If you hear scuffling sounds coming from your attic at night, you probably lie in bed wondering what could be up there. Just like you, most Wisconsin tree squirrels are active during the day and sleep at night. While only a qualified wildlife professional can tell you for sure whether you need squirrel removal in Madison, there are some basic facts about squirrels that can help you do a little of the preliminary detective work on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions From People Considering Squirrel Removal in Madison
Are Squirrels Nocturnal?
Nocturnal animals have special adaptations that help them maneuver in the dark. For example, they have large eyes, enhanced hearing, and a reflective membrane in the back of the retina that collects light.
Gray squirrels and fox squirrels are common diurnal species in Madison. This designation means they are most active during the day and have the following characteristics in common with other daytime mammals:
- Small eyes
- Cone cells that allow them to see in color
- Communication with visual cues such as tail flipping
- Activity during the day
Do Squirrels Make Noise at Night?
Owls prey on squirrels at night, so it is in a squirrel’s best interest to stay quiet. However, squirrels may occasionally make an alarm call if they feel threatened. You might hear them if they wake up and change position or scratch themselves. Babies in a squirrel nest might also make scratching or whimpering sounds.
If you are hearing a lot of activity in your attic at night, then diurnal tree squirrels may not be to blame. This is especially true if the noises stop during daylight hours and start back up when the sun goes down.
Where Do Squirrels Sleep at Night?
Gray squirrels and fox squirrels are active during the day and spend the night sleeping in their dens. Wildlife professionals refer to these dens as dreys. They can be in hollow trees, inside attics, or on tree branches.
You can tell squirrel dreys in trees apart from bird nests based on their locations and the construction materials. While birds usually build their nests from twigs and place them at the junction between two branches, squirrels instead build their dreys from leaves and place them in the middle of a single, wide branch.
Do Squirrels Sleep With Their Eyes Open?
On the internet, you can find pictures and anecdotes of squirrels sleeping with their eyes open. Most animals and even some people sleep this way occasionally. So while it does occur sometimes, it is not the norm for a squirrel to sleep with its eyes open. Squirrels mostly sleep with their eyes closed, just like other animals do.
What Time Are Squirrels Most Active?
Most squirrels have a burst of activity first thing in the morning. They emerge from their dens ready to jump from branch to branch to find food. They calm down around noon, spending the warmest part of the day loafing or lazily gnawing on nuts from a favorite branch. A few hours before sunset, squirrels become active again.
Nocturnal Squirrels
Many Wisconsinites are not aware that the southern flying squirrel is another species that makes its home across the state. These squirrels are fully adapted to a nocturnal lifestyle, relying on their superior senses of smell and hearing to navigate through the darkness. And as a professor at Northland College in Ashland recently discovered, they also glow pink under fluorescent lights!
Flying squirrels do not fly, but they do soar from tree to tree. They do so using a flap of skin like a built-in hang glider between their front and back legs. They prefer forests to urban areas but will inhabit older neighborhoods with mature trees. They especially like homes with bird feeders they can raid at night.
During the day, flying squirrels sleep in tree cavities or abandoned nests. They will also make themselves comfortable inside your attic. During the winter, many will congregate together in these places to keep each other warm. So if you are hearing a lot of scurrying commotion overhead at night, these tiny animals may be to blame.
Other Nocturnal Animals in Madison
Because squirrels are so conspicuous during the day, it only makes sense to blame them when you hear noises in the attic. However, other animals in Madison are notorious for moving into attics, too. The lineup of suspects includes the following species:
- Raccoons
- Opossums
- Rats and mice
- Bats
Animals only need small openings to gain access to your home. For example, mice can fit into a space the size of a dime and a bat into one the size of a quarter. Raccoons and opossums are much larger animals, but they are skilled at widening smaller holes by tearing them open.
Damage From Nighttime Visitors
If you hear noises at night or think that animals are living in your attic, call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control right away. Don’t waste time on do-it-yourself methods. While you are discovering the hard way that they don’t work, the squirrels will be busy doing the following:
- Destroying wooden beams inside your roof and attic – Squirrels will not only chew on the wood to keep their teeth filed down but will create holes where water damage can occur.
- Contaminating the attic and insulation with urine and feces – As squirrels nest, they create an unsanitary situation and can damage the insulation to the point where you’ll need a total replacement.
- Damaging electrical wiring – Gnawing on electric wires in your home could lead to short circuits and a loss of power, often costing you a large amount of money in repairs.
Skedaddle Provides Squirrel Removal in Madison
Trying to drive squirrels away from your home without expert assistance could be dangerous and ineffective. More importantly, it could be cruel. Keep in mind that capturing and removing squirrels with dens in your home might result in their babies dying. Worse yet, the mother squirrels will do further damage while trying to regain access to their babies. Our professional wildlife control technicians provide safe and effective exclusion methods that will not harm you or the squirrels.
If you suspect a squirrel problem, Skedaddle will send technicians to inspect your home and see where the squirrels have resided, where they are getting in and out, and whether babies are in the nest. We will create a safe strategy to ensure that the squirrels leave your home safely and permanently.
You can trust Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control for squirrel removal in Madison. We are so confident we can eliminate your squirrel problem that we offer a lifetime warranty on our services. Contact us today by phone or visit us online!
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