The squirrel mating season occurs twice a year: once in the spring and once in the summer. You may have noticed that squirrels are quite noisy during this time. They can be heard yelling and clucking after each other while running up and down the trees. While it might not seem like it, squirrels use a variety of scents and calls to communicate. Every sound they make has meaning. If the squirrels on your property are giving you trouble, give us a call. We provide humane, guaranteed squirrel removal and exclusion services in the Hamilton area.
Male squirrels make a soft “muk-muk” sound when they approach a female in heat. This is to reassure her that he is not a threat. Females, when they interested in mating, will make a “quaa” sound. The quaa is a medium to high-pitched screech that is repeated several times. If you look, you might see a squirrel sitting on a branch and yelling out. This mating call is often mistaken for the sound of a bird or a cat. While it used during the mating season, squirrels will also make quaa sounds as a warning that predators are nearby.
When is squirrel mating season?
In Ontario, squirrels mate as early as December through February, then again between June and August. Inexperienced females may only mate once. Female squirrels are pregnant for 36 to 40 days, then give birth to litters of 2 to 7 kits. Kits are blind and deaf at birth. Female squirrels tend for their kits inside their nests, with no help from their male partners. They feed their babies milk until they are roughly 6 weeks old. At this stage, they are mobile enough to venture outside the nest and find solid food. At 12 weeks, they are on their own.
Female squirrels usually build their nests in tree canopies and hollows. However, they are no strangers to attics. Attics are warm and safely above ground – perfect for a mother squirrel to raise her kits. Squirrels get inside by chewing their way through plastic roof vents, gaps in the drip line, and soffits that are accessible from below. In the attic, they build nests in the insulation or somewhere in the soffits. This dirties the attic with feces, urine, and plant matter. Squirrels may even chew on electric wires and piping, causing addition damage to the home.
Hire a Professional for Squirrel Removal
Squirrel break-ins are common during the mating season. If you suspect that a squirrel has broken into your home, call a wildlife removal company right away. A technician will perform an inspection, then determine when it is safe to remove the squirrel family. Technicians use safe and humane methods of removal. They use one-way doors to let the animals out on their own, then, once they are out, they replace the door with mesh. Contact us today for effective squirrel removal and exclusion. Every one of our services are guaranteed for up to 2 years.