Flying Squirrel Questions

This past weekend our blog post sort of wrote itself, as a friend sent an email with questions on flying squirrels. Her parents recently moved and have discovered their new home has a squirrel problem. Offered below are the back and forth emails between me, my friend Erin, and her mother Ava. These emails are offered as food for thought if you feel that you may have an issue with flying squirrels. A lot of the same information/advice given in these emails is found in other posts here on our website and in our flying squirrel videos on YouTube.   And, it’s the same advice we give to Akron, Canton, Kent area residents who call us with flying squirrel problems. Email #1: A Flying Squirrel Question Hey Dom, Random quick question. My parents just bought a new place down in Virginia and have flying squirrels in the rafters apparently. They called a pest control company but are also looking for advice from anyone who has had a similar experience in getting rid of them. Any thoughts? Hope all is well in Akron. Erin Email #2:  Some Basics on Flying Squirrel Removal Hi Erin. Flying squirrels are small so they can fit through small places. They usually get in where gaps exist at some structural element around roof line. Ridge vents, where dormers, loose siding, and main roof meet, where some damage exists, etc. are places where they get in. This makes them tricky and sometimes expensive to remove as 1) the house needs sealed up completely. Meaning any small gaps which exist over the surface of the house must be A) found B) sealed in an appropriate fashion. The more gaps and the more “interesting” the architecture- tall and steep, dormers. We’ve had some real challenging jobs in log homes for instance as they have so many potential spots for openings anywhere chinking was sub par. 2) Sealing works in conjunction with trapping. A trap or traps are placed over what has been identified as the main points of entrance and remains the only spot where the squirrels can get in or out. Squirrels exit and are trapped and removed over a few days. Once there are no more squirrels being caught and there is no sign of them left running around, the trap is removed and the main entrance sealed. A nuisance animal removal company should explain this sort of process. They should warranty their work for a year: meaning they will come back if more flying squirrels are heard. No company has done very many flying squirrel jobs if they’ve never missed a spot- it does happen occasionally but the return is not extra. Best case scenario for them is 1) easily identifiable entry 2) not many other potential gaps. In winter around here, some attics become communal spots where multiple family groups share abandoning their usual trees. So there is potential for more than 1-3 squirrels. They also have communal potties resulting in piles found in insulation. Removing it is not critical but acceptable if easy to get to: some people upcharge for this with scare techniques: unsavory business practice. Other upcharges some companies try to talk about right away are insulation replacement- again there is often no need for this. Take a look at our web page www.frontlineanimalremoval.com We have blogs on flyers including videos and there is a link from our main squirrel page. Info there is hopefully helpful. Hi to Mike and Orion. 

An Aside: Flying Squirrel Poop