Sign #1: You hear strange noises in your home
The two most common sounds you’ll hear are either a bunch of scampering and jumping sounds in your attic, or the sound of persistent scratching if one of them have become stuck in your wall cavities or down chimney your sweep. The majority of our squirrel calls come from home owners who hear scratching but for the most part if they aren’t stuck anywhere they can go undetected for a long time.Sign #2: You see squirrel droppings here and there
![Squirrel Droppings](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Squirrel-Droppings-1024x595.jpg)
Sign #3: Damaged entry points
Most people don’t know that squirrels, like raccoons and mice can almost chew through any material – at least the material that a home is built with including metal. Their teeth and chewing capabilities are quite strong but their entry points have different characteristics over the other animals. Mice will sneak in through small holes, raccoons will create larger holes, but squirrels can get through smaller holes which at first glance don’t even seem to be there until an actual inspection is done. You’ll see damage around the fascia boards, shingle damage, damage to eaves troughs and outer panels with all kinds of damage along the roof line.Sign #4: You see interior damage
The most common squirrel infestation is in your attic. Squirrels find this area of your home to be particularly welcoming when your attic insulation is readily available. Squirrels will tear up this insulation, shredding it to pieces and making it less effective. Shredded duct work is also a likely outcome. With time, your attic will begin to emanate the foul odor of squirrel urine. Their burrows will also create an easy avenue for bats, insects, and other pests to enter your home or simply create a leaky roof. If the squirrel ends up dying in your attic, you'll forget about the odor of urine, as the smell of dead squirrel causes headaches and nausea. The greatest danger, however, is the fire hazard they create. Squirrels will gnaw on anything and everything. If it finds wall space where your electrical wiring is hiding, the damaged wiring can set your house ablaze. If squirrels decide they want to enter other parts of your home, you can expect a lot of damage being done to the wall-boards leading into your home or ceiling. The longer a family of squirrels is living in your attic, the higher the chance they’ll cause substantial damage and the need for an attic cleanup and repair will be in order.5: Your shingles are chewed and ripped up
![Damaged Shingles from Squirrels](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Damaged-Shingles-from-Squirrels-1024x657.jpg)
6: You see squirrel footprints
It’s pretty easy to determine if the footprints you’re seeing are from squirrels or not. The front paws have four fingers and are slightly shorter than the hind paws which have five fingers.![Snow Roof](https://www.skedaddlewildlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Snow-Roof-300x179.jpg)