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.