Squirrels

The biggest giveaway is timing and sound. Squirrels are diurnal – active during the day – so if the noise in your attic or walls is happening in the morning, midday, and early evening (rather than overnight), squirrels are the most likely culprit. Mice and rats are primarily nocturnal. Squirrel movement also tends to be louder and more distinct: you’ll typically hear running, rolling (nuts being cached), and heavier thumping rather than the lighter scurrying of rodents.

Other distinguishing signs include: larger entry holes (usually 2–