As the spring season nears, it’s the perfect time for squirrels in our region to start having babies. And although they’re cute, you probably don’t want them in your home.
Phil Campbell, with Skedaddle Maryland, a humane wildlife control service with offices in Crofton, told WTOP, “When you hear that scratching at night, your anxiety shoots through the roof because you don’t know what’s going on up there.”
Skedaddle Maryland serves most of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, Anne Arundel and Calvert counties, but occasionally helps customers in other locations.
“We don’t trap, we don’t relocate. When you relocate animals, some 70% of those die,” Campbell said. “It would be like picking you up and dropping you off in Cleveland.”
Also, removing the animal doesn’t solve the problem, Campbell said. You need to find out where they’re getting in and close those holes.
His company uses a proprietary sealant that you can’t find at your local hardware store.
“A lot of people do things like spray foam into the holes. Well, animals just chew through the foam. It’s not that big of a deal to them,” Campbell said.
Last week, the company got a call from a Stevensville homeowner who found a squirrel nest under a solar panel on their roof. The nest had three tiny, baby squirrels inside. They had no fur, so they looked raw and pink.
The company installed a one-way door so the mother squirrel could get out of the nest area, but not back in. Right near that door, the babies were placed by hand into a small, heated box with some nesting material.
The idea was for the mother squirrel to easily find her babies and move them to a different nest. Sure enough, when Campbell’s company checked the box the day after the move, he said the babies were gone.
Campbell said it’s worth going through the trouble to save the lives of squirrels, especially because they’re important yet forgetful creatures.
“Squirrels don’t actually remember where all of their nuts were buried, and so they’re literally planting trees. To me, every one of them is a Johnny Appleseed, and gosh knows we’ve deforested enough. We need their help to grow trees,” Campbell said.