Can a Squirrel Infestation Impact Your Family's Health?

Can a Squirrel Infestation Impact Your Family’s Health?

While they may look adorable, squirrels are still wild animals that carry various diseases. These animals don’t go to the vet for routine checkups and they certainly aren’t vaccinated. Like rats and other rodents, squirrels risk making you and your family sick if they infest your home. It’s important that you get rid of any squirrels living in the house as soon as possible. Call Squirrel Control Toronto for safe and effective squirrel removal.

Squirrels are some of the most common animals in the world. They’re everywhere! These little rodents have adapted exceptionally well to urban living. Attics, garages, and sheds have become just as common as trees for squirrels to nest in. Like trees, human structures provide squirrels with places to nest safely above ground. Squirrels are attracted to the warm air and smell of food that escape people’s roof vents. To get inside, they will find a weak spot somewhere on the roof and chew their way in. Weakened soffits, warped roof edges, chimneys, and plastic roof vent caps are common entry points.

Squirrel infestations are dangerous because they can spread some harmful diseases, like Leptospirosis and Salmonellosis. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that is spread through the urine of infected animals, which can then sit in puddles, water, or wet soil for weeks. Leptospirosis has flu-like symptoms including fever, headache, nausea, and lethargy. Tularemia is spread in a similar fashion, causing a variety of symptoms including ulcers and difficulty breathing. Salmonellosis is spread in the feces of infected squirrels and causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. Did you know that squirrels carry Lyme disease? Squirrels transmit the disease to ticks, which could then bite you or your pets. You can also get tetanus from a squirrel if you get too close and it scratches you. A squirrel’s claws are even dirty enough to cause sepsis in humans.

So, what do you do if there are squirrels in your home? The best thing you can do is call a pest removal company for help. A technician will then inspect your home to find the nest and install a one-way door to its entrance. This will allow the squirrels to exit the home but prevent them from coming back. About a month later, when the squirrels are gone, the technician will return to remove the door. You can then repair the hole in your roof and begin squirrel-proofing to prevent any more infestations from happening. Use a strong steel mesh to cap your roof vents and chimneys as well as to strengthen any weak spots you find. A professional pest remover can also offer you this service.

Squirrels are so common that they may seem harmless, but they can absolutely make you or your family sick. Always keep a safe distance from squirrels and protect your home as best you can. The technicians at Squirrel Control offer thorough inspections, treatments, and squirrel-proofing services to keep you and you loved ones safe. If you’re having squirrel troubles, call Squirrel Control now: 647-496-0815.

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