If you happen to see a squirrel going into the en0gine bay of your car, there is a great chance that you’re witnessing a mother squirrel looking for a safe place to nest. The last thing you want to do is orphan baby squirrels, especially since mother squirrels will have babies both in early spring and late summer. Evicting the mother by force creates the risk that she might become separated from the babies. If frightened, she may move the den to a more secure location. If you need help with removing squirrels from your car engine bay, consider calling professional pest control companies like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control.
Here is some information to assist you with a squirrel invasion in your car. When in doubt about how to handle wildlife or about getting rid of squirrels, always contact a professional first. Like all animals, squirrels can spread disease and may bite if they feel threatened. Pest control services know how to remove a squirrel nest safely and humanely.
When Do Squirrels Mate and Nest?
Squirrel mating season occurs both during the spring and then again in the fall. This makes these creatures a bit of a year-round problem. They begin making a nest soon after mating, so watch out for this activity in February and in June, on average. Attempting to discourage nest-building behaviour on your property is usually easier than it is to get rid of squirrels after they are already nesting.
Why Do Squirrels Choose Vehicles?
Squirrels choose vehicles as a nesting spot for several reasons, including:
- The warmth brought about by the vehicle’s engine
- The feeling of safety brought about by being in a small, enclosed space
- The easy access to the outdoors where they can hunt for food for themselves and to bring it back to their babies
The fact that vehicles are usually near human residences, which may be sources of food and water for the squirrels
Squirrels want a nesting spot that is difficult for their predators to reach, which includes foxes, badgers, coyotes, and bobcats. Their predators are quite a bit larger than the squirrels and are unable to fit into the same small sections of vehicles that squirrels can. There are plenty of hiding spots for these little critters among all the tubing and wiring in a vehicle.
How To Keep a Squirrel From Nesting in Your Car?
When it comes to preventing your vehicle from becoming a squirrel house, there are several ways to go about this. Prevention is preferred to squirrel removal, especially since by the time you remove the squirrel from under the hood, they may have already chewed on your vehicle’s wiring with their ever-growing teeth. The debris from their nests may also cause problems in the engine and other components of your vehicle.
Some ideas to keep a squirrel from nesting in your car include:
- Keeping your car in a garage and sealing any holes or gaps in the walls or door of the garage
- Placing certain smells and tastes that are unpleasant to squirrels on and around your vehicle, such as bitter apple spray
- Being aware of squirrel activity in parking lots before you park your car to go into a place of business
- Keeping debris like fallen tree limbs, nuts, and other sources of food away from your vehicle
DIY WAYS OF GETTING THE SQUIRRELS OUT
Although DIY ways of getting squirrels out of your engine bay are common, please remember that contacting a professional wildlife control company like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is the safest option. Mother squirrels often choose the engine bay as a place to nest because they perceive it to be a safe, quiet and dark place for their family. Creating a situation that is the opposite of that should be enough to convince the mother to take her babies elsewhere. There are several harassment techniques you can try in this case. Each of the following should be placed as close as possible to the squirrel nest. That way, the mother squirrel will not be able to ignore them as she comes and goes:
- Popping the hood
- Introducing light
- Introducing sound
- Introducing smell
POPPING THE HOOD
The easiest thing you can do to get the squirrel family to leave your engine bay for good is to simply leave the hood open for a day or two. This should result in allowing enough noise and light into the area, hopefully causing the mother squirrel to feel less safe. Mother squirrels will know of other den sites in the area and will relocate their babies one by one to one of her safer spaces once her nest inside the engine has been exposed to the elements.
INTRODUCING LIGHT
Squirrels do not appreciate light in their homes. You can try placing a bright light under the hood of your vehicle. One thing to pay attention to if attempting this is to keep the light fire-safe.
INTRODUCING SOUND
Get a radio and place it under the hood of the car. Instead of opting for a radio station that plays music, tune the radio to a talk station. This should prove effective as squirrels typically see human voices as threatening while music doesn’t cause them much distress.
INTRODUCING SMELL
In order to make a mother squirrel feel unsafe, introduce a source of the smell that reminds her of predators. The way to do this is as follows: simply soak some old rags in ammonia, garlic or apple cider vinegar and place them in a plastic bag. Then poke holes in the bag to let the smell escape. You can similarly use dirty kitty litter if you have a house cat. Hang the bag under the hood of your car.
Perform a detailed check of the engine bay to ensure the mother has brought the babies along with her and then have a mechanic check your engine for damage. Keep in mind, that professional wildlife removal companies like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control are available to help you remove the animals.
Contacting a professional pest control service is the best option for dealing with squirrels under the hood of your vehicle. This is because trained employees have the proper equipment to handle squirrels safely and help prevent the spread of disease. In addition, professionals will thoroughly clean the area where the animal was nesting, including humanely removing babies and ridding the area of droppings and urine.
YOUR CHOICE OF PROFESSIONAL PEST CONTROL
Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control is a company that has successfully come to the aid of thousands of homeowners and business owners. In their nearly thirty-plus years of experience, Skedaddle has been at the forefront of humane wildlife removal techniques and methods. As a result, the company has gained experience that allows its A+ team of wildlife technicians to handle any infestation situations quickly, reliably and effectively. Call Skedaddle today if you are in need of wildlife removal and a property assessment. Prevention is key to making sure squirrels aren’t making a home in your vehicle.
