General Squirrel Facts  The gray squirrel is the most common squirrel inhabiting over 2/3 of the United States. In general, squirrels come in a variety of colors from pure black to pure white and all shades in between. Squirrels are typically 8"-10" long and 12 to 24 ounces in weight. They are mainly active during the day. They do not hibernate but will typically spend long hours in their nest during the cold winter months. The tail of the squirrel plays a very important role in communication, locomotion and insulation. Squirrel Communication Squirrels are extremely vocal. They bark, chatter, scream, and purr. Sometimes people think they are hearing a noisy bird, without realizing that it's actually a very noisy squirrel! Flashing movements of their tails, stamping their feet and the way they walk are also modes of a squirrel’s communication. Squirrel Habitat Their ideal habitat is a forest filled with oak, beech, and hickory trees which provide food and natural cover. They often build several nests in the trees within a certain area, using the each nest at various times. If a storm knocks down one nest, they still have another one to go to. Some squirrels do not live in trees. Known as ground squirrels, these creatures make their nests in burrows in the ground. These burrows can be part of a large undeground network of squirrel nests. Unfortunately, people and animals can accidently stumble into these and injure themselves, breaking an ankle or leg. Squirrel Diet  Squirrels are primarily vegetarians. The Squirrels' natural diet consists of a wide variety of nuts, fruits, berries, mushrooms and the occasional insect. Many suburban backyards offer a similar habitat with an added bonus of bird seed. Black oil sunflower seeds are a particular favorite of these furry little critters. If you want to protect your yard, Havahart® has the squirrel control options you need. Humane squirrel traps and repellents are two effective forms of squirrel control. We also offer tips on exclusion as an additional method of squirrel control. |