It’s 3 o’clock in the morning. You wake up to something scratching and running around above your head in the ceiling. What can it be? Wait, it sounds like there could be more than one! What are they doing up there…bowling? The noise continues through the night until early morning and then finally subsides. Too afraid to investigate the attic yourself (for fear of running into the animal), you call Westchester Wildlife LLC: The experts in Animal Removal since 1986.

Our secretary answers and informs you the noises could be that of a nocturnal animal. Bats, mice, flying squirrels, raccoons are all animals that are active at night and can take up residence in your attic. After hearing the description, our technician concludes the possibility that flying squirrels could be making these noises. An inspection is scheduled to search the attic to be 100 percent sure our instincts are correct. It is not uncommon there can multiple animal problems in one attic. The scratching sounds above your head could be one of several scenarios we’ve come across as Wildlife Removal Experts. The sounds you hear could even be additional critters infesting other areas of the house. In fact, the animal(s) may have been in the attic for a good amount of time living on top of the insulation. You’ve done the right thing by calling Westchester Wildlife LLC. Our inspection services will determine the source of the problem and how to properly remove the animal from your home.

Northern Flying Squirrel: A Background and Behavior

Let’s take a closer look at flying squirrels. What are they? Where do they come from? What kind of damage can they do to my home?

Flying Squirrels are the type of squirrel you might find in your attic in the United States. Also known as the Northern Flying Squirrel, these squirrels can be found in coniferous and mixed forests across the top of North America, from Alaska to Nova Scotia, south to North Carolina and west to California. Northern Flying Squirrel glide distances between 5 and 25 meters (or roughly 16 feet to 82 feet) though they have been observed to glide up to 45 meters (147 feet).

These nocturnal, arboreal rodents have thick, light brown or cinnamon fur on their upper body. A furry membrane called a patagium that extends between the front and rear leg and allows the animal to glide through the air. It’s greyish on the flanks and whitish underneath. Flying Squirrels have large eyes and a flat tail. They can also be identified by their long whiskers, common to nocturnal mammals. An adult Northern Flying Squirrel measures from 25 to 37 cm long (or 9 to 14 inches) and their weight can range from 110 to 230 grams, or 3 to 8 ounces (Wells-Gosling 1985).