Do Squirrels Cause Damage?

Squirrels are rodents with strong long teeth and bushy tails. The sight of squirrels frolicking in your garden may seem like a pleasant one. However, having squirrels in your garden can be quite a problem as they wreak havoc wherever they go. 

Squirrels cause damage not only to gardens but also to homes. 

These rodents have strong teeth that can gnaw through almost anything. Therefore, it becomes easy for squirrels to gain access to gardens and homes. Some of the damage squirrels can do is chew wires, materials, get inside homes, harm birds and their nests in your garden. Moreover, squirrels will also eat plants and damage pots. 

What Kind of Damage Can Squirrels Cause?

Unfortunately, there is no one kind of damage that squirrels can cause. Therefore, it becomes quite a hassle to deal with squirrel infestations. If you are not sure whether squirrels are causing problems in your garden, you can tell by the kind of damage you have to deal with. 

The first sign of a squirrel infestation can be found in gardens. These rodents dig the soil to look for nuts, and therefore, harming the landscape and plants. In addition, squirrels also dig to look for bulbs and chew on tree barks and twigs. Moreover, squirrels have a big appetite and feast on crops of food. These rodents wait until the fruit or vegetable is ripe before eating it, further increasing the losses. 

If you spot any squirrels in your garden, you will find lots of other damage. For example, squirrels will chew through your electrical wire. As squirrels live on trees, they have easy access to the power lines. Moreover, as squirrels give birth, the young ones also chew on power lines. The chewing causes the power lines to open, and you will have to spend a lot getting it fixed.

Squirrels have long teeth, and they are always growing. Hence, to keep their teeth filed, squirrels have to gnaw constantly. Therefore, you will witness many holes in your attic formed by squirrels looking to find their way inside. Squirrels are also curious animals, and since attics are usually empty, they will chew a hole and build their nest inside. Squirrels also find it easy to chew a hole through a wall. 

If squirrels get inside your home, they will nest inside the attic. Once you have a squirrel infestation inside your home, it cannot be easy to get rid of them. It would help if you got animal control to deal with the squirrels. Moreover, squirrels tend to get territorial and may attack you if you try to get close and remove them. 

It becomes unhygienic to house squirrels in your attic. In addition, these rodents will also chew on any wires found in the attic, posing problems for you. If they do not chew on wires, they can loosen them with their paws. Squirrels increase the chances of there being a fire because of the chewed wires they leave behind. 

Are Squirrels Bad to Have in the Garden?

It may look appealing to most people to have squirrels run around in their garden. But the reality is, these rodents are more harmful than ever being useful. Having lots of squirrels in your garden can have damaging effects that you will consistently deal with. 

Firstly, squirrels are not like other pests like small insects, so their damage is big and visible. Squirrels like to feed on plants and have big appetites too. This means any fruit or vegetable plant in your garden is at risk of getting destroyed by squirrels. These rodents will wait for the fruit to ripen and then attack the plant. Squirrels can destroy entire plants within one day. 

In addition, squirrels also dig for nuts and bulbs. The intense digging causes damage to the landscape of the garden. The plants get affected, as sometimes squirrels tend to dig out roots. 

Squirrels also pose to be an inconvenience to the other members of the garden. Squirrels like to hang around bird feeders and will eat the bird food. In addition, they will also eat small birds and attack them. If the birds have nests in the garden, squirrels will also attack the nest and eat the eggs. 

Are Squirrels Dangerous?

Squirrels may not appear as dangerous, but they do pose some threats. In essence, squirrels are not so harmful to humans as much as they are to their properties. However, if one ever must face a squirrel’s infestation, they must go through a lot of property damage. As squirrels gnaw their way into everything, they will create holes in walls, chew wires and destroy property. 

In addition, squirrels are also known to carry some dangerous diseases. For example, squirrels are carriers of Lyme diseases, salmonella, and more. Moreover, squirrels can also become aggressive and attack humans. While squirrels are peaceful animals, if they do not feel safe, they can attack you. If the squirrel has babies, it will display its protective instincts and attack anyone who tries to get close. 

If you touch a squirrel or it scratches you with its paws, you may be at risk of being exposed to parasites. Hence, it is best to maintain distance with squirrels if you have an infestation and let animal control take over.

Summary

Squirrels can be quite a nuisance as they cause grave damage to gardens and properties. These rodents have long teeth that keep growing. Therefore, to keep their teeth filed, squirrels must consistently gnaw. Hence, squirrels can cause damage by chewing holes through walls, chewing wires, destroying plants and garden landscapes. 

If squirrels get inside your home, it is usually the attic. They can have babies there and become quite territorial. In the garden, squirrels not only damage the plants but also inconvenience other animals like birds. Squirrels cause more damage to properties than to humans. But these rodents are carriers of diseases that they can transfer to humans. Therefore, you must let animal control take over instead of dealing directly with squirrels.