Eastern Gray Squirrel Facts; Identification, Behavior, Nesting, Repellents, Wildlife Control & More in Hammonton, NJ

Squirrels are quite entertaining to watch but can become pests very quickly. The Eastern Gray squirrel is a large tree squirrel with a long bushy tail and black beady eyes. Their small size, short breeding cycle and ability to eat and gnaw at all kinds of food makes them tough little creatures to deal with.

Eastern Gray Squirrel Identification

Eastern Gray squirrels are mostly gray in color but can appear brownish with a white underside. They are 9-12 inches in length and their tail is 8-10 inches long. They can weigh 14 to 21 ounces and have incisors that are used like a crowbar to open hard shells. A fun fact about Eastern Gray Squirrels is that they can go down trees head first! They will turn their feet so the claws on their hind paws are pointed backwards to grip the tree bark. They will eat tree bark and tree buds, berries and all kinds of seeds and nuts.

Behavior, Nesting & Lifespan of Eastern Gray Squirrel

Eastern Gray squirrels are found in parks and backyards of houses within urban environments and in farmlands of rural environments. These squirrels are scatter-hoarders which means their food is stored in many small caches for later use. These caches can be temporary or more long term depending of the amount of food. Some caches are used months later and one gray squirrel can have several thousand caches each season! They have excellent spatial memory to locate these caches and will use landmarks near and far to find them. They also use their sense of smell to locate their own caches as well as those of other squirrels but this is more difficult if the ground is dry or covered with snow. In the wild, Eastern squirrels often build a drey to live, which is a type of nest. These nests will be built in the forks of trees and will be made up of twigs and dry leaves. When breeding, males and females will share a drey and in colder weather, squirrels will share a drey to stay warm. In urban environments, Eastern Gray squirrels turn to homes and other buildings for refuge.

Signs Eastern Gray Squirrels Are in Your Attic & Home

These squirrels are active all year-round and during the fall months, they are storing food to get ready for winter. Holes in eaves, soffits and roofs resemble natural nests. When they nest in your home it will be in your exterior walls and attic and once there, they are very difficult to get rid of. They will tear up insulation to use for nests and chew electrical lines. Scratching, gnawing and scurrying sounds indicate a possible squirrel problem.

Eastern Gray Squirrel Prevention & Repellents

The most important thing to do is keep them out of your home. Branches from tress that are close to your home will be an entry point, so cut them. Repair any openings and rotted or damaged spots in the eaves and soffits. If your roof isn’t in good condition it will allow possible areas of access. We definitely don’t recommend it as a do it yourself project but live trapping with a box trap is the best approach and should be done at the access point with peanut butter and apples as bait. If you do get lucky and trap a squirrel, make sure there aren’t any babies or other squirrels in your home. You don’t want to seal up the entry point with squirrels still inside your home because if they are trapped, they will become even more destructive! It’s best to hire a professional pest control company specializing in wildlife removal. Ross Environmental Solutions is experienced in squirrel prevention and control. Call us today if you’re having issues.