Squirrels in your house gnaw on anything they can find, including electrical wires, ceiling joists, and support beams. It is the only way they can file down their continually growing front teeth. You need to consider how to get rid of squirrels if you find evidence that they are in your home, preferably before they have a chance to reproduce any further. To that end, you should learn all you can about squirrel mating season.
When Is Mating Season for Squirrels?
When squirrels mate, and how many times per year they reproduce, depends on the species and where they live. Ground squirrels generally mate once in the spring right after hibernation. Southern flying squirrels mate twice a year, while northern flying squirrels only mate once a year.
Tree squirrels, which are most likely to nest inside your home, generally mate twice per year, once in the late winter/early spring, and once in the late summer/early fall. They give birth after about six weeks.
What Is the Mating Process for Squirrels?
Squirrels are not monogamous. Female squirrels choose the strongest of their suitors to mate with but purposely avoid mating with the same male twice from season to season and year to year. Female squirrels recognize former mates by smell. The male squirrels aren’t involved in raising the babies. A female squirrel may mate with more than one male per season, but the first male is usually the father of her babies.
When female squirrels are fertile, they give off a scent that attracts males to them. Male squirrels are territorial, and if two are pursuing the same female at the same time, they may fight with each other and try to chase one another off. Male squirrels also run after the females they are attracted to and a chase can ensue, especially if the female deems the male an unworthy mate. Squirrels running around your yard in a frenzy and chasing each other is a clue that mating season has arrived, and you may need to think about how to keep squirrels away as females will soon be looking for a place to nest and raise their young.
Where Do Squirrels Nest Inside Houses?
When a tree squirrel gets inside a human home, it usually makes its nest at the highest point that it can find. This is usually the attic. Instinctually, tree squirrels know that elevation above the ground means greater safety. This is especially important for their babies, which are born unable to see or hear and with little, if any, fur.
In many houses, the attic is unfinished and is not part of the livable space. Squirrels fear humans and like spaces where they seldom go. The attic may offer a lot of insulation which a squirrel can use to make a nest to keep its babies warm. Attics tend to be warm anyway because heat from the house rises to the top, and a dark-colored roof often absorbs heat from the sun. The mother squirrel needs to make sure her babies stay warm before they grow their fur.
A squirrel can fit through a very small hole. They only need an opening 1-1/2 inch wide to get into your home. Nevertheless, if they find a hole that is not quite big enough, they can widen it as needed using their teeth. Once inside, squirrels pee or poop whenever and wherever they feel like it. Squirrel excrement can contain disease-causing microorganisms, and the urine can soak into the ceiling panels.
Don’t Know How To Get Rid of Squirrels? Call Skedaddle
Skedaddle has been working for decades to remove wild animals from homes and businesses. We do not harm the squirrels, nor do we put you at risk. In fact, we seal their entry points and clean up after them so you don’t have to. Learn more about wildlife removal in Milwaukee from Skedaddle.
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