Many rodent species in Victoria are highly adaptable when it comes to living near humans and, in some cases, moving in with them. They use their sharp front teeth to chew through wood, drywall and other building materials to gain entrance and nest in walls and attics. Our Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control technicians experienced one job for squirrel removal in Victoria that involved a clever squirrel family and highlighted the type of damage chewing rodents can cause to a home.
Squirrels: Athletes of the Rodent World
While some rodents can squeeze through small holes to enter a home, a squirrel’s ability to climb, jump and crawl both up and down surfaces makes it an athlete among other rodent species. While both mice and rats can climb, squirrels have physical features that allow them to perform these feats, including:
- Powerful hind legs
- Sharp, strong claws for gripping
- Double-jointed wrists
Because squirrels can reach areas of a home by leaping from tree branches or climbing up exterior plumbing pipes, this makes a home’s roof especially vulnerable. When our wildlife technicians arrived at a home for squirrel removal in Victoria, they saw the type of damage squirrels can cause when they access a roof and invite themselves into a residence.
The Effects of Long-Term Squirrel Damage
When squirrels enter a home through the roof, they usually enter through the fascia, a thick board that supports a home’s gutter system. Like most rodents, their long incisors never stop growing so they must gnaw on wood and other surfaces to keep the teeth filed down. This can cause a variety of damage that usually gets worse the longer the squirrels remain in the home.
- Damaged insulation: When squirrels chew their way into an attic and begin to nest there, they may chew up any insulation they can get to line their nests. This can introduce moisture into the attic and seriously damage the building materials there.
- Chewed electrical wires: Squirrels will chew almost anything they can get their teeth into, including a home’s electrical wires. This not only puts the animals in danger of electrocution but also increases the risk of a house fire due to electrical shorts.
- Damage from feces: When squirrels in home attics move in and stay, the accumulation of their feces can cause serious damage to the floors and cause unpleasant odours to waft through the HVAC ductwork. This could also reduce a home’s air quality.
- Mold and water damage: Once squirrels chew into the fascia of a home, it leaves that area vulnerable to water damage from rain and melting snow. The longer the damage remains, the higher the risk of mould growth. Mold can affect individuals with lung or breathing problems and cause mould spores to travel to other areas of the home and grow there.
When our wildlife removal technicians arrived at this home for squirrel removal in Victoria, they discovered that the rodents had been there for some time before the family noticed their presence.
Our Steps for Squirrel Removal
The squirrels in this Victoria home introduced themselves by making noises behind the walls of the home, and family members began to observe individual squirrels making their way in and out of holes in the roof. When our wildlife removal technicians arrived and inspected the roof, they discovered that the enterprising rodents had chewed multiple holes in the home’s fascia, allowing them to enter and exit through multiple places. Most of the holes sat along the home’s roofline.
Once our technicians inspected the attic, they found more damage and evidence that the squirrels had been nesting there for quite some time. They observed chewing damage to structural beams and other building materials.
Evicting a Squirrel Family
A further inspection of this Victoria home revealed that not just one squirrel but an entire family lived in the attic. Our technicians located and removed a few infant squirrels and put them in a protective heated box until they could trap the mother and reunite the family. Once they placed a one-way door into the attic space so any squirrels left behind could exit but not re-enter, our technicians went to work on restoring the space.
Our Cleaning and Restoration Services
After our technicians evicted the squirrels, they cleaned up the nesting material, feces and other types of damage left behind. Cleaning and repairing any wet or moisture-damaged building materials prevented the further spread of mould and rot along the home’s fascia. Finally, they placed chew-proof netting on the fascia so the squirrels could not return and continue to damage the home.
Contact Us Today for Squirrel Removal In Victoria
Squirrels are a common issue faced by many Victoria homeowners, all of whom can be at risk for more significant damage if the problem is not taken care of quickly. Fortunately, Skedaddle offers humane squirrel removal services that can be utilized to help protect and secure any property from these rodents. In addition, working with the experienced technicians from Skedaddle gives customers peace of mind, as their team of knowledgeable professionals provides quick response times and highly-effective solutions.
Don’t put your home at risk – contact Skedaddle today! Professional assistance will make sure that your home is protected from the chewing and nesting damage squirrels can cause.
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