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Trapper John,
Expert Squirrel Trapper
Squirrels are furry rodents with large bushy tails. Though there are some breeds which are purely ground dwelling; the ones that usually live in trees are the subject of this page. The common tree squirrel spends most of its' life foraging for food. Their average diet is nuts, berries, buds, and other plant parts. They will also supplement their diet with insects, lizards, snakes, mice, and even birds.
Squirrels are master climbers and possess a sharp sense of smell as well as outstanding eyesight. Their hind legs are larger than their front legs. The feet have soft pads and claws which aid in scampering from tree to tree.
They mate usually in the late spring/early summer and can have an average of six offspring who are dependent on their mother for the first month and a half.
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Unfortunately our homes have spaces, such as the attic and inside of walls, which attract squirrels looking for nests and places to store food. The average house is heated in the winter and cooled in the summer making an ideal place to raise young squirrels. Squirrels will defecate and urinate all over spaces they can access making yet more problems with odors and insects drawn to the dung.
It is illegal to poison squirrels, there are no poisons made specifically for them, and the poisoned squirrel will usually die in a hard to reach place or your pet dog or cat may get ahold of it and become sick or even die from the poisons in the squirrels' body. There are plenty of gimmicks being advertised to scare squirrels away. The only sure way to remove squirrels from a home or business without the hazards of poison or leaving dead animals in your walls or attic is live trapping.
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In addition to the waste sqirrels leave in the attic and wall spaces and their associated odors: is the danger of fire created by the squirrels (or any other rodent) gnawing on the electrical wiring. Why do squirrels and other rodents gnaw on hard objects? Their teeth continually grow their entire life. If they do not keep them a manageable length they cannot properly eat. Thousands of fires a year are attributed to this gnawing in buildings. Of the average 50,000 house fires investigated a year more than 25% of them are listed as having been started by “unknown causes.”
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Mouse over the photo to the right to zoom in on the squirrel in the trap.
