If you see the cheery bounce of a bushy tail on a squirrel in Ontario, odds are you’ve just spotted the most common one found here, known as the grey squirrel. As the name suggests, they’re usually grey, but sometimes you’ll see ones with darker fur in black. Despite the rather dull-sounding name, they can be at the center of some craziness and you’ll want squirrels in your home removed, yesterday!
Understand how crazy squirrels are – then take control!
Squirrels are crazy hoarders
If you’ve ever watched an episode of one of those reality TV shows about people who hoard, the habits of our grey squirrels will have a familiar ring to them. Squirrels are always hard at work collecting food, typically amassing large collections of hundreds of seeds and nuts in preparation for winter. Here’s a funny scenario to ponder: red squirrels tend to create big piles of nuts on the ground, while grey squirrels like to bury them all over the place – if grey squirrels moved into a forest populated by red ones, would the grey squirrels steal the food piles and bury them instead? Food fight!
Squirrels are crazy smart
This might just blow you away. According to National Geographic, squirrels have been known to preserve mushrooms for eating over the winter (“mushroom jerky”), and, they know which nuts to eat immediately for maximum nutritional value and which ones can be saved for eating weeks later. We so often underestimate the intelligence of wild animals, especially seemingly simple ones like the lowly squirrel – fun facts like these really drive the point home that they’re a lot smarter than we typically give them credit for.
Squirrels are crazy dare devils
If you’ve ever seen a grey squirrel scampering through the trees, it’s an inescapable fact that they’re a bit of a daredevil. They race along high and often flimsy-looking branches in the treetops to get from place to place, jumping from one branch to another with seemingly wild abandon.
Squirrels have crazy big families
Females have their babies twice a year, and can produce as many as 8 babies with each litter. So in a single year, it would be possible to go from a cozy couple of cohabiting squirrels to a busy family of 18! Breeding season takes place in late fall/early winter and early summer/late spring.
Squirrels are crazy to think they can live in your home
Due to their propensity for wreaking havoc after they move in, they’re definitely crazy for thinking you’ll let them coexist with you in your home. With their ability to chew through your wiring (talk about a fire hazard!), chew holes to get into the attic and walls of your home, plus the fact that they may be digging unsightly holes in your lawn and pigging out on your ornamental plants thus ruining your gardening efforts, they’re not exactly an easy house guest to have. And when you consider the annoying noises made by them scampering through your attic, you know they’ve got to go!
Don’t Let Nuisance Squirrels Drive You Crazy – Take Control!
With the damage they can cause to your house and landscaping, combined with their propensity for having large families, it’s important to take measures to protect your property from the damage they can cause. Take steps to prevent them from moving into your attic or other places in your home. Also, do what you can to deter them from ruining your landscaping.
There are many options available to you, but keep in mind that it’s pointless to relocate them since Ontario law prohibits you from moving them more than 1 km away from where you found them. Instead, focus your efforts on making it difficult for them to gain access to areas where they can cause problems. And if you already have a bad squirrel infestation, consult with a pro to help you get rid of them fast or get more squirrel removal tips!
If you’re in Burlington, Oakville, Milton or the Halton-Hamilton Region, contact Regional Wildlife Services to get rid of nuisance squirrels from your home or commercial property!
