Cooler Temps, Higher Population Mean More Squirrels

If it seems like you’re seeing a lot of squirrels these days, you’re right—and it’s thanks to a combination of cooler fall temperatures and an increase in the overall population.

Fairfax County Wildlife Biologist Victoria Monroe said the squirrel population has been increasing “due to decreased predation and increased non-natural food sources available year-round.”

Squirrels’ natural predators include owls, foxes, coyotes and snakes, but the biggest threat to their existence in our area is from cars, said Timothy McDowell of U.S. Animal Control in Belle Haven. Not many people in Northern Virginia hunt squirrels, either.

Squirrels can also have two litters every year (usually February or March and August or September), and every litter may have three to four baby squirrels in it. Squirrels born earlier this year are now juveniles, becoming more independent and, like their parents, gathering nuts and burrowing in preparation for the winter.

Despite this, Fairfax County Animal Control has not had an appreciable increase in squirrel-related calls, according to Fairfax County Police Public Information Officer Lucy Caldwell.

Squirrels and Your Attic

Jacob Lehman of Destination Wildlife Control said he, too, has not gotten many calls from homeowners in need of squirrel removal. He says that’s not because there’s no squirrel problem—it’s the economy. “People just aren’t calling,” Lehman said, preferring to handle the problem on their own.

Do-it-yourself squirrel removal, for many homeowners, involves humanely trapping the animal and releasing it in a local park or forested area. Usually, the squirrels return. This is also dangerous, as some squirrels may be rabid or carry other diseases.

Unlike rats, raccoons, opossums and bats, squirrels are active during the day. If you hear scampering in your attic during the day, it’s likely a squirrel or other non-nocturnal animal.

McDowell provided the following recommendations for handling a squirrel problem in your home:

• Seal up any and all holes with a metal cover, thick wire mesh or asphalt or slate shingles. Squirrels can easily gnaw and dig through wood.
• The metal cover should be attached with nails or screws, not staples, which squirrels can remove.

If you have a squirrel already living in your attic, call a wildlife control company—not a pest control company. Wildlife companies may be better equipped to remove animals and prevent their return. Pest control companies tend to specialize in bugs and may not have critter-related expertise.