Being a homeowner comes with many perks. Depending on where you live, nature and the creatures that live in your area can be part of those perks. However, in many cases, critters like mice, rats, raccoons, or squirrels can become rather annoying. Understanding what they are looking for and their preferred food source is the first step in keeping them at bay. Also, knowing where they like to nest is key. How far do squirrels travel from their nest? Typically, not farther than a mile. However, some have made trips past 10 miles before.
Let’s take a look below at the types of squirrels and how far they might travel.
Squirrel Types
There are many types of squirrel species in the world. Depending on where you live, will determine the type of squirrel that lives in your area. With over 200 various species of squirrels, it is very possible that you have multiple species living in your local area. Squirrels are classified into three main groups. Tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. Squirrels are wild and are always searching for food and water. The most common squirrel in Georgia is the gray squirrel.
How Far Do They Go
Just like most species, squirrels do not like to travel miles from the nest. They often cannot find their way back. To ensure that they travel back to their nest they will either run in straight lines or zig-zag patterns within their home range. Most often squirrels travel a day up to 1-2 miles away from their nest to find food. After that, they will experience difficulty in returning. Let’s take a look at some other data regarding squirrels and distance traveled.
- Only 1 out of 20 squirrels made a return to the nest after traveling between 5-7 miles.
- Only a few squirrels occasionally made it back to their nest after traveling between 10-12 miles.
- One brilliant squirrel made it back to the nest after traveling 25 miles.
With all of this being said, a squirrel will likely stay within a 5-mile radius of its nest. Anything past 5 miles and they struggle to return to the nest. This means that all food, water, and shelter must be achievable within a 5-mile distance.
Other Recommended Maintenance
Now that you understand how far squirrels travel from their nest, you have a better understanding of why pest control is important. If squirrels are running freely in your yard, they can access your home. Keeping them away is important so that your home doesn’t become a shelter for them.
Next, if you really want to keep squirrels away from your home, get to know what actually attracts squirrels to your home. This is an easy way to take matters into your own hands, before calling a pest control company. If what you have tried still doesn’t work, go ahead and call your local pest control professionals.
Lastly, if you are concerned about rodents in your yard or home, you should also be paying attention to termites. Termites are a silent killer of a home’s structural makeup. Be sure to read up on how long termites live and what you can do to exterminate or keep them from devouring your home.
When Do I Call A Professional
If you are having an issue with squirrels, it is likely that you have offered a great food source or even shelter for them. Calling on a professional pest control company will help you determine the precise issue with the squirrels and how to keep them away. Professional pest control companies are great at dealing with issues that most homeowners do not have time for. If you aren’t sure who to call, reach out to your local home inspection team. They can inspect your home to determine what you might mistakenly be offering squirrels. Also, they can recommend a reputable professional pest control company.
Conclusion
Having an issue with squirrels can be rather annoying. However, there are easy ways to keep them at bay or away from your home. Keeping your trees and plants trimmed and maintained around the home, ensures that the squirrels cannot access your roof. Also, keeping food sources like birdseed in a bird feeder away from the home is key. If you need help determining which method is best for your home, reach out to your local home inspection team. Call on All South Pest Control and they can determine your pest service needs in McDonough, GA, and the surrounding areas.
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