There are 4 different species of squirrels in Eastern Massachusetts.
Gray Squirrels are the most common cause of conflict with humans (see
picture below). Occasionally, Flying Squirrels, Red Squirrels, and
Chipmunks (ground squirrels) may also cause conflicts with people. The
information below is based on my observations since about 1988. A track
of a Gray Squirrel is shown at the bottom of this page.
BIOLOGY:
All squirrels are RODENTS ( Order=Rodentia).
Gray squirrels have at least 2 litters per year. The first in
March-April and the second around July-August. Litters can contain
anywhere from 1 to 6 young, with 2 to 4 being most common. It is
believed that flying squirrels, and red squirrels also have 2 litters
per year around the same time. Chipmunks only have one litter per year
around April, and are so fiercely territorial, that they force their
young to move out of their territory after about 6-8 weeks.
In the Wild, gray squirrels will claim as much as one acre of forest
for their own. In the suburbs, there may be 10-20 gray squirrels in a 1
acre area, depending on the food supply (e.g. bird feeders), and
housing situation (e.g. hollow trees, open sheds, and attics)
FOODS:
All squirrels will eat mainly nuts, fruits, berries, and seeds. Gray
squirrels have been known to eat baby nesting birds as well. The only
other squirrel that is carnivorous is the flying Squirrel, which is
rarely seen because it is nocturnal.
DAMAGE:
All rodents gnaw. Gray squirrels cause damage just by their chewing.
They will chew into attics, and, once inside, can do extensive damage
to wiring.
click here for photos
They can fall into chimneys and end up in your fireplace, or, if the
damper is open, they may end up running around your house.
Occasionally, I have found them nesting in a garage as well.
Normally, you will hear gray squirrels up inside the attic, or running
in the soffits in the early morning (around sunrise), and, again, later
in the day (from 4PM till dark). They are generally quiet at night.
Red squirrels, and flying Squirrels will be heard scampering around at
night. Red Squirrels are more prevalent around conifer (evergreen)
trees, whereas you generally find gray squirrels around hardwoods. Both
red squirrels and gray squirrels prefer to enter your house from a tree
that is close enough to gain access to the roof, but sometimes they
will climb a deck or a porch to gain entry to the house, or cross a
utility wire. Flying Squirrels can "fly" (or, more accurately glide)
from trees as far away as 50 meters or so, depending on the height of
the trees. They land on the roof and scamper inside. Chipmunks
generally enter from ground level. Chipmunks (our species is the
Eastern chipmunk) are also known as ground squirrels.
REMEDIATION:
All squirrels have to leave the building in order to find food. Just a
note here, chipmunks will generally enter at the basement or crawl
space level of the house, as they nest underground. You can wait till
they leave, and then close up the holes. The problems with this method
is that between March-May, and July-October, you may trap the young
ones inside causing them to die and odors, flies, etc. will be the
result. Another problem is that sometimes they will just chew in
somewhere else. I believe that the animals causing the problem should
always be removed, and then the holes sealed up to prevent others from
infesting the structure. We remove them with cage traps and then the
entry holes need to be sealed up to prevent new infestations. This is
the method I generally use. I remove all the squirrels, then either
close up the openings (at additional cost), or if you have a carpenter
or handyman who can do it, then you can opt to do it that way. Just
removing the squirrels, and leaving the access holes open is NOT
considered to be the complete solution. On older houses, sometimes the
repairs can get very expensive.
The
tracks of the gray squirrel are generally arranged as a triangle. The
rear 2 feet are spread apart, while the front 2 feet are very close
together.
Go to the top of the page
*Return to our Home Page*
