Squirrels are cute in the wild, but in your home they are a major pest. They frequently carry parasites and serious disease through your home and in their bites.
They’re also a nuisance to property. Because of their constantly-growing front incisors, they are relentless chewers, eating through wires, ducts, pipe, and sheetrock. They are able to climb up walls easily, and can quickly get into your home to nest in your attic or other warm place.
Ground squirrels grow to between 9 – 11 inches in length, with a tail that’s about 5 – 9 inches long. They’re brownish gray in color, with mottled brown and grey fur in their upper bodies. They’re most active during the day, and in Southern California they’re also active all year. Ground squirrels prefer open, grassy spaces, and make their homes in underground burrows. They can climb trees, but if they run from a threat, they’ll always run to their underground burrows.
There are several species of tree squirrel in Southern California, but the most common ones are the western gray squirrel, the eastern gray squirrel, and the eastern fox squirrel. Western gray squirrels are gray and white. Eastern gray and eastern fox squirrels are more orangey-brown in color, with some eastern gray squirrels appearing black. Because tree squirrels build their nests high in trees, they prefer wooded areas. The most commonly-seen type of tree squirrel nest is called a drey, made of twigs, leaves, and grass. Dreys are built in where a branch forks from a tree trunk. Tree squirrels also build year-round dens in more sheltered, out-of-the-way nooks.
To help reduce the risk of a squirrel infestation, ensure fruit and nuts from trees are cleared from the ground, and protect bird feeders from squirrels.
If you’ve noticed signs of a squirrel living in your Coachella Valley home or workplace, contact Rudy’s Termite & Pest Control. Some ground squirrels are protected in Southern California, so it’s important to call experts to help. We’ll thoroughly inspect your property, remove squirrels, and ensure they don’t return.
We offer effective pest control to Coachella Valley homes, HOAs, offices, commercial buildings, sports facilities, restaurants, realtors, hospitals and healthcare facilities, hotels and motels, churches and places of worship, and government facilities. Our affordable pest control services are tailored to your specific situation. Contact Rudy’s Termite & Pest Control today for outstanding pest control, termite control, rodent and animal control, and plant care in the Coachella Valley.