Why Do California Squirrels Chew Wood? How to Get Them to Stop!

While there are arrays of materials available for the Ontario squirrels to chew, there are times that they will gnaw on the materials that they shouldn't. This may include the wood materials in our house. The squirrels love to chew tough materials to control the growth of their teeth as well as to sharpen it. While it may be impossible for you to completely prevent them from running through your property, there are some methods that you can use to encourage them to look for more suitable place and materials to chew.



Reasons Why Squirrels Are Chewing Wood

There are numerous reasons why the California squirrels will chew wood materials. This destructive behavior of the squirrel will have a detrimental effect on the foundation of our house. In case they chew on the support beam, this may lead to costly repairs. Here are some reasons why squirrels chew wood.

  • To gain access to our house- During the nesting season, the squirrels will look for a warm and comfortable place to raise their litters. Our attics would be an excellent place to build their nest. In order to gain an entry, they will have to chew our walls and create entry holes.
  • Build nest-the squirrels will chew and collect wood sticks in order to build their nest. You will notice how busy they will be during the nesting season.
  • Control the growth of their teeth- Just like the different species that belong in the family of rodents, the teeth of the squirrel will continuously grow. To manage the growth of their teeth, they will have to gnaw tough materials such as the wood. 

  • How to Prevent Them from Chewing the Ontario Woods

    Here are some methods that you can use that will help you deter the habit of the California squirrels that love to chew on the woods. In case none of these methods works, be sure to hire the assistance of the professionals immediately. Otherwise, you can be facing an expensive house repair and renovation.

  • Give them other things to chew- if the California squirrels will find a more accessible materials to chew, they will definitely ignore the boards and beams in our house. You may give the squirrels branches or dog bones. Chew toys should be positioned away from the crucial structure of your house.
  • Do not make things easy for them- you cannot blame the squirrel for taking advantage of the wood that they can easily chew. You may want to wrap the wood with aluminum flashing or hardware cloth to protect your construction materials. You can also adopt a dog that will guarantee that your house will be free from squirrels.
  • Using repellents-there are different repellents sold in the market but only a few of them will work such as the squirrel eviction fluid. Furthermore, this will only be effective during the nesting season. This should be used to drive the squirrel away from your house.

  • Squirrels will chew the Ontario wood materials not because they love the taste of it. They will do this to control their growing teeth. If you follow our tips above, you can reduce the probability that they will attack our beam, wood decks, and boards.



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