If you are hearing noises in your attic at night, there is a good chance it may be a flying squirrel, or more likely a group of flying squirrels. They are very social animals and commonly live in groups of 6-8 in a single cavity. I have caught as many as 15 all living in the same attic.
Flying squirrels can make quite a racket through the night if they are living in your attic. Just imagine 5-10 hamster sized rodents running around, pooping and chewing on whatever they can find. Of course they always sound much larger than they really are too, something about the attic seems to amplify noise. Flying squirrels generally pose a minimal health risk, if a toilet site that has a lot of scat is located it is usually best to remove and replace the contaminated material and disinfect the area. Flying squirrel droppings look like tiny grains of rice and often vary in color from a dark gray to a light brown. And rodents and wires never mix and a potential fire hazard is always a concern.
Flying squirrels are quite common throughout the eastern United States, but because they are nocturnal, they are rarely seen by people.
Flying Squirrel Trapping, Removal, and Exclusion
CatchPro Wildlife Removal offers trapping, removal, and exclusion of flying squirrels. The first step is to determine how the flying squirrels are entering the house by doing a perimeter inspection. Then we will do an attic inspection to get an idea of how much activity there is and how much damage may be in the attic.
The typical setup for removal of flying squirrels is to initially locate the entry points. Sometimes this can be quite difficult due to the small opening size that they can squeeze through. On some occasions dusk observations are required to try and see exactly where the squirrels are exiting from.
Once the entry point is located a one way door is installed and any other potential entry points must be sealed simultaneously. This allows the squirrels to exit the structure, and then not get back in, forcing them to look for somewhere else to reside.
Flying squirrels are protected in Georgia, and if they are trapped they must be live trapped and relocated. We also on occasion utilize cage traps in conjunction with the one way doors to ensure we are removing all of the animals. Flying squirrels are somewhat communal and often there are multiple flying squirrels using the same nest. The most that I’ve ever trapped out of a single house was 15 but I have heard of folks up north where they have harsher winters catching over 50 from a single residence!
Once there is no further sign of flying squirrels still in the home, we come back and remove the one way door and do the final sealing of the house.
Ultimately, we want your family to feel safe and secure inside your home and we want to remove the flying squirrels in a humane manner and repair your home to ensure no other wildlife can gain entry inside.
A little Flying Squirrel Biology
The southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys Volans) may be the cutest critter in North America, at least until they make their home inside YOUR home. They are relatively small, up to 10” in total length including the tail. And because of their size a flying squirrel can find its way into just about wherever it wants, they can easily get through a ½” sized opening, and if the opening is not quite large enough they will chew the area to make it larger.
Contrary to their name, they do not actually fly, but glide. Flying squirrels have a think skin membrane that stretches from their front leg to their back, they climb to a high vantage point then leap, spread eagle, and glide to their destination. Flying squirrel glides have been measured at a distance of over 100 feet.
Flying squirrels can sometimes be identified by their high pitched “cheep” sounds often made the first few hours after sunset. They do this to keep track of one another, remember they often nest is groups, and to warn of any approaching danger.
Reproduction
Typically they make their home in natural tree cavities or woodpecker holes, but they will readily shack up in your attic if given the chance. The southern flying squirrel has 2 breeding seasons per year, January-March and again in June-August. After a 40 day gestation period 3-7 young are born naked and blind. Within 3-4 weeks the young are covered in fur and can now see. Flying squirrels have some of the softest fur of any animal I’ve run across!
Diet
Believe it or not the southern flying squirrel is the only carnivorous member of the squirrel family. Omnivorous would be a better term, as they forage for nuts, acorns, seeds, buds, fruits but will also eat eggs, birds, nestlings, and insects.
Predators
Major predators of flying squirrels include raccoons, owls, and snakes, particularly rat snakes. Raccoons and owls are both nocturnal, active the same time the flying squirrels are, and snakes like to check out cavities and likely make easy meals of young flying squirrels.
Service Areas
CatchPro Wildlife Removal offers flying squirrel removal and flying squirrel exclusion services in Clarke, Oglethorpe, Oconee, Walton, Morgan, Greene, Newton, Jasper, Jones, Henry, Gwinnett, Putnam, Monroe, Bibb, Baldwin, Hancock, Taliaferro, Wilkinson, Laurens, Washington, and McDuffie Counties.
CatchPro Wildlife Removal offers flying squirrel removal and flying squirrel exclusion services in Athens, Bogart, Lexington, Watkinsville, Monroe, Social Circle, Madison, Greensboro, Crawfordville, Thomson, Eatonton, Covington, McDonough, Monticello, Gray, Milledgeville, White Plains, Sparta, Oconee, Sandersville, Dublin, Macon, Gordon, as well as the Lake Oconee, Lake Sinclair, and Lake Jackson areas.