What You Should Know About Squirrel Mating and Birthing Patterns

Know when squirrels give birth to their young to prevent them from entering your home to do so. If you already have a squirrel living in your attic, you may want to wait until the babies are mobile before you remove them. Find out more about how they raise their young in this article. 

Squirrels are busy little rodents. They run fast, are difficult to track, can chew on your electrical wiring and cause structural damage. Human conflict with these critters often occurs in spring and in the late summer when they give birth to their young. Squirrels will invade a home to find food and shelter during their reproduction cycles.

Squirrels produce two litters per year, with an average of 5 to 6 pups per litter. In a residential area, they usually have 5 to 6 den sites. They build their nests in attics, soffits, chimneys, spaces between walls or in vents. They prefer building above ground to protect their young from predators and to stay warm and dry during cold weather.

                                                                                                                                                                          

They have a 44-day gestation period. Their babies are often born between late March and early May, while the second litter is born between July and August. When they are born, the babies are hairless with their eyes shut. They only become mobile after six weeks but will not venture away from their den site until the eighth week. They are not weaned from their mother until week 10 to week 12 of life.

During this time, the little family can wreak havoc on your property. Like their mother, their rootless teeth start to grow out, hence the need to constantly chew to wear them down. They also become more disruptive as the babies start to move. You may start to hear chewing, scratching and scampering noises as early as day break. Squirrels are diurnal, which means, they are most active during day time.

It is important to call a professional like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to handle your squirrelissue. When babies are involved, the mother will tend to act aggressively and could potentially be dangerous to an inexperienced person.

                                                                    

Young squirrels become sexually mature at the end of the first year of life. They often live between five to eight years. At their reproduction rate, squirrels can multiply fast in urban areas. There are usual 50 to 60 squirrels per square kilometre. 

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Squirrel Attractants 101

Don’t let squirrels overrun your home. Knowing these helpful tips can keep these rodents off your property.

While they might seem like harmless creatures, squirrels can cause a lot of damage to property when left to their own devices. The first step in addressing a squirrel problem is in understanding why they have chosen to stay in your home. 

Assess your property and take stock of what exactly it is that’s attracting the squirrels in the first place. Common squirrel attractants include: fruits, plant seeds, deciduous trees, berries, bulbs, flowers, birdseed, pet food, water, and a warm, safe, and dry place that’s perfect for birthing and rearing baby squirrels. 

FOOD SOURCES

If you often see squirrels in your yard, the main culprit is most likely a food source. If you have a bird feeder in your yard, make sure it’s placed as far away from the home as possible. If the problem persists, consider eliminating the food source altogether (sorry!).Try to remove the birdfeeder for a few weeks to see if this works.

LANDSCAPING

Trim trees with branching structure where squirrels can build nests. When the bark of these trees become scalable and are adjacent to your roof, they may be tempted to try getting into your attic. Squirrels can jump into your attic if it is within six to eight feet of your house.

If you grow garden crops or have fruit trees, you may want to pick the fruits and crops as soon as they are ripe. If you find that the squirrels are picking at the fruits before they ripen, an option is to fence these with SPCA-approved fencing.

WATER SOURCES

Fresh, clean sources of water are attractive to squirrel and other wildlife in the summer. These animals also look for fresh water if you live in areas where natural sources freeze over during winter. If you have pets, you may want to cover up their water bowls or keep them inside your home. A bird bath may also be attracting squirrels to your property for this reason.

Knowing what attracts squirrels is the first step in preventing them from invading your home. While they may seem cute and charming, they can pose a serious health risk to your family and can destroy parts of your home.  If the problem gets worse, give usa call.

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Wildlife Entry Points: Chimneys

Wildlife usually invade homes by passing through chimneys. Protect your house from these animals by repairing and/or modifying your chimney.

You hear noises from your attic and wonder what that could be, until you realize that a mother squirrel probably gave birth to a bunch of babies in the middle of the night. There is a little party going on inside your house and they are not even invited! It can get really frustrating when you find out that other wild animals, not only squirrels, have invaded your house. Worse than living in your attic, these animals can potentially cause damage to your property.

You are not alone in this problem. During the colder months, wild animals tend to move to warmer places where it is more comfortable and sheltered. These animals may find attics to be the perfect cozy spot they can stay in for extended periods of time. Do not be surprised then if they actually mate and breed during that period.

They gain access to your house in many different ways. Some animals look for weak spots on your exterior walls and create holes as entry points. Some holes are small enough that you would probably think it is irrelevant, but note these animals are capable of squeezing themselves in, regardless of the entry size. Vents, soffits and attics when left uncovered give access to these animals, too.

Chimneys are the usual entry points going to your attic. Make sure that you have chimney covers installed. A regular steel screen can do the trick. Screens are available in hardware stores and you can attach them using a staple gun. If your chimney is too large for steel screens, consider installing chimney caps. Make sure the cap is the right size because ventilation is important when to avoid chimney fires. For added protection against animals, steel screens may be attached on the sides of the chimney cap. Whatever you decide to use, secure it properly and guarantee proper air flow.

You can perform these safety measures on your own to prevent entry of animals into your home. But when you are already have a wildlife infestation, consider calling for help from animal control experts because they know better ways to get rid of your unwanted visitors.

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