Signs of a Raccoon Problem vs a Squirrel Problem
Signs of a Raccoon Problem vs a Squirrel Problem
It’s easy to mistake a raccoon for a squirrel in your attic – to the untrained ear, both just sound like scratching or scurrying. But telling them apart matters, as each of them can cause different kinds of damage, pose unique health and safety risks, and require its own removal approach. There are a number of telltale signs that can determine whether you have a squirrel or raccoon on your hands, and by the end of this post, you’ll have a better idea which animal you’re most likely dealing with.
If you suspect you’re dealing with nuisance wildlife, Westchester Wildlife offers the best wildlife trapping, removal, and exclusion services in the Westchester, Dutchess, and Putnam County areas! Call us today at (800) 273-6673 or fill out our contact form to schedule an inspection with our wildlife removal experts.
Noises You Hear in the House
One of the first signs homeowners notice is sound. If you know what to listen for, you’ll find that the noises raccoons and squirrels make as they move around are quite different:
- Raccoons: These animals are big enough to make heavy noises. You’ll hear loud thumping, dragging, or even growling and chattering. Most of this activity happens at night, since raccoons are nocturnal.
- Squirrels: By contrast, squirrels are much lighter and faster. Their noises sound like quick scurrying, scratching, or chewing. Activity is usually heard during the day, especially early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
Entry Points and Access
Both raccoons and squirrels are skilled at getting into homes, but they do so in different ways:
- Raccoons: They are strong enough to tear through soffits, vents, and even roofing shingles, and they can also climb right down chimneys. The openings they leave behind are large and easy to spot.
- Squirrels: On the other hand, squirrels rely on chewing to make their way inside – you’ll want to look for gnawed edges on fascia boards, roof corners, and attic vents. The openings are usually smaller, often just big enough for their bodies to squeeze through.
Damage Patterns
Once they are inside, each animal leaves its own type of damage behind:
- Raccoons: They can cause a great deal of damage by ripping apart insulation, knocking over ductwork, and destroying shingles or wood siding. Outdoors, they’re notorious for tipping over garbage cans and digging up lawns while foraging for grubs.
- Squirrels: These rodents constantly chew to keep their teeth short. They’ll gnaw on wires, creating a serious fire hazard, and they also chew beams and shred insulation to build nests.
Droppings and Odor
Both raccoons and squirrels are skilled at getting into homes, but they do so in different ways:
- Raccoons: They are strong enough to tear through soffits, vents, and even roofing shingles, and they can also climb right down chimneys. The openings they leave behind are large and easy to spot.
- Squirrels: On the other hand, squirrels rely on chewing to make their way inside – you’ll want to look for gnawed edges on fascia boards, roof corners, and attic vents. The openings are usually smaller, often just big enough for their bodies to squeeze through.
Day vs Night Activity
Another difference between squirrels and raccoons is that they are active during different times of day:
Visible Clues Outside the Home
Sometimes, your yard will show clear signs of whether you’re dealing with raccoons or squirrels:
Health and Safety Concerns
Having a squirrel or raccoon problem can also create different health risks to you and your family:
- Raccoons: They can carry rabies and are more likely to become aggressive if cornered. Their droppings can also contain raccoon roundworm, which is dangerous to people and pets.
- Squirrels: While less aggressive, squirrels can carry fleas and mites. The biggest safety threat they pose inside homes is electrical fires caused by chewed wiring.
When to Call a Professional
Whether it’s a raccoon or a squirrel, wildlife inside your home isn’t a problem you should tackle on your own. Both animals can bite or scratch if threatened, and in New York, there are legal restrictions on trapping and relocating wildlife. Professional removal ensures that the animals are handled humanely, the entry points are sealed, and your home is protected from future invasions.
At Westchester Wildlife, our team has decades of experience safely removing raccoons, squirrels, and other nuisance wildlife across Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties. We specialize in humane removal methods and prevention strategies that keep your home secure year-round.
Best Wildlife Trapping and Removal in Westchester, NY
Raccoons and squirrels may seem similar when they invade your home, but the signs of their presence are very different. From the noises you hear to the damage they leave behind, recognizing the difference can save you time, money, and stress. If you suspect a raccoon or squirrel problem, contact Westchester Wildlife for fast, professional, and humane wildlife removal services in New York and Connecticut. Call us today at (800) 273-6673 or submit our contact form to schedule an inspection and protect your home!
How Do Squirrels Prepare For Winter?
How Do Squirrels Prepare For Winter?
