Hogarth's Pest Control specializes in all types of industries, residential and commercial.
Red squirrels, are commonly referred to as “pinies” and “red devils” because they can be found in pine trees. These squirrels cause a lot of problems for Northern Michigan homes and businesses by nesting inside structures. Once this happens, it will typically turn into a generational situation and continue for years until something is done.
These squirrels are extremely good climbers; they will use anything close to the home to obtain access, such as trees or wires. They will even jump off close access points if it is not touching. Red Squirrels will chew into the home through the ridge vent, soffit, dormer, crawlspace vent, or any other pipe or open gap on a home. They are known to chew into cedar sided and log homes to obtain direct access.
Red Squirrel Communication
Their excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing enable them to easily communicate with one another. They often make different sounds to call to each other, making distinctive noises as warning calls when they have to defend their territory. Body signals such as tail-jerking and foot stamping, chemical signals and different sounds like a rattling buzz, are the means to alert the other members of the tribe.
Red Squirrel Reproduction
Red Squirrels reproduce from May until June. Some females will have a second cycle around August. Eradication can be a time-consuming process, sometimes taking up to a month depending on the time of year. During the winter months when it becomes cold they do not move around as much, which can draw the process out even longer.
Removal
These squirrels will need to be removed. Their entry/exit points must be excluded; as well as trees trimmed back, fecal matter removed, and population control methods must be enforced so that if/when they do come back they will be controlled before they do more damage to a structure. Red Squirrels are extremely territorial, so once you have controlled the population in your area, the problem will subside until their next reproduction cycle. We will do a thorough inspection of the structure to create the most effective plan possible for each specific situation. If you are experiencing an issue with these animals, please give Hogarth’s a call today!
