Flying Squirrels in the Attic

Flying squirrels are a common attic nuisance. You may not recognize flying squirrels because they often go unseen: they’re nocturnal and spend most of their time gliding from tree to tree, not near the ground.

Flying squirrels are much smaller than their regular squirrel cousins. Where regular squirrels are active by day, flying squirrels are completely nocturnal. And, they don’t really fly. They have a skin flap that runs from their front legs to their back legs, allowing them to catch the wind and glide.

If you have a flying squirrel in your attic, you may hear them scurry about and thump around above your head. These creatures are not passing through. They are settling in, starting a family, and by the time you realize what’s living overhead, you’ve already incurred some damage.

Why Are Flying Squirrels in the Attic?

Flying squirrels choose attics to fulfill their survival needs. Looking for food, shelter, and safety from predators, they chose your attic because your roof was an easy jump from a branch, and there was an open access point — perhaps a small gap in soffits, rooflines, vents, or utility lines from which they could gain entry.

When Are Flying Squirrels Most Likely to Be in the Attic?

There are two seasons in which flying squirrels are most likely to look for an attic home space: spring and fall.

Flying squirrels breed in late winter. In early spring, they will be looking for a spot to build a safe nest that protects their young from predators and keeps them all out of bad weather. But your attic is not a temporary address for them. They will raise their young through the summer and will also make your attic a winter shelter.

Flying squirrels that did not move in springtime will often discover attics in fall when looking for a warm, safe place to winter over. Flying squirrels are social animals. In winter, they tend to nest together in clusters to share body heat and leave the nest only to access the nuts and seeds they cached during fall.

Signs of Flying Squirrels in the Attic

Flying squirrels leave distinct clues that they are in your attic:

• Nocturnal noises such as scurrying, scratching, and thumping above your head.
• A grouping of nests will be seen in the attic. Because they are social, you will likely have a colony, not just one squirrel in the attic.
• Droppings shaped as small pellets will accumulate. Flying squirrels will designate a section of your attic as a latrine area.
• A musty smell could emanate from the ceiling and walls as their feces and urine accumulate and soak in.
• Roof debris can also accumulate as they drag in leaves and other nesting materials.

The biggest difference between regular squirrels and flying squirrels is the time of day or night you will hear them moving about. Regular squirrels are diurnal, while flying squirrels are nocturnal. You will hear regular squirrels in your attic in the morning and at dusk. Flying squirrels begin their day after dusk, so you will hear them throughout the night.

Damage Caused by Flying Squirrels

Flying squirrels cause significant and costly damage to homes and pose health hazards to families when living in your attic. Because they live in colonies, your attic will become home to many flying squirrels that will breed quickly, creating a large infestation.

Flying squirrels, like any other squirrel species, are rodents. All rodents have front incisors that grow continuously throughout their lives and need to chew to keep those teeth at a reasonable length. So, flying squirrels in your attic will gnaw on beams, rafters, drywall, and even electrical wires. This activity will compromise the structural integrity of your home. By chewing wires, they create a risk of electrical shorts and house fires.

Flying squirrels like to build their nests out of insulation, which ruins this material and decreases your home’s energy efficiency, potentially driving up your bills.

The area of your attic that they use as their latrine will accumulate a lot of feces and urine. Over time, this will saturate and decay your ceiling, creating stains and a foul odor.

Flying squirrels can carry typhus and Lyme disease because they carry disease-bearing parasites such as fleas, ticks, and lice. Unlike many other rodents, flying squirrels rarely carry rabies.

Flying Squirrel Prevention Tips

Preventing flying squirrels should be a priority for homeowners, as these social creatures will create a colony and breed within your attic. Home repair and yard modifications go a long way because they make your home and property less attractive to their needs:

• Seal Entry Points: Regular maintenance of your roof and roofline is imperative to seal all gaps and holes in your roof, soffits, fascia, vents, and chimney. A flying squirrel can squeeze through small openings. Seal only if you are certain all flying squirrels are gone.
• Cap Chimneys and Vents: Use heavy mesh that a flying squirrel cannot chew through.
• Trim Tree Branches: Limbs and branches should be at least ten feet away from your roofline so flying squirrels can’t easily jump from tree to house.
• Remove Food Sources: Use squirrel-proof bird feeders and clean up around feeders. Keep trash tightly closed. Bring pet food and water in for the night. Clean up fallen fruit from trees.
• Use Deterrents: Install motion-activated lights both outside and in your attic.

Professional Services for Flying Squirrel Removal

To remove and prevent an infestation, Critter Control is your best partner. Critter Control has over forty years of experience ridding homes of unwanted pests. Our technicians are fully trained in safe, humane solutions, as well as in the exclusion, repair, and sanitization of flying squirrels and the damage and unhealthy mess they make. Contact Critter Control today.