Released: February 01, 2005

Today’s ‘Playful’ Squirrels May Become Damaging Pests

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Tree squirrels in recent weeks have been attracting attention with some strange-seeming antics. While most wildlife are hunkered down for winter, the bushy-tailed tree climbers appear to be playing – perhaps to entertain the relatively hairless humans trapped indoors by the weather.

For tree squirrels, however, chasing each other now is serious business, said Charlie Lee, wildlife specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

In fact, the squirrels are so focused that their activities can inadvertently lead to hazards for humans, as well as survival of squirrel species. All that’s required is rodent-sized access into a building.

January-February is a major mating season for the fox squirrel, the largest and most widespread tree-dwelling species found in Kansas, Lee said. It’s also mating season for the smaller gray squirrels that live in the eastern one-third of the state.

February-March is mating season for the nocturnal flying squirrels in southeast Kansas.

So, 2005’s baby squirrels will start arriving in about six weeks. Average litter size: three.

Then the squirrels may have a second mating season in May-June, the wildlife specialist said.

From the squirrels’ point of view, babies on the way means three driving needs: food, an open water source and a protected nest.

“How big of a pest they’ll be will depend on how easy those three things are to get,” Lee said. “That can work both ways. If food is scarce, squirrels are quite capable of stripping the bark from ornamental trees and shrubs. If food is laid out like a buffet, you can expect them to do everything they can to get to your bird feeder.”

Where squirrels progress from a nuisance to a danger is the point at which they enter structures.

“They can get to your roof along electrical lines, telephone lines or cable TV wires. They can jump – up to 5 or 6 feet – from nearby tree limbs,” he said. “They can damage siding, but usually get into buildings through some kind of hole that isn’t screened.

“That may be why most complaints involve chimneys, attics or adjacent knee walls. If you find a squirrel in the basement, it probably just fell through the chimney. It may even have built a nest there.”

Once inside, squirrels often damage insulation and wiring. They also may damage household contents. If efforts to get rid of them make them feel trapped or chased, the havoc they wreak gets worse.

“Having to remove them from your house is the last thing you want,” Lee warned. “Keeping them out is by far the better way to reduce problems with all kinds of wildlife.”

Excluding squirrels must include periodic checks to see that everything on a building’s shell is tight, Lee said. If not, owners must take action – first by making sure no squirrels will be trapped inside.

“In most cases, you should just open doors or windows and let the squirrel find its way out,” he said. “You may need professional help if one’s in your chimney. It can’t get out on its own, up or down.”

If that doesn’t work, the next approach is to bait a 9x9x24-inch “live” or cage trap with peanut butter or nut meats. Then, once the squirrel is trapped, release it outdoors.

“You can’t hunt or otherwise trap Kansas fox or gray squirrels except between June 1 and Dec. 31. And that’s only if local ordinances allow it – although some exemptions may apply if the animals are inside buildings, causing damage,” Lee said. “Flying squirrels are protected year-round.”

Squirrel-proofing a home, he said, requires several steps: Use ½-inch hardware cloth to cover the insides (not outsides) of attic vents and similar openings. Repair rotting boards along soffits or behind eave troughs. Replace broken windows. Cap chimneys, and fill the openings for utility wires and pipes.

“A sheet metal wrap or the type of squirrel baffle sold for bird feeder poles can keep squirrels from climbing nearby tree trunks. A 24-inch length of plastic PVC pipe – slit so you can place it over narrow branches – will rotate and cause the animals to lose their footing up in a tree,” he said. “Don’t use PVC pipe to modify electric lines, though, unless you clear that idea with the utility company first.”

Some people supply squirrels with shelled or ear corn, to keep them away from a bird feeder. In the same way, supplying nesting boxes can help keep squirrels away from human habitations, Lee said.

“Of course, both practices may also serve to increase the number of squirrels trying to live in the area and thus increase your potential for damage,” he added.

Homeowners can get more information about controlling squirrel damage year-round from their local Extension office or on the Web at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/wldlf2/L863.pdf .

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Kathleen Ward
kward@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News