Especially in the fall of the year one may hear mysterious sounds in crawl areas, attics or walls. Although it may seem that a ghostly presence may have taken residence in your home, there is a real possibility that your home has become the residence of squirrels.
Why would the spring or fall of the year be such an active time for squirrels? It all has to do with biology! Did you know that Fox squirrels have two breeding seasons, once in December/January then another in early summer? When the young reach maturity, they are not fully grown and as avid climbers they can work into holes or access points in a structure that may look too small for an animal to enter.
The small squirrels, cute as they may be, turn out to be very destructive. Although many folks call them “piney squirrels,” the term is not actually correct. A piney squirrel is an American Red Squirrel. What we deal with in Indiana are Fox Squirrels or Grey Squirrels for the most part. The most destructive squirrel is the Fox Squirrel especially since their immature stages find them chewing on electrical wiring, plastic pipes and in general soiling all over stored items in attics and storage areas.
The diet of the Fox Squirrel consists of acorns, insects, corn and seeds nuts of all kinds as well as fruits and berries. Squirrels do not hibernate so they can be active all twelve months of the year. You may even find a stash of their nuts in your house where they have taken up residence.
Here is a tip for protection against our friend the squirrel. Capturing squirrels may be done with live traps or kill traps, but be aware there are laws in place to protect much wildlife. In the meantime, once squirrels have been vacated from your structure, seal them out by sealing up openings because squirrels can come back to areas that once housed a squirrel population and the problems start all over again. Call the DNR ~ Department of Natural Resources for tips to control your wildlife problem or call a company that possesses a wildlife removal permit like Pest Assassin or Wildlife Warriors for help.
In any case, whether one calls these nuisance squirrels piney squirrels or Fox Squirrels, beware of the damage they can cause to your home.