Orkin Canada’s Guide to Understanding Squirrels

Squirrels are found across Canada. In fact, there are 22 different species of squirrels, including grey squirrels, that are present in Canada. They are categorized as being ground-dwelling, tree species or flying squirrels. Learn more about the different types of squirrels here. Whether they’re running along fences, running up trees or scampering across roofs, squirrels are extremely active throughout the year, which means they can become a pest if they enter or damage the exterior or interior of your home (like the attic or crawlspace). Let’s dive into everything you need to know about squirrels – from the lifecycle of squirrels to their behaviour, squirrel pest control and more.

• When Do Squirrels Have Babies?
• Squirrel Behaviours 
• Can Squirrels Bite Humans?
• Do Squirrels Hibernate?
• What Diseases Can Squirrels Transmit to Humans?
• Why Squirrels can be a Pest 
• Squirrel Pest Control: Prevention Tips
• Squirrel Removal from Orkin Canada

When Do Squirrels Have Babies?

Squirrel baby season is around the beginning of a new year. There are two breeding seasons for squirrels – usually the first season is during the winter, which runs from February to December. Litters are born around late February and March, while the second breeding season is in summer, from June to August with litters born in the late summer. Here is the lifecycle of squirrels, from birth to adulthood.

Squirrels at birth

The gestation period for squirrels varies by species, lasting between 28 to 45 days. When born, the babies, known as kits, are blind and hairless. A typical litter can range from three to ten kits. The young are dependent on their mother for at least six weeks and some species may continue to nurse up to twelve weeks before weaning off and leaving the nest. 

New mothers seek protected areas to raise their babies, as the tree nests they use most of the year leave young exposed to predators. It’s during birthing seasons that squirrels often move closer to human homes, sometimes taking up residence behind and in between walls or in attics, sheds and chimneys.

If homeowners find baby squirrels in the attic, they probably haven’t been abandoned. More likely, the mother is out gathering food. After weaning, young begin venturing out with their mothers to find more natural shelters. This is an important consideration when attempting to block re-entry. If babies are trapped inside, not only will they die, but the mother will furiously try to rescue them and possibly cause structural damage.

Squirrels in adulthood

Squirrels typically reach maturity around nine months of age, at which point adolescent squirrels leave their nests to find their own territories. In the wild, squirrels enjoy lifespans anywhere from 5 to 10 years, though the average lifespan of a squirrel is likely much shorter. Due to diseases, human interaction and predators, it is estimated that most wild squirrels do not live more than 18 months.

Squirrel Behaviours

Squirrels are agile, quick and spend their time being playful, chasing other squirrels up trees and across yards. During the spring season, they also become more territorial as it’s the start of mating season for squirrels. This is also when litters are born and adult squirrels focus on raising their young. You may notice squirrels making louder sounds or aggressively chasing away other squirrels to protect their territory. 

Can Squirrels Bite Humans?

As rodents, squirrels’ teeth constantly grow, so they need to be worn down daily through constant gnawing. With their strong teeth, they can chew through wood, plastic, rubber, and even metal. Though healthy squirrels typically won’t bite unless provoked, their bites can be painful and draw blood. Fortunately, the risk of contracting rabies from a squirrel bite is low, as they rarely carry the virus and are not known to transmit it to humans. However, squirrels can be infected with a fatal roundworm brain parasite, which can cause symptoms that resemble rabies. If a squirrel behaves aggressively, charges, or bites without provocation, it’s crucial to seek medical attention immediately.

To prevent squirrel bites, here are some tips to keep in mind: 

• Prevent squirrels from entering attics, sheds, and garages by sealing potential entry points with steel wool, sheet metal, or hardware cloth.
• Avoid all physical contact with squirrels, as their bites can penetrate even the toughest materials.
• Do not feed squirrels, as it attracts them and makes them braver around humans.
• Never feed squirrels from your hands, as they may bite.
• Do not allow or encourage children to play with or handle squirrels.
• Avoid approaching or handling nests with young squirrels, as mothers will aggressively protect their offspring.
• Baby squirrels may approach people without fear and climb their legs. Prevent this interaction, as a mother squirrel may attack if she perceives a threat to her young.

What to do if a squirrel bites you

If bitten by a squirrel, seek medical attention immediately, even though rabies is rare in these squirrels. Be sure to record and provide specific detailed information about the incident, including the location, circumstances, time and any observable conditions of the squirrel, such as weakness, erratic behavior, or foaming at the mouth. This information can be crucial for diagnosis and treatment.