Labor Day has come and passed, and summer will soon be on its way out. As we get ready for the holidays and the colder weather of fall and winter, you might notice squirrels are more commonly out and about, scurrying across treetops and scavenging for food. Squirrels spend most of the summer and especially fall building up large storages of food that can satisfy them through the winter. Squirrels will also eat as much as possible, packing on fat stores that can keep them warm and sustain them when food is low. Additionally, squirrels will begin building nests inside trees or attic spaces to provide shelter for them and their young during the colder months.
If you have squirrels causing damage on your property, don’t panic. Squirrel populations can be easily handled through habitat modification and a good trapping and exclusion program. Westchester Wildlife can help, we offer the best squirrel trapping, removal, and exclusion services in Westchester County. Don’t get stuck with squirrel roommates this winter, contact our team to get started today with a FREE estimate at (914) 760-5713!
What Do Squirrels Eat?
During the fall, squirrels will be constantly on the move, searching for food they can consume to pack on the pounds or to store in a cache for the winter. Squirrels are major omnivores, and will eat pretty much anything that they can get their paws on. The main staples of the squirrel’s diet are nuts, seeds, and fruits, which they will scavenge for from trees, gardens, and birdfeeders. You might find squirrels feeding on plant roots and mushrooms. Squirrels also enjoy human foods that are high in fat or sugar, like cheese or cereal. If you have pet food that you are leaving out overnight, squirrels will raid these bowls for the food inside. Squirrels will also go after unprotected bird eggs, as well as some insects, grubs, worms, and small lizards.
Squirrel Hoarding
While squirrels will eat pretty much anything edible, they prioritize nuts and seeds above all else, as these can be stored inside their food caches for later use. Nuts and seeds can be eaten during the cold, dead, winter months, when food like plant roots, bird eggs, and insects are scarce. Squirrels store their food in caches, either in a scatter system or a larder system. Scatter systems involve squirrels digging numerous shallow pits, with a few nuts or seeds placed in each, and then over the winter months, digging them back up and eating them. Larder systems involve squirrels storing massive amounts of nuts and seeds in one location, like a tree cavity. If a squirrel has gotten comfortable enough in your attic, they might store these larder caches inside your attic space or even your wall voids. Discovering a large amount of nuts and seeds stored somewhere in your home is a surefire sign that squirrels are nesting on your property.
Where Do Squirrels Take Shelter for the Winter?
Squirrels stay active throughout the winter, continuing to dig up their food caches from the fall and search for any scarce food that they can find. However, during especially cold or snowy days, squirrels will stay inside their nests, sleeping and lowering their metabolism to conserve heat and energy. There are two main types of squirrel nests: dreys and cavity nests. Squirrel dreys are the large, scraggly clumps of dead leaves and twigs that you will see high up in large trees. Dreys are usually about 20 feet up, preferably in a tree that bears nuts, and located at the fork of two strong branches. While they look sharp and uncomfortable on the outside, the inside is usually made of soft moss or pine needles. Cavity nests are built inside a hollow tree or attic space, lined with leaves, moss, pine needles, straw, and more. Cavity nests provide squirrels with greater protection from harsh weather, heavy precipitation, and predators. Your home’s attic space provides the perfect spot for cavity nests, as the heat from your home and your soft, fluffy attic insulation provide them with a comfortable place to raise their young.
Habitat Modification for Squirrels
Squirrels can be a major nuisance when they decide to settle down on your property for the winter. Squirrels will gnaw and scratch at any cracks or gaps they can find in your roof, soffit, fascia board or rake board, and once they get inside your attic, they will rip up and soil your insulation. If you are starting to see a suspicious amount of squirrels on your property and you want to deter them from sticking around, then removing things from your yard that attract squirrels is a great start. Removing bird feeders, securing outdoor trash cans, taking in all pet food at night, and regularly removing nuts, seeds, and fruit that fall in your yard will help eliminate common food sources for squirrels. Having a licensed wildlife removal company like Westchester Wildlife come and inspect your home carefully for any entry points and then sealing these entry points can keep squirrels out.
Squirrel Trapping and Removal Services
If squirrels have decided to pick your attic space as their winter home, contact the experts at Westchester Wildlife for the best squirrel trapping and removal services in Westchester County, NY. As the cooler weather of fall begins to set in, squirrels will feast on any food they can find to pack on fat, and they will start storing nuts and seeds around their territory in caches to revisit later, when food is scarce. Squirrels will nest inside tree branches, tree cavities, or, most preferably, your attic space, where they will rip up and soil your insulation. Squirrels are rodents, meaning they have prominent front teeth that never stop growing. In order to keep the length of their teeth manageable, they will gnaw on anything they can find. In your attic space, that can include wooden beams and the rubber covering around wires, which can react with the insulation and any outside nesting material and cause a house fire.
