Fun Fact: Squirrels’ teeth continue to grow throughout their lives. Chewing on wood and other materials allows them to keep them trimmed short and sharp.
While they might seem cute and innocent, squirrels can cause a significant amount of damage to your roof by gnawing on shingles, siding, trim, gutters, and electric cables.
To help prevent or minimize the amount of squirrel damage to your roof, start by following these steps.
Trim Surrounding Trees and Plants
The first step homeowners should take to defend their roof from squirrels and other critters is regularly trimming the trees and plants surrounding their house. By cutting off or limiting these access points, squirrels will not be able to climb on to your roof as easily.
On average, squirrels can jump 5 feet up from the ground and 7 feet across from trees and plants. This means homeowners should trim any branches that overhang their roof a minimum of 8 feet away.
Cover Wires and Cables
Squirrels are extremely nibble little creatures. They are able to run across telephone lines, power lines, cable lines, and other wires that connect to your home in order to gain access to your roof.
If this is the case for your home, reach out to the utility company and present your issue. If possible, the company will place plastic piping over the lines. That way, when squirrels or other animals attempt to climb the line, the pipe will rotate and the animal will lose their footing.
Install A Drip Edge
If you are finding it difficult to keep squirrels off your roof entirely, the best next step is protecting your roof from damage.
A drip edge is a piece of metal that is installed underneath the first row of shingles on your roof and hangs over the fascia. While they might try, squirrels are not able to chew through this metal sheet. Since the squirrels will not be able to access the fascia, they will also not be able to tunnel their way into your home.
Not only does it help prevent squirrels from wreaking havoc on your roof, a drip edge can also help rain and storm water drain into your gutter and away from your home.
Have A Squirrel Problem? Call the Experts at Shumaker Animal Control
If you think you have a squirrel problem on your property, and would like to prevent squirrel damage, call the experts at Shumaker Animal Control to deal with the problem for you. Our experienced team will take care of the problem in a timely manner, ensuring that your home and pets are not in any danger.
At Shumaker Animal Control, we are a family-owned business who cares about the safety of you and your family but also about the well-being of the animals themselves. All of our trapping and control methods are humane, as we never try to hurt the angry or scared animal.
Call us at 443-854-8072, visit our website or fill out our contact form for more information.