Squirrels in Soffit | Gaps Opened

Squirrels and other nuisance animals are opportunists.

If they find an opening into your house, there’s a high likelihood they’ll take advantage of the opportunity.

Today we show another example of a squirrel taking advantage of an opening.

The opening into the soffit in this case was created when the electrical service mast (the large conduit the wires run through) moved.

This conduit’s movement has bent soffit panels and caused the roof decking to move from the chimney.  This movement created gaps a squirrel took advantage of.

There are numerous reasons openings are created on a home’s exterior which allow animals in.  This is just another example.

Our job remains locating the entries, seeing what problems there are, and either making a repair or reporting on what repairs need done in order to prevent future animal incursions.

Squirrel Problem Exposed

In the video below, it is easy to see the gaps in the soffit that the squirrel took advantage of.

The conduit for the electric service line has moved leaving gaps.

As Ryan noted, the line is exceptionally long making it very heavy.  Maybe that’s a factor.  There is also the possibility a limb fell on the line at some point and no one noticed the damage done.  Whatever the case, the anchoring has proven to be non- sufficient and needs repaired.

Our job in this case is to get the squirrels out and temporarily block off all entrances until the electric service anchoring is fixed.

This is one of those cases where our job is to report what’s going on rather than provide a definitive fix.

The electric utility provider and/or an electrical contractor will have to provide their services prior to soffit and trim repair which is the long-term fix.

Electric Lines Draw Squirrels

Electric service lines make for good climbing as they provide a lot of surface area and have a higher tension providing stability.  Because the electric line is a bundle of wires, it is used much more often than say a solo cable or telephone wire strung to a house.

The electric service line/house interface is a common place on a home for squirrels to make entry. It is common for squirrels to make entry points by the electrical service connection because it is often where they first make contact with a house.

Therefore, it is always one of those areas we look for when coming to inspect for squirrels.

If there are any weaknesses where the line meets the house, there is a higher probability that squirrels will find it.

To illustrate this point about electric lines and squirrel entrances, watch this older video.

As stated above, squirrels like electric lines because they are a bundle.  This makes them good for climbing.

The best way to visualize this bundle is to go outside and look at your electric line (unless yours is underground!). You’ll see two black coated wires and a piece of shiny cable with them. They’ll all be twisted together until they reach the house. The shiny cable is for part support/part neutral. The black coated wires have the electricity.

The squirrels don’t really care about all that though. They just see it as something wide enough, stable enough, and easy enough to climb.  No tree branch? –No problem.  If it leads to a place on your roof that has attracted their attention, they’ll use it with ease.

Squirrel Removal | Akron, Canton, Kent OH

It is usually of combination of factors that leads to squirrel problems in homes.

Design elements, easy access, opportunity, and a high population of squirrels usually all come into play in varying doses before a squirrel problem becomes a reality.

But, when the circumstances align and squirrels move into your attic or walls, analyzing how the problem came to be is a big part of finding a solution.

We hope this post has put the electric service drop as a squirrel travel path on your radar screen.

If you live in the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area and are having problems with squirrels, please contact us.