What to Expect When They’re Expecting: Squirrels

Posted on May 20, 2020 – Written By Advanced Wildlife Control

Here in Wisconsin, the flowers are finally blooming and trees are finally regaining there leaves. While it has been a fairly odd spring in terms of weather, in some ways it is just like spring every other year, and that means baby season! Most animals are either having babies or in the process of currently raising their young as the temperatures rise. One such animal that often has babies around this time of year is the squirrel.

Squirrel baby season is varied, both within and between species. Here in Wisconsin, we deal with both grey and red squirrels as well as flying squirrels. Grey squirrels, for instance, often will start to bear their young as early as February, while red squirrels tend to be slightly later in the year, often starting around March. When it comes to flying squirrels, they run even further behind, often having their young in April and May. However, as both grey and red squirrels have their young so early, this can sometimes lead to second litters! Yes, red and grey squirrels both are known to occasionally have two litters within the same year, with the second litters often happening in June and July for greys and July and August for reds.

Each of these different types of squirrels on average have around four babies per litter, but in some cases can have up to 8 or 12. Mom is the sole caregiver for these babies. These babies will be completely reliant on mom for the first four weeks of life, as their eyes are not yet open! That means a safe place for babies is absolutely crucial during this time, and that safe place can often end up being inside homes or other human-made structures.

While these animals may be small, they can still cause a significant amount of damage. With their almost-handlike paws, they no problems tearing into soffits, fascia, vents, or rooves. Once inside, they will be heard most during daytime hours, and during mornings and evenings as they are coming and going from the entry point they created. Some squeaking or crying may be heard from the babies during the day, but often these noises are too faint to be noticed easily. Scratching and gnawing sounds, as well as running, are the most likely noises to be heard, as mom cares for the babies and forages outside for food for herself.

Babies will start to explore after about a month and a half and will be completely self-sufficient and leave the nest for good around a month to a month and a half after that. Between the nesting material, feces and urine left behind as well as damage to insulation and other areas of the home, most people aren’t willing to wait for those two to three months for the babies to fully mature and leave of their own accord, and we don’t blame you!

If you think you have a family of squirrels living in your attic, crawl space, or another area of your home, give Advanced Wildlife Control a call today at 262-242-4390. We will remove both mom and her babies from your home or business, provide you with a cleanup service of any droppings or nesting material and seal the area off to help prevent future entry.