Squirrels aren’t out to cause trouble, but they tend to bring it along with them when they enter a nearby home or business. Whether you’ve got a squirrel infestation down in the bottom floor or above in the attic, you could be seriously in over your head—and over your budget—with property damage.
Costly Structural Damage
Don’t let their small size or charm lead you to underestimate the chaos they can cause; squirrels are some of the most troublesome pests your property could face. The damage that they cause in your home or business can include the following.
Messy nests – To feel safe and comfortable wherever they settle, squirrels like to build nests. While overstaying their welcome in your residence or business squirrels may bring in dirty outdoor materials like leaves and twigs. However, they’re more likely to use substances nearby, like your attic insulation, which can have lasting effects on your HVAC unit.
Gnawed wires – Squirrels have a bad habit of chewing—even when it isn’t in their best interest. They can gnaw through wires connected to running appliances and start electrical shortages or cause fires. Even if they get their hands on wires that aren’t connected, you can face the consequences when mistakenly using these chords in the future.
Roof leaks – Because they rarely enter through actual entrances, squirrels tend to chew their way through the foundation, siding, or roof. If they open up gaps on top of your home or business, it can create holes that bring rainwater right into your attic. The damage from an attic flood can ruin your personal items, stored goods, wooden beams, the attic floor, and the ceiling underneath.
Damaged pipes – Unfortunately, squirrels can easily penetrate PVC with chewing alone. The smallest bite out of a plumbing pipe can cause a pretty massive leak, which can destroy parts of your building that are really hard to reach. Therefore, if squirrels spring a leak, your building may need some intensive labor that comes at a high price.
Health and Safety Scares
The cost of a squirrel issue is more than monetary. These wild rodents carry bacteria and parasites that can spread throughout your home or business, contaminate food and water sources, and potentially harm everyone in your building. Some of the most common health hazards of a squirrel infestation include:
Leptospirosis – As squirrels trample around your territory, they can contaminate food and water sources—spreading bacteria that causes this serious infection.
Tularemia – If a squirrel passes away on your property, there’s still a significant risk of contamination. Caused by the bacteria Francisella tularensis, tularemia can spread from infected squirrels to humans through polluted water.
Rabies – Rabies is a terrifying affliction that can affect countless animals, including squirrels — and humans. Although it’s rare for rabies to infect rodents, the fatal symptoms should be cautionary enough to keep business and homeowners from coming close to squirrels.
Lyme disease – Close contact with squirrels potentially means close contact with ticks—and close calls with Lyme disease. Flu-like symptoms and joint pain are just two of the common side effects of a bite from an infected tick.
Saving Your Space from Squirrels
One squirrel inside your home or business is one too many. Considering the financial, structural, and medical costs of a squirrel infestation, it’s much cheaper to prevent them from ever entering your building. To save money and save your space, partner with the wildlife management technicians at Critter Control® of Indianapolis. Our team of pest professionals can inspect your property to uncover potential entry points and create a long-term wildlife prevention strategy.
