockroaches, box elders, ladybugs and more seek out the warmth of your home and easy access to food. These pests are notorious for infiltrating even the smallest entry points to your home.

Rascally Rodents

Rats, mice, and squirrels who are already an annoying presence will try your patience to the limit in the fall season, going out of their way to find a way inside your home to hibernate for the winter or nest with their babies.

Don’t feel like snuggling up with pests this fall and winter? Seal them out with the help of our NJ pest control team at Stern Environmental today. 

Penn State New Kensington – What to Know About Our Eastern Gray Squirrels

The Squirrels Are In My Attic

Are eastern gray squirrels taking over your yard? NJ squirrel removal specialists get quite a few calls this time of year to remove these pests. Are you inadvertently enticing them onto your property?

What You Need to Know About Eastern Gray Squirrels

• They’re everywhere. 

According to the eastern gray squirrel page on Penn State University’s Virtual Nature Trail website, this rodent frequents a variety of habitats including parks, forests, suburban and urban settings.

• They’re not really gray.

They’re a mix of black, white, and brown fur blended together. Whitish tips on the ends of fur create the illusion of gray coloring. Varying in hue, each rapidly expanding squirrel family can be lighter/darker by nature.

• A predictable abundance of food.

Squirrels require the caloric load of the nuts of trees such as oaks, beeches, hickories, and the like for breeding and to survive the winter. Grounds with these trees are the ideal foraging places for overwintering squirrels. In other seasons, squirrels also enjoy feasting on plant shoots, tree flowers/buds, mushrooms, and caterpillars.

• They may draw other pests to your yard.

Though hawks and owls are most apt to target gray squirrels for food, they are also prey to snakes, skunks, raccoons, weasels, and foxes.

Are eastern gray squirrels invading your space? Prevent squirrel infestations with the help of the fast and humane NJ squirrel removal services of Stern Environmental today.

Facts About the Eastern Gray Squirrel – They Breed More Often Than You’d Think

Facts About the Eastern Grey Squirrel
Facts About the Eastern Grey Squirrel

The eastern gray squirrel is an animal everyone who lives in New York and New Jersey is aware of. In fact, most of us see them every single day. While they’re cute, they can be a real menace too. Still, there’s a lot that you probably don’t know about them. As your NJ pest control specialists, we’d like to fill you in.

Breeding Habits of Gray Squirrels

Because squirrels hibernate during the winter, most people assume that they probably breed only once per year. However, as long as their food supply is good, most females will have two litters every year. When the females give birth, they can have as many as eight babies. This means that they multiply much faster than a lot of people realize.

In as little as eight months, those babies are adult size, and ready to have babies of their own. That spells trouble for anyone who already has a serious gray squirrel problem in their home, or on their property.

When to Contact NJ Pest Control Specialists

If you think you hear squirrels in your attic, or elsewhere in your home, it’s important to have a professional inspect the space right away. These pests can do a lot of damage in a very short period of time and, as we mentioned previously, they multiply quickly.

Please contact us at Stern Environmental for help right away!

What Type of Tree Squirrel do You Have in Your Attic?

What Type of Tree Squirrel do You Have in Your Attic?
What Type of Tree Squirrel do You Have in Your Attic?

We’ve reached the time of year when the squirrels are waking up from their winter naps and they’re about to become active again. This means that in addition to seeing them scampering around your yard, you’re likely to hear them in your attic as well. While the best course of action may be to call NJ pest control specialists, you may be interested to know that there are several different types of tree squirrels.

Types of Tree Squirrels in New Jersey

Not all squirrels are the same. If you live in New Jersey, you could be dealing with any of the following:

Fox squirrels – These are the largest types of squirrels, and they tend to be brown/gray in color with an orange/brown belly. They reproduce twice a year and can have as many as three babies per litter.

Gray squirrels – These tend to be mostly gray with a white belly. They are typically found in larger hardwood forests, but they can be seen in New Jersey’s urban areas.

Red squirrels – Red squirrels are smaller with a red/brown coat and a white belly. They tend to prefer evergreen forests.

Flying squirrels – This is the smallest variety, and their bodies allow them to glide through the air.

Your NJ pest control specialists understand how quickly squirrels can become a nuisance. We can help you deal with them if they’ve taken up residence in your home. Contact us!

How do Squirrels Find Their Way Into Your Attic?

Squirrels and Other Wildlife Can Destroy Your Attic
Squirrels and Other Wildlife Can Destroy Your Attic

Squirrels are creative, inventive, wily, and smart and finding ways into your attic is a piece of cake. Even the tiniest opening is an invitation to enter and if it isn’t, they’ll chew until the hole is large enough to gain entry.

Ways to Keep Squirrels Out of the Attic

One of the first lines of defense is ensuring your home is sealed by doing a visual inspection for any entry points. As noted, what may seem too small to you is not a problem for a squirrel to slip through. Find and seal all entry points.

Traveling through the treetops is second nature for squirrels. Another preventative measure is trimming all tree branches that may be overhanging the roof line. This cuts off their avenue of travel into your home.

If you find any cracks or crevices in the foundation wall they will need to be repaired.

Last but not least, set squirrel traps to catch the acrobatic critters. This is one of the safest bets for keeping squirrels out of the attic. Once they’ve been captured, release them several miles from your home into a wooded area where they have food and water sources. Repair any entry points to prevent new residents.

NJ pest control services are the professional way to handle squirrel removal. Contact Stern Environmental and we’ll schedule an experienced NJ pest control expert to remove your unwanted house guests.