If you have squirrels living in your home, you will often find that the noise gives it away first. They're mostly active around sunset and sunrise - the times a mother would head out to hunt for food for her young and hungry family. Oh, did we mention ... if you have a squirrel in your attic or home, it'll probably be a female, and she'll probably have babies too. Congratulations on your new family! It won't be long before you realize you need to do something about it. Squirrels can be very noisy little creatures considering they're so small, and as well as the rustling and scratching that you can expect to hear as these furry little rodents potter about in the depths of your home, you may also hear a few other sounds. Gnawing is a common one - often through electrical wiring, wooden beams and foundations, exterior coatings of your home, etc. You may also hear the sound of baby squirrels calling for their mother, and the noises of the mother in response. It's said that squirrels have quite the vocal chatter range, and each species has their own version of this chitter-chatter. It sounds a little like a bark, but when injured, threatened, or hungry, in the case of a baby, the sounds can be almost like a child's cry.
NEED LOCAL HELP? We are wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire our local squirrel removal expert in your home town. Updated 2021. But read the below advice first!
The most common wild animal that invades home attics in the US is the squirrel. Most exactly, the Eastern Gray Squirrel. If you think you have squirrels, there is one test that is pretty fool proof. All types of squirrels are considered diurnal - meaning that they are usually most active during the daytime hours. In fact, most squirrels seem to be full of zip for the most part, all through the early morning as well as evening hours (called crepuscular). If you happen to hear noises coming from your attic space in the daytime, it is most likely a batch of squirrels. These sounds will include scurrying about, running and skittering across the drywall and floors in the attic, noises overhead on the ceiling, and scurrying in the walls. There could also be some odd scratching sounds, or the sound of something like acorns or nuts rolling about. Squirrels are not normally vocal when moving about inside of your attic.
They save their chit chat for outside. If you hear odd sounds and a lot of animal vocalization, or animal noises coming from the attic at night, chances are these sounds are probably not from a squirrel. Nighttime noises and vocalizations are mainly possible made by a nocturnal animal, such as a rat, mouse, raccoon, or opossum. While it is true that there are many more kinds of animals that might make their home in your attic that are nocturnal, it is still a proven fact so as to squirrels are the most common attic invader in the animal kingdom. If you are trying to identify an animal invader by its sounds, the only thing you will know for sure is that if you hear noises from the attic during the daylight hours, it will almost surely mean that it is a squirrel in the attic. This does not mean that they never move about at night.
A squirrel can make noises at night, but most diurnal animals only awaken a very few times during the night. And, much like a person, will move around a bit but not be particularly noisy. So in short, yes - we suppose that squirrels can be active at night in brief spurts. Much as people might get up at night to use the bathroom or to care for a child, so might a squirrel. However, if squirrels in your attic awaken at night, they will not be unusually noisy, and the time spent awake will be very brief. Squirrels are often classified as diurnal - that literally means that they are active more often in the daytime than after dark.
Their technical classification is in fact crepuscular, meaning that they are most active during the time of dawn or early morning and at dusk around the evening hours. They prefer to rest during the middle of the day, and to sleep in their drays or nests during the night. We would like to reiterate that if you hear a series of animal noises coming from your attic at night, then it is highly unlikely that your attic is infested with squirrels. It is in fact much more likely that you have other wildlife guests. To handle the problem quickly and with little fuss, we suggest that you contact a local animal removal service.
NEED LOCAL HELP? We are wildlife removal professionals servicing 95% of the USA. Click here to hire our local squirrel removal expert in your home town. Updated 2021. But read the below advice first!
The most common wild animal that invades home attics in the US is the squirrel. Most exactly, the Eastern Gray Squirrel. If you think you have squirrels, there is one test that is pretty fool proof. All types of squirrels are considered diurnal - meaning that they are usually most active during the daytime hours. In fact, most squirrels seem to be full of zip for the most part, all through the early morning as well as evening hours (called crepuscular). If you happen to hear noises coming from your attic space in the daytime, it is most likely a batch of squirrels. These sounds will include scurrying about, running and skittering across the drywall and floors in the attic, noises overhead on the ceiling, and scurrying in the walls. There could also be some odd scratching sounds, or the sound of something like acorns or nuts rolling about. Squirrels are not normally vocal when moving about inside of your attic.
They save their chit chat for outside. If you hear odd sounds and a lot of animal vocalization, or animal noises coming from the attic at night, chances are these sounds are probably not from a squirrel. Nighttime noises and vocalizations are mainly possible made by a nocturnal animal, such as a rat, mouse, raccoon, or opossum. While it is true that there are many more kinds of animals that might make their home in your attic that are nocturnal, it is still a proven fact so as to squirrels are the most common attic invader in the animal kingdom. If you are trying to identify an animal invader by its sounds, the only thing you will know for sure is that if you hear noises from the attic during the daylight hours, it will almost surely mean that it is a squirrel in the attic. This does not mean that they never move about at night.
A squirrel can make noises at night, but most diurnal animals only awaken a very few times during the night. And, much like a person, will move around a bit but not be particularly noisy. So in short, yes - we suppose that squirrels can be active at night in brief spurts. Much as people might get up at night to use the bathroom or to care for a child, so might a squirrel. However, if squirrels in your attic awaken at night, they will not be unusually noisy, and the time spent awake will be very brief. Squirrels are often classified as diurnal - that literally means that they are active more often in the daytime than after dark.
Their technical classification is in fact crepuscular, meaning that they are most active during the time of dawn or early morning and at dusk around the evening hours. They prefer to rest during the middle of the day, and to sleep in their drays or nests during the night. We would like to reiterate that if you hear a series of animal noises coming from your attic at night, then it is highly unlikely that your attic is infested with squirrels. It is in fact much more likely that you have other wildlife guests. To handle the problem quickly and with little fuss, we suggest that you contact a local animal removal service.
Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.
NEED SQUIRREL REMOVAL HELP? We service over 150 USA cities. click gere to hire us in your home town. Updated 2021.