Do Squirrels Hibernate?

Just like people, squirrels stay inside during the winter and rely on natural insulation to stay warm. The duration of their hibernation varies depending on the climate and species. While some squirrel species hibernate for only a few months, the Richardson’s ground squirrel—native to Southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba—may hibernate for a significantly longer period.

On the other hand, tree and flying squirrels are active year round. Instead of hibernating, they rely on sheltered dens in trees, fat reserves and food caches to survive the cold weather. During mild winters when the pests are outside more often, homeowners may notice that squirrels look portlier than their sleek, warm-weather selves. This is because they build up layers of fat to survive foraging trips in cold conditions.

“Squirrelling” away provisions

To make finding food easier during winter, squirrels often create food caches. These underground stockpiles of calorie-rich nuts and seeds take different forms depending on species. While a single grey squirrel may create several thousand buried caches each season, red squirrels work together to create one communal hoard. In addition to nuts, the pests forage for insects, bird eggs, mushrooms and animal bones during cold weather.

What Diseases can Squirrels Transmit to Humans?

Squirrels are known to carry numerous diseases, though only a few are dangerous to humans. Some of the more common include tularemia, typhus, plague and ringworm. Such diseases are transmitted through bites or other forms of direct contact with infected squirrels. Tularemia, typhus and plague have symptoms that mimic the flu and can be deadly when left untreated. Squirrels can also transmit rabies, though this is very rare.

Parasites and disease

Other diseases squirrels transmit to humans come from the various parasites they carry. Rife with parasites such as fleas, ticks and mites, squirrels living in proximity to homes frequently pass these tiny pests on to both humans and pets. Some of the parasites such as ticks transmit Lyme, Encephalitis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever diseases.

Why Squirrels can be a Pest

While a squirrel’s nut caches help to disperse the seeds of hardwood trees, they can create damage to yards. Tree and flying squirrels may tear up well-groomed lawns in multiple places while stockpiling food or eat from gardens and trees. In addition, squirrels in winter often seek shelter in attics, sheds and garages. While ground squirrel hibernation means they pose few problems during winter, burrowing and debarking during warmer seasons can damage trees, cause mounds that damage lawn equipment and create tripping hazards.

Squirrels can chew on electrical wires indoors, outdoors or in vehicles and damage insulation or external areas within a home. They can also damage your garden by digging up bulbs and vegetables, or digging holes in the yard. If squirrels do enter homes, they can damage attics and make scratching sounds in the walls. 

If you think you might have a squirrel infestation, we can help provide professional wildlife control for your home that includes squirrel pest removal and damage cleanup. 

Signs of a squirrel infestation

Think you might have a squirrel infestation in your home? Need to know how to get rid of squirrels in your home? An Orkin Pro can provide treatment for squirrel removal and solutions on how to get rid of squirrels in the home. Here are some signs that you might have a squirrel infestation: 

• Visible sightings (daytime activity, nests in trees or structures)
• Hearing noises (scratching, scampering sounds in walls or attics)
• Droppings and urine stains
• Chewed wires, wood or insulation
• Nests in hidden spots

Squirrel Pest Control Prevention Tips

Here are some tips to prevent squirrels from getting onto your property and indoors:

• Be sure to cut back trees or overhanging branches around your yards. Overgrown trees can allow squirrels to gain access and hop or climb onto a roof and enter inside. 
• Install squirrel or wildlife barriers around gardens to prevent attraction and feeding. 
• Eliminate or reduce active food sources such as fallen tree fruits and over-ripe vegetables by picking and cleaning regularly.
• Keep garbage in lidded garbage receptacles and always keep it close.
• Block any gaps or entry holes on your roof. Metal plates or mesh can help block any entry points.
• Seal up any screen vents, holes and gaps in the wall or around utility line entry points.
• Remove any objects that are stacked up against the side of your home. Doing this can prevent squirrels from scurrying up to vulnerable areas within the exterior of your home.
• Do not feed squirrels, as it attracts them and eventually they will nest on property.
• If feeding birds, use squirrel-proof feeders and clean spills regularly.
• Install and use deterring or frightening devices to keep them off your property.

Squirrel Removal from Orkin Canada

Orkin Canada has a team of expert and experienced wildlife professionals that can provide safe and effective squirrel pest control if you suspect you have squirrel activity in or around your home. We have wildlife removal specialists that work diligently to humanely remove pests from your property. Contact us today to learn more and schedule a free home estimate.