If you have squirrels inside your home, don’t panic. Our team of licensed wildlife control operators can safely trap and remove all the squirrels that have gotten inside your home. Afterward, we will repair the damage they created while getting inside, sealing off their entry points and preventing them from returning. Contact Westchester Wildlife today to get started with a FREE estimate at (914) 760-5713!
Do Chipmunks Hibernate In Winter?
Whenever there is cold weather, chipmunks spend most of their time hibernating and simply sleeping or resting in their dens. They are known to be quite occupied, and just one of them will quickly gather up to 165 acorns per day.
In as little as two days, the chipmunk will have managed to collect enough food to take them through the whole winter season. However, they are also known to store up more food than is necessary, so they will typically have collected more than they need for the cold months.
Even though they are known to hibernate during the winter, chipmunks will not be asleep for the entire season as most other hibernators do. They will typically retreat back to their burrows. Occasionally, they wake up to bring their body temperature back to normal.
When they are on these awake breaks, the chipmunks will feed on the food stored over time to build up their fat reserves. This is very important for the cold season aa it allows them to stay protected from the cold. Every few days, the chipmunk wakes up for temperature adjustment, has a few more nuts, and quietly goes back to sleep for some more days.
What Months Do Chipmunks Hibernate?
The typical period for chipmunk hibernation lies between October and the middle of March. This is usually when the weather outside is harsh and the temperatures have dropped to deficient levels.
The chipmunks in the southern parts of the US have better weather, as it is much warmer in these places. As such, they will hibernate for a shorter amount of time, between December and late January. Their bodies also undergo essential changes that enable them to survive the winter.
These are all important as they ensure that the chipmunk can survive the harsh, cold months and get them through safely and as intact as possible. The months of hibernation are generally uneventful, and not many things happen during that time for chipmunks.
At What Temperature Do Chipmunks Hibernate?
At around 40°F is when the chipmunk starts to hibernate. Once it has gotten cold enough, it will retreat to its burrow to spend the winter.
Other things also happen when the chipmunk is undergoing the hibernation process. These enable them to spend as little energy as possible, and as such, they will easily manage to get through the winter with much ease. For instance, their body temperature will start to lower to match them with their surroundings. As such, they will not lose heat quickly, allowing them to maintain a constant temperature for the rest of the winter.
They will also slow their heart rate down from the usual 350 beats per minute to a mere four beats per minute. This is several magnitudes slower and indicates the changes the chipmunk has to undergo to stay safe and warm for the winter. When their hearts are beating this slow, they can sleep out the rest of the winter and get the rest they have worked so hard for.
Where Do Chipmunks Sleep In The Winter?
The most excellent chipmunk preference is to live alone in an underground hole or burrow, referred to as a den. They like to hibernate when the weather is cold, and this is where they will spend most of their time, staying insulated from the harsh cold temperatures outside.
They are usually relaxed when in hibernation, and most of their body functions are significantly slower to enable them to get through the cold winters. Most of the time a chipmunk spends in hibernation goes to sleep while a portion is reserved for feeding, urinating, and defecating.
What Do Chipmunks Eat When They Hibernate?
Inside a chipmunk’s den is enough storage space for their nuts and seeds. These nuts and seeds are essential as they are a food source for the chipmunk that lasts through the entire winter. They love to eat and will wake up occasionally to get fed and get the break they need from the enormous amount of rest they have had.
Chipmunks usually gather enough nuts and seeds to eat throughout the winter, which is what the rest of the year is meant for. They are very hardworking creatures and, as such, will work through all kinds of challenges to get the much-needed supplies in storage and ready for the cold winter months.
Our experts are trained to remove all types of nuisance wildlife, including chipmunks. We provide effective trapping and removal services in Westchester County, Dutchess County, Putnam County, NY, and Fairfield County, CT. So if you’re having chipmunk issues on your property at any time of the year, call Westchester Wildlife to get rid of them!
FLYING SQUIRRELS IN YOUR HOME:
The Northern Flying squirrels will often find small openings in the corners of dormers on the home around the gutter line where drip edge may be missing. Also, in a rotted soffit area or just simply use an entrance created by a woodpecker or other animal.
Read moreThe North American Red Squirrel can also be referred to as pine squirrels and chickarees. Red Squirrels differ from other North American tree squirrels in that they are smaller in size and have reddish fur with a white belly. They are actually not much bigger than chipmunks.
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