Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

The Definitive Guide to Squirrel Control and Where to Find a
Wildlife Control Professional!

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Identification

Tree squirrels may be divided into three groups: large tree squirrels (Gray, Fox, and Tassel-eared), pine squirrels (Red and Douglas), and flying squirrels (Northern and Southern).

Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Eastern gray squirrels are mid-sized, with relatively narrow tails and short ears compared to western gray squirrels. They have a pale gray coat with a reddish-brown wash on the face, back and tail. Their under parts are creamy white.

With their high productive rate of 4-5 young per litter and two litters a year, they can easily have 10 young per year! Now instead of one chewing squirrel in your house, you could have 11! We would say 12, but Father Squirrel doesn’t hang around and help raise the young. He is off doing whatever Father squirrels do.

The first litter is normally born January – March and the second litter from May – August. Young are born approximately 44 days after conception and the young are mobile in 6-7 weeks.

Gray Squirrels are active year round and do not hibernate. They are early risers and are up before dawn and end their day around dusk or shortly thereafter. In the summer, that may be as late as 9:00PM.

Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)

They are salt-and-pepper to steel gray on the back with contrasting white under parts. They are distinguished by their very long and bushy white-edged tails, large feet and prominent ears, which are reddish-brown at the back in winter. Western gray squirrels forage in trees for acorns and conifer seeds, but also search the ground for mushrooms and bury acorns. They travel from tree to tree or on the ground in graceful, wave-like leaps. They may vocalize in the fall with a hoarse bark: "chuff-chuffchuff".

The Western Gray Squirrel is a threatened species in some western states and is located along the West Coast of the United States and Canada. Loss of habitat is the primary reason for the decline in population.

Oak stands and Ponderosa pines provide the main food supply. Mushrooms, tender twigs and shoots as well as grains are also dietary items.

The normal litter size of the Western Gray Squirrel is 2-5 and the young are born between February and June. Young emerge from the den at 6 weeks. Only 1 litter per year is produced.

Western Grays are active during daylight hours only and do not hibernate.

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Fox squirrels are large with variable reddish-brown to pale gray backs and red to yellow-orange under parts. They have broad tails, coarse, grizzled fur and short ears. Fox squirrels can be found in habitats with fewer trees than most other tree squirrels.

The Fox Squirrel has the same productive rate as the Eastern Gray Squirrel and can have up to 10 young per year. This squirrel is larger than the Eastern Gray Squirrel and will actively try to get back into a house when sealed out. Due to its’ size, it can easily chew large holes into just about any structure including soft concrete!

Pine or Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Red squirrels are native and closely resemble their cousin the Douglas' squirrel. Their coat is typically reddish-brown on the back, fading to brown on the sides. A black line contrasts with the white belly in summer, but fades as the whole coat brightens in winter. The eye has a prominent white ring.

This tiny squirrel thrives on pine cones to survive in the often harsh environments it lives in. Pine squirrels are often found at high altitudes in extreme temperatures.

Litter size ranges from 3-7 babies and may produce 2 litters a year. The Pine squirrel is usually a very solitary animal and quite territorial as well.

Their diet consists of plants, grains, eggs, small rabbits and small birds. Yes… they are a meat eater! Pine squirrels will certainly live in your home if given the chance. Your home is much cozier than your average pine tree! Pine squirrels often enter a home in the smallest of holes. Some holes have been found the size of a 50 cent piece!

Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii)

Douglas' squirrels are small native tree squirrels. They are dark chestnut on the back fading to a reddish- or brownish-gray on the sides; their under parts are orange to gray and are offset by a short black stripe. The eye ring is pale orange. Their tails are somewhat bushy, slightly flattened and have a black tip. Douglas' squirrels vocalize often and have a range of calls from a low "chirr" to a sharp staccato "cough".

Douglas squirrels eat the seeds of coniferous tress such as Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce and Shore Pine. Other items they consume are berries, mushrooms, acorns, bird eggs and fruit.

The Douglas squirrel normally has 4-5 young per litter and up to two litters per year. The young typically emerge at about 8 weeks of age.

They are active during daylight hours and do not hibernate in winter.

This tiny squirrel can squeeze into the smallest holes in a home or commercial building. Any opening as large as a silver dollar would be easy for this squirrel to enter. Care must be taken when capturing this squirrel to prevent injury to it. Small squirrels are more delicate than their larger counterparts.

California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi)

California ground squirrels have large heads and stout bodies. Their upper parts are gray-brown with light flecks and the belly is off-white. A triangle of dark fur on the back contrasts with white-tinged shoulders. Their tails are gray above and off-white below, and can be narrow or bushy. They may be seen in trees, but spend most of their time on the ground, where they run belly to the ground.

There are many different species of Ground Squirrels in America. 13 Lined and the California Ground Squirrels are two popular species.

Their diets consist of all grains and crops such as apricots, almonds, walnuts, apples, peaches, prunes, sugar beets, beans and peas.

On average, 7 young are born per year and birthing time is the middle of April. Young will be active by the middle of May.

Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

Northern flying squirrels have dense, silky cinnamon to gray-brown fur above and a cream-colored belly. They have wide, flat tails, large dark eyes and relatively long ears. A fur-covered fold of skin stretches from the wrist to the ankle and is extended outward when they glide. They are rarely seen because they are nocturnal and sleep in tree cavities or stick nests during the day.

Northern and Southern Flying Squirrels are one of our most unique squirrels. It is solely active at night and actually “glides” from tree to tree. It will jump from one tree and spread its body out and use the fur wing shaped pocket as a wing to glide to the next tree. The tail serves as a rudder to steer the squirrel as it flies.

Females can produce 2 litters a year. Breeding begins in February and March and also May through July. Litter size is from 3-7 and young emerge in 6-8 weeks.

Northern and Southern Flying Squirrels store up food for winter. It is not uncommon to see large quantities of acorns and hickory nuts stored in attics. In harsh weather, Flying Squirrels will not leave the den and eat the food that it has stored. This species of squirrel does not hibernate and remains active throughout the winter.

It is not uncommon to capture more than one family of Flying Squirrels in a home. They are known to live in communal groups and share the same attic space.

Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus variegates)

A large, moderately bushy-tailed ground squirrel; upper parts mottled grayish brown, the hind back and rump more brownish (head or head and upper back blackish in some parts of the state); tail mixed buff and brown, edged with white; under parts buffy white or pinkish buff.

The Rock Squirrel is one of the few true squirrels that live underground. Although it is capable of climbing trees, the Rock Squirrel prefers to live in rocky areas of the Western states.

The Rock Squirrel is capable of having 2 litters of young a year and the first being born in March – June and the second in August – September. 3-9 young are generally born in each litter.

Their diet consists of seeds, insects, fruits, carrion, small birds and eggs. They will also climb trees and eat their flowers, beans and buds.

Abert Squirrel (Sciurus aberti)

Abert's squirrel is also know as the tassel-eared squirrel. It has long tufts or tassels of fur on its ears. Its fur is gray on the sides, reddish on the back and white on the belly. It has a bushy tail with white fur on the underside. In the summer, its ear tassels may be smaller or they may disappear. Abert's squirrel has long rear paws and strong hind legs. It spends a lot of time in trees and is well-adapted for climbing and leaping from branch to branch.

Its primary diet consists of Ponderosa Pine bark, cones and terminal buds. It will also eat the nuts of Pinion Pine trees.

Litter size of 1-5 young is normal and only one litter a year is raised.

Abert Squirrels will enter and live in houses. They normally use existing holes in the home and do not normally chew a new hole.

This squirrel is experiencing habitat loss by Fox Squirrels moving into its range and pushing it out. The Fox Squirrel is an invasive species in the West and as its population grows it will further threaten the Abert Squirrel.

Range

The squirrels of North America are as varied as the environments they live in and adapt well to the many challenges in their native land. Where there are Humans, there you will find squirrels.

Damage Caused by Squirrels

Squirrels are one of the most destructive animals in the United States and create millions of dollars of damage to homes, businesses, trees, telephone, cable and electrical wiring utilities. They not only chew on wiring, but also structural components such as rafters and siding. The list doesn’t stop there.

Plastic vent covers, metal vent screens, roof shingles, roof boot jacks and window sills are all on the squirrels “menu”! Squirrels also cause an occasional major power outage when they enter power substations and short out the power grid.

Power companies lose money every year from these outages! And you suffer from the outage too. Squirrels are the cause of many house fires each year. The chewing nature of the squirrel causes them to destroy electrical wires in attics and crawlspaces. Squirrels must chew to keep their continuously growing teeth ground down.

Anything that is not as hard as their teeth can be chewed on such as aluminum, lead and thin gauge metals. Vinyl is one of their favorite materials to chew. Each year we remove many squirrels that have fallen down a wall from the attic.

The only way to remove them is to cut them out of the wall. A squirrel in the wall can also chew wiring. If left in the wall, the squirrel will die and create a very bad odor problem lasting a long time.

Your outside furniture may not be safe as well. Squirrels have been known to chew it open and use the soft cotton material to make nests with it. Your favorite outdoor seat just became nest lining material for a new batch of squirrels!

Cars and trucks are also damaged by squirrels chewing electrical wiring. Severe damage can occur to wiring harnesses and replacement costs can add up to thousands of dollars.

Tree squirrels may carry rabies, toxoplasmosis, sylvatic (bubonic) plague, western encephalitis, encephalomyocarditis, murine typhus, tularemia, endemic relapsing fever and ringworm. All of these diseases are transmittable to humans.

Wiring recovered from an apartment attic that fed the air handler units

The United States has many different squirrel species that cause damage all year. The most damage causing is the Gray Squirrel. The Gray Squirrel is the most common species and is abundant in large numbers across the country.

Roofline where gutter meets a corner. Notice the chewed shingles, fascia and gutter.

Control Methods

Eastern Gray Squirrel Control and Removal is a process that requires a specially trained Wildlife Control Professional. Many things can go wrong when doing it yourself such as making a squirrel trap shy if it escapes from a trap. After that happens it becomes much more difficult to capture the squirrel.

The squirrels must be removed, the house or building checked for damage and the damage repaired. Ectoparasites such as fleas and mites should also be treated for if present after the removal process is complete.

Western Gray squirrel control must be done in accordance with all local, state and federal laws.

Fox Squirrel, It is best to remove and relocate this squirrel after it is caught. Attempts to wait for it to leave and then seal it up may result in the squirrel making a new hole in your home! Or you may trap the young in the attic and have them die or fall down between your walls.

Douglas Squirrel, Care must be taken when capturing this squirrel to prevent injury to it. Small squirrels are more delicate than their larger counterparts.

Southern Flying Squirrels are protected in many states as their numbers have been on the decline in recent years.

No matter what the Pest problem is, the best Solution is to Hire a Professional. Click below to find one near you!

Live traps, baited with succulent leaves or sprigs of clover, can be used to capture marmots, which then can be moved to a more suitable habitat. To keep the pests from returning, relocate them to a place at least five miles away.

If the marmots are not too numerous, you can keep them from damaging precious plants by planting an attractive feeding spot close to the den. Given their preference, marmots will eat succulent clover over most other types of plants, so a plot of red or white pasture clover would be a good choice for your "marmot garden".

Placing a marmot fence around choice vegetation can be a good alternative, but the job must be done right. Marmots excel at both digging and climbing. The fence must made of mesh wire, and be at least 4 feet tall and preferably bowed outward at the top. The bottom must be buried 12 to 18 inches into the ground; if possible, the underground portion of the fence should jut outward to form "L" that will make it harder for the marmot to dig underneath. In reality, fences are of questionable value in keeping marmots at bay. One exception to this is the use of electrified fencing with multiple wires spaced from just above ground level to about 2 feet up.

For best results contact a Wildlife Control Professional.