Squirrel Removal Questions

Getting called back to a house after we have trapped squirrels, made a preventative repair, and declared the problem solved is not fun. It means that something went amiss.

We stand by our work and are confident in our methods and abilities to provide solutions. But, on the off chance that we aren’t as thorough as we should have been, we take ownership. We’ll be back and make it right.

So, with puzzlement and resolve, we recently returned to a squirrel job because the homeowner alerted us that the squirrels were back.

In today’s post we show you what happened and explain a little bit about the squirrels in our area.

Red Squirrels Then Flying Squirrels

The first time Ryan went to this particular house the problem was red squirrels.

Ryan found where they were getting in and he trapped the ones that were living in the house. He sealed the area well and considered the job done. Another satisfied customer

Then, after a few months, the residents heard more squirrel noises. Uh-oh.

He returned and found that the red squirrel removal was still effective: there were no red squirrels. But, now there were flying squirrels!

How did that happen?

It turns out that a little while after Ryan removed the red squirrels and excluded the area, the homeowners had a new roof put on their home.

As a part of the process, the old shingles were tore off. In fact, three layers of shingles were torn off. One layer of shingles was installed. And while shingles aren’t too thick, this two shingle differential turned out to create a big enough gap for the diminutive flying squirrel.

Ryan found a spot where the new roof line didn’t meet up with the siding of the house and the squirrels were able to slip in. The flying squirrels got in like they usually do: because of a construction issue leaving a gap.

Watch as he explains it in this video:

Northeast Ohio Squirrel Review

In the Akron, Canton, Kent OH area there are four species of squirrels that get into people’s homes.

Gray Squirrel (Remember our black squirrels are a genetic variety of the gray)
Flying Squirrel
Red Squirrel
Fox Squirrel

This list also serves as a rank order for the frequency of calls we get for these species living in people’s homes.

The species of squirrels live alongside each other but are territorial as well. They don’t live in the same dens. So if there is a squirrel entrance in a home it will only be used by one species of squirrel. In other words, we don’t have gray squirrels in the trap one day and red squirrels or flyers the next.

This case of flying squirrels moving in after red squirrels were removed is a great example of how the absence of one species often provides an opportunity for another species.

If there is a void of squirrels but good habitat, some species of squirrels is bound to capitalize on it.

All species will take advantage of construction problems that leave openings. Gray, fox, and red squirrels will chew their way in or at least improve openings with more chewing.