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Flying Squirrel Control - Greater Birmingham, Alabama

Flying squirrels are small, furry squirrels with membranous "wings" between their legs and bodies, which enable them to glide through the air. The technical name for their "wing" is the patagium, and by controlling its tautness, they're able to steer. They control their descent and landing using their tails in a similar way to how the elevator of an airplane works.

These abilities give flying squirrels considerable control over their flight and the ability to land with impressive accuracy, which is why they're called flying squirrels. The one thing they can't do, however, is increase their altitude, including taking off from the ground. They can only glide from a higher area to a lower one.

Nonetheless, even being able to glide is enough to make flying squirrels quite a nuisance. They can get into any place a gray squirrel can, plus quite a few places where they can't. Unlike gray squirrels, flying squirrels leap from nearby trees and gently glide to your home, so simply trimming the tree branches back so they don't overhang your home isn't enough to keep these critters out.

Once they get into your home, they create the same sort of problems that gray squirrels do, including:

• Health hazards from their urine, droppings, and shed parasites.
• Damage to your home itself, along with any personal property stored in the attic, from gnawing, scratching, and nesting behavior.
• Increased fire risk due to gnawing on electrical wiring.
• Problems with odors and allergens getting into the living area of the home (especially if you have central heating or air-conditioning).

Flying Squirrel Biology and Behavior

The most common of the flying squirrel species we get in Alabama is known as the Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomy volans). Occasionally we also get the Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomy sabrinus), which is a bit larger, as well. Both species have similar biology and habits.

Flying squirrels are the smallest of all members of the squirrel family, and they are the only nocturnal tree squirrels. The are usually grayish in color, but there's quite a bit of variation possible, ranging from tan, to reddish-brown, to almost black. They prefer living in established forests with dense tree cover, although they have adapted to living in human-occupied buildings.

Most flying squirrel young are born in the spring or summer, and although they are weaned at about eight weeks, most flying squirrels stay with their mothers until her next litter is born.

Flying squirrels are omnivorous, but most of their diet is plant based. They eat fruits, nuts, mushrooms, lichens, and tree sap; but they've also been known to feast on small mice, birds' eggs and nestlings, slugs, snails, carrion, insects, and other animal foods. One way to tell if a flying squirrel has been eating a nut is that rather than crushing the whole nut, they make a hole in one end and eat the insides out through the hole.

Transmission of disease directly from flying squirrels to humans is rare. However, they do have fleas, ticks, and other parasites that can be involved in disease transmission, and their droppings can serve as breeding media for a variety of insects and fungi.

Flying Squirrel Control

Flying squirrels are not considered "pests," and therefore there is no such thing as a "flying squirrel exterminator." They're nuisance wildlife, and they must be humanely trapped and removed. Exterminators who leave poison bait for flying squirrels are breaking both state of Alabama and federal laws. They're also setting their customers up for serious problems with odors and insects if the animals die inside the home, especially inside a wall or ceiling void where their carcasses are difficult to find and retrieve.

At Rid-A-Critter, we have performed thousands of flying squirrel removal jobs, and we do them the right way. We humanely trap and relocate the animals, preserving family groups whenever possible. In the case of orphaned or injured animals, all of our technicians have a list of certified wildlife rehabilitators whom we work with and who will accept our animals.

After the flying squirrels are trapped, we also seal up your home so that "new" flying squirrels can't get into the attic. This exclusion work will also animal-proof your home to keep other nuisance animals out of your house.

Like all animal control work, flying squirrel control and exclusion is potentially hazardous work that requires special training, equipment, and safety precautions. This is not a do-it-yourself kind of job. Save yourself the trouble and call us instead.

Flying Squirrel Control Gallery

Here are some pictures of flying squirrel-removal and squirrel-proofing jobs we've done in Birmingham and throughout the Metro area.

If you need help keeping flying squirrels out of your home's attic, please call us today for an on-site inspection and consultation.

 

Excited to be at the Athens pest control conference this week. Let’s talk about wildlife and what services we provide to help.
New Blog Post: Happy New Year!
Want to put a stop to those pesky critters getting in your home for good? We can do that!!
Heard it all. Squirrels in my attic, scratching noises in my attic, attic noises, animals partying in my attic, then there’s the crawlspace. Rats in my crawlspace, opossum in my crawlspace and there’s something dead in my crawlspace/attic.
New Blog Post: Merry Christmas!
Just want to say. I’m so grateful for the relationships we have with the pest control companies in Georgia and Alabama and Tennessee. Thank you all for the referrals.
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Squirrels are busy this season as usual. I’m headed south to take a look at a commercial job in Macon for Bats. Yep bats their still hanging around with us despite the cooler temps. Have a good day.
New Blog Post: What Software Do We Use to Maintain this Site?
New Blog Post: Happy Thanksgiving!
Havoc in you attic. Call us
Having a blast down here in Tifton Ga at the GPCA Fall Conference meeting new clients. Glad to be in great relationships with the pest control industry.
Been a busy day in South Georgia today with attic noises and scratching noises in walls. Squirrels are here.
Heading to Lincoln to look at a bat problem for a customer. Then off to talladega for squirrels.
Squirrel calls are coming in. Is your home protected? Call us for a free quote today.
Here's How Flying Squirrels Got Into this House in Birmingham, Alabama
Out seeing clients today in Birmingham, Anniston, Leeds and Center Point Alabama. Having issues with Nuisance animals in your home or business call us for a free quote.
Headed south to Vidalia,Ga for a bat exclusion quote. Nice day today with cooler temps. Going to be a busy fall.
Getting a little squirrelly in Georgia. We’ve seen babies already.
In Warner Robins this morning and sold a exclusion. Gonna be another happy customer. Now headed to Valdosta to see some clients.
Down here on Lake Blackshear quoting a home with what was thought to be bats. After evaluating the home it turns out to be Chimney Swifts which can’t be relocated due to being a migratory bird. We’ll be back to cap flue when they’re gone.
Love it when a really good song comes on the radio in between stops. Gets me a little squirrelly. Lol Have a Good Friday everyone.
Out seeing our wonderful clients in the pest control industry that refers us for wildlife (rats, bats, snakes, squirrels , bees, etc. Thank you from all of us!!
Cleaning up flying squirrel damage in Metro Birmingham is a big job. Especially during the summer when attic temps can exceed 130’ Fahrenheit. This is a job best left to the professionals, call us for your attic restoration quote today!!
About to start a problem job in Alexander city
Great day in Valdosta. I helped one of my clients customer with a honey bee problem and set them up for our technicians to quote extraction.
Squirrels in my attic, rats in my crawl, bats flying in my house to snakes in my yard. Yes we can handle it all from Hiawassee to Valdosta .
This Was the Flying Squirrel Entry Gap into a House in Hoover, Alabama
How Flying Squirrels Got Into the Attic of this House in Birmingham, Alabama
Awesome day in Macon Ga. visiting clients. South Ga. pest control companies are referring us more and more bat jobs. I explained that now is the season. Thank you for referring us
Well it was a great day in Alabama seeing my Pest Control clients that refer us. If you don’t know by now majority of Pest Control companies refer us for squirrels, raccoons, rats, bats, bees and more. Now it time to head back to Georgia.
Excluding animals is a continuous task. That’s why our Warranty Division is always hard at work keeping those reoccurring, persistent, and pesky Critters out of your home. Have you let your Warranty coverage lapse?? Get caught up today !!
A little cold snap has the flyers moving in Birminghamm.

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