We all love squirrels, their cute appearance, and their playfulness. But these cute creatures, whom we love to see climbing trees, taking a leap, and cracking nuts with their teeth, can also create havoc in our homes if left unchecked.
Squirrels dwell on the treetop to avoid being consumed by the land borne predators. If the tree branches extend to the roof of the house then the roof becomes an extension of their living quarter and their favorite playground
Can squirrels damage your roof?
Once squirrels are on your rooftop, it becomes their favorite playground apart from being their dwelling space. Squirrels like to run on the roofs during the evening and early morning hours. During this period they are most energetic.
Squirrels come equipped with some of the toughest teeth among rodents. Armed with such sharp teeth, they easily chew through the roof shingles to reach the underlayment and deck. This may cause irreparable damage to the roof.
Squirrels may also tear roof soffits and create holes in it. They can also damage gutters.
How to keep squirrels off the roof and out of soffits
Squirrels, to protect themselves from predators, prefer to stay either on the tree top or make their way to the roof for a safer haven. There are two ways through which squirrels can reach the roof, either by climbing the poles or jumping from the extended tree branches bending onto the roof.
Trees within the vicinity of the house must be trimmed so that those overhanging branches could not act as an access route for squirrels onto the roof. Also, you can attach a squirrel guard around the pole and tree trunk.
This entails attaching a sheet of metal that is 2 feet wide and 6 feet tall around the pole or tree trunk. Then cover that sheet of metal with wire and springs. The metal surface is slippery for the squirrels, so it will be tough for them to climb up the poles, and trees and make their way up to the roof.
How to keep squirrels off your house
Apart from preventing squirrels from climbing on your house, you would do well by taking measures to keep them completely away from your house.
Squirrels climb on the trees and make their way to our homes to prevent themselves from predators. Roaming around on land makes them prone to be attacked by predators like minks, weasels, bobcats, raptors, red foxes, and snakes.
Squirrels are extremely sensitive to the smell of the urine and fleece of the predators and avoid those places frequented by those predators. Keeping this in mind squirrel repellant sprays have been created that are mostly composed of the urine of the predators.
You can spray this repellant spray around your house to keep squirrels at bay.
If you have a pet cat or dog then you can throw their hair and some of your own hair all around the garden. Squirrels consider humans, cats, and dogs as a primary threat to their survival and this will force them to leave your house.
Then there is some flower smell that squirrels absolutely detest especially marigolds and mustard. You can plant these flowers in your garden and they will effectively keep squirrels away from your abode.
Squirrels can not handle hot and spicy smells too. You can spread flakes of white pepper on your plants, this will further bolster your defense against squirrels.
Squirrel inside your house
Squirrels once made their way into the roof, can easily sneak inside your house into your attic, if they find a passage in the form of a hole in the roof. They can also create those holes themselves also.
During winters squirrels search for warm places and houses provide that perfect refuge and comfort to them during extreme weather.
Squirrels once inside your house can cause damage to the electrical wirings and wooden structure. Also, their urine and fleece can cause a stinking smell all around your house.
Once you have detected the presence of squirrels inside your home, you should get hold of a ladder, and flashlight and carry out a detailed search on the roof for the presence of any holes or serious damage. In case of broken shingles or damaged roofs, call your trusted roofing professional in Toronto immediately to get it repaired.
