Squirrels are not the kind of visitors that you’d welcome as house guests. Squirrels have long incisor teeth that grow continuously throughout the animal’s life. To keep their teeth from becoming overlong, squirrels gnaw and chew things to wear their teeth down, causing horrendous amounts of damage to your property in the process. Call us to book professional squirrel removal services: 647-496-0815.
Woodwork
A squirrel’s favourite target for chewing is anything made from wood. That includes your attic beams, roof shingles, floorboards, and even your garden furniture.
Wiring
Inside your attic, you’ll probably have wiring and utility lines in the walls. As squirrels roam around the space, they will chew through wires, partly in search of suitable nesting material, but also because the metal fibers inside the wire’s soft outer casing are great for filing the rodents’ teeth.
Also, some manufacturers are now using wire coatings that are made from plant derivatives, which are more environmentally friendly. That makes your wiring smell pretty appetizing to squirrels and other rodents that you might find living in your attic.
During cold winter spells, you may find squirrels taking shelter in your garage. Unfortunately, the wiring under your car hood can also be appetizing to rodents because of the soy-based wire coating that many vehicle manufacturers are now using.
Squirrels will also attack other parts of your car, including the insulation underneath the chassis and inside the engine bay. Seat cushions and seatbelts also get nibbled by rodents, again, thanks to the use of plant-based derivatives that are commonly used in the manufacturer of vehicle fixtures and fittings.
Pipework
Although squirrels might struggle to chew right through sturdy steel or iron pipe, they will still use it as a tooth file and will gnaw through lagging or plastic coating in the process. Damaged pipes could lead to a leak in your attic or roof space.
Outdoor pipes whose lagging is damaged by squirrels could freeze in very cold weather, potentially causing a pipe burst or an interrupted water supply to outbuildings and stables.
Damaged gardens and plants
Squirrels can be extremely destructive in your garden, digging up your lawn as they search for roots and bulbs or creating food caches in the turf. Like most rodents, squirrels enjoy eating vegetables and fruits and can wreak havoc in your veggie patch or orchard.
Squirrels will also venture onto your decking or patio where they can cause damage by emptying out containers and pots in their endless search for food.
Bird feeders are also a common target for squirrels, and it can be incredibly annoying to find yourself continually needing to repair and replenish feeders that have been torn down and raided by squirrels while your garden birds go hungry.