Squirrel

What squirrels look like

Grey squirrels are medium-sized rodents, about 43 to 50 cm long including the tail and weighing roughly 400 to 700 g. Despite the name, the coat can be grey, black or reddish, and black individuals are common across much of Ontario. The body is slim, the snout is rounded, the ears are short and the tail is long and bushy, carried in a curve over the back. Squirrels have sharp curved claws for climbing and very good eyesight. Unlike most building pests, they are active in daylight, particularly in the first hours after sunrise and again in late afternoon. Red squirrels are smaller and noisier, and flying squirrels are smaller again, mostly nocturnal, and glide between trees rather than truly flying.

Signs you have squirrels

• Daytime noise overhead. Quick scurrying, scratching and rolling sounds in the attic or soffit during early morning and late afternoon separate squirrels from rats and mice.
• A chewed entry hole. A round opening gnawed through soffit, fascia, roof edge, vent screening or a gable end, often with fresh pale wood around the rim.
• Nest material. Shredded insulation, leaves, twigs and bark piled into a corner of the attic or against a chimney.
• Squirrels on the roof line. Animals repeatedly running the same route along a fence, branch, hydro line or eaves and disappearing at one point.
• Chewed wiring and wood. Bare cable, notched rafters and gnawed trim inside the attic, since squirrels gnaw constantly.
• Droppings and staining. Small dark pellets and urine staining on attic insulation, often concentrated where the nest sits.

Noise that follows a daily rhythm is usually a squirrel rather than a rodent.

Why squirrels come into Ottawa and Toronto homes

A squirrel wants a dry, sheltered, elevated place to nest, and an attic is better than any tree cavity. Mature neighbourhoods with big trees, plenty of bird feeders and easy access to roofs are ideal. Overhanging branches, fences, downspouts, brick corners and hydro lines all act as bridges to the roof, and from there a squirrel only needs a weak spot. Soffit joints, roof vents, gable vents, chimneys and rotted fascia are the usual points of entry, and a squirrel will enlarge a small gap by gnawing. Interest in attics peaks around the two breeding periods, in late winter and again in late summer, when females look for somewhere safe to raise young. Food is easy to find nearby in feeders, gardens, nut trees and green bins.

Are squirrels dangerous?

Squirrels are not aggressive toward people and rarely bite unless handled or cornered, so the direct health risk is low. They can carry fleas, ticks and mites, and droppings and urine in insulation create a mess that is unpleasant to breathe around and should be cleaned up carefully. The real concern is damage to the building. Squirrels gnaw constantly, and chewed electrical wiring in an attic is a recognised fire hazard. They also tear up insulation for nesting, chew through vent ducting, damage soffit, fascia and roof sheathing, and let water in through the openings they make. An animal that gets into a chimney or wall cavity and cannot get out will die there, which brings odour and flies. Treat squirrels as a property problem first.

How to keep squirrels out

• Trim branches well back from the roof, and remove trellises, vines and stacked material that give a route up the wall.
• Inspect the roof line twice a year and repair soft, split or rotted soffit, fascia and sheathing before an animal finds it.
• Screen roof, gable and exhaust vents with heavy gauge metal mesh, since plastic and light screening are chewed through easily.
• Fit a proper screened chimney cap, and check that flashing and roof edge trim are tight.
• Manage feeders. Use squirrel-resistant feeders, move them away from the house, and clean up spilled seed and fallen nuts.
• Keep green bins closed and stored where they are not a daily food source next to the building.

A squirrel can enlarge a small gap quickly, so nothing at the roof line should be left loose.

How GO! Pest Control treats squirrels

• Inspection. We check the roof, soffits, vents, chimney and attic interior to confirm the species, find every opening and look for a nest with young before any work begins.
• Exclusion. We fit a one-way door at the active entry so the squirrels can leave and cannot return, and we screen the other vulnerable points at the roof line with heavy metal mesh.
• Removal. The animals are removed humanely. Where a litter is present, the young are handled so the mother can move them, rather than being separated from her.
• Follow-up. We return to confirm the attic is empty, remove the one-way door, seal the opening permanently and check that nothing new has been chewed nearby.
• Advice. We explain the tree trimming, vent screening and roof repairs that matter for your building, and flag damaged wiring or insulation you should have looked at.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about squirrels