Pets How Much Damage Can a Squirrel Really Cause?

Most people think of squirrels as cute, fluffy-tailed tree dwellers that--aside from driving their dogs a little bit crazy--are really quite harmless. Cute and fluffy as they may be, squirrels can actually cause quite a bit of damage to your home and property if their presence around your house is left unchecked. This article outlines just a few of the ways that squirrels can wreak havoc on your property and in your home. If you believe you have squirrels living in your attic, or if their population on your property is just out of control, then consider employing professional squirrel removal in High Point to help you handle the problem.

Damage to Plants

If you're an avid gardener, or even if you just have a nice flowerbed, squirrels can be your worst nightmare. Those plants that you grow for your own pleasure will quickly become a squirrel's next meal if you're not careful.

Flower bulbs, for example, are just one of the tasty treats the squirrels will find in your garden. They will dig up, gnaw on, and kill those bulbs you've buried in the ground, and you won't see any of the tulips you were hoping to have in your yard come spring.

If you have a fruit or vegetable garden, then you're providing even more potential food sources to your tree-dwelling neighbors. They will eat through your tomatoes, peaches, and virtually any other food that you try to grow for yourself, completely devastating your food crop.

There are certain preventive measures that you can put in place in your garden to keep squirrels away from your plants. Special cage-like devices can be placed around flower bulbs, plants, and fruits on trees in order to keep the squirrels from reaching them. However, it's a major nuisance to put a cage around every peach you see sprouting on your tree; it's much easier to hire a professional to remove the squirrels from your property to control the population.

Damage to Insulation

If the squirrels get inside of your home, you're in for an even bigger nightmare. Squirrels often like to build nests in attics, and they do so using your home's insulation. Just like mice, they will rip up chunks of insulation and use it to build their nests. This affects the energy efficiency of your home.

Plus, many of them may chew on or bite off pieces of your wooden support beams. Over time, this can affect the structural integrity of your home. It is best to remove the squirrels before this becomes a problem.

Damage to Wiring

Perhaps the biggest danger that squirrels can pose to your home is when they begin to chew on your electrical wires. Squirrels will often do this when nesting in a home, as it is in their natures to chew on anything and everything around them. If they do this in your home, they will leave wires that are frayed and exposed.

This will first affect your home's electrical connections. You may have outlets that stop working, or lights that flicker off and on at random. But much more seriously than that, those exposed wires pose a fire hazard. One spark from an exposed wire can start a fire inside the walls of your home. This can lead to a complete loss of the house, as these fires can often be difficult to detect and to put out due to their location hidden inside your walls.

All in all, those fluffy-tailed pests can prove to be a lot more trouble than they're worth. So if you have a squirrel problem in your home or on your property, look for squirrel removal in High Point.