There are many things that can attract squirrels to your property. If you can’t find any potential food sources, it could be water that is attracting them. Like all living things, squirrels need water to survive. Squirrels on your property are more likely to get into your house, in which case, you need professional wildlife removal in Okanagan to prevent or minimize damage to your home.
What Are Natural Sources of Drinking Water for Squirrels?
In the wild, there are two main ways that squirrels get water. In the morning, water vapour in the air often condenses into small drops of water called dew. Dew collects on grass, leaves, and many other outdoor surfaces. Squirrels can get water by drinking the dew before it evaporates. By drinking dew from leaves, they may not even have to get down out of the trees they usually live in to get water. Natural bodies of water, such as ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers can also provide drinking water for squirrels. However, it can be awkward for squirrels to drink from a body of water that is much larger than they are.
Can Squirrels Swim?
A squirrel that attempts to drink from a body of water, such as a lake or a river, is at risk of falling in. Should this happen, squirrels do have some limited swimming ability. They aren’t very good at swimming, and it usually isn’t something that they choose to do, but in an emergency situation, they can swim well enough to get themselves back to shore.
How long can squirrels swim? For some reason, there is little research available to answer this question directly. More often, people answer in terms of how far squirrels can swim rather than how long. The consensus seems to be that squirrels can swim as far as one to two miles. However, without knowing a squirrel’s swimming speed, there is no way of knowing how long that takes.
Where Might Squirrels Find Water on Your Property?
Squirrels may find water sources on your property that are much more convenient than dew and natural bodies of water. For example, if you have a bird bath, a squirrel may climb up to drink out of it. Squirrels may also drink out of a water dish that you have left outside for your pets.
There isn’t much you can do about dew on the leaves or the grass. It appears whether you like it or not, you can’t stop squirrels from drinking from it. However, you do have a choice about whether to have a bird bath in your yard and whether to keep it full.
The pet’s water dish is a trickier problem. You can’t deprive your pet of water, especially when the weather is hot. If your pet stays inside at all times, there is no need for a water dish outside, but this may not be possible either. Cats can be indoor-only, but dogs usually have to go outside sometimes.
If this is the situation, the best you can do may be to bring your pet’s water dish when your pet goes out and then take it back when your pet goes back in. In the interim, you may have to monitor your pet’s water dish to make sure no squirrels get into it.
What Else Attracts Squirrels to Your Property?
A squirrel’s most basic needs are food and water. While you are eliminating or protecting water sources on your property, you should also get rid of food sources. Squirrels feed primarily on nuts and fruit, so you should remove these trees from your property or at least clean up after them. If you must have bird baths or bird feeders on your property, position them far from the house.
Squirrels can cause extensive damage if they get inside your home. Call Skedaddle to have them removed thoroughly and humanely.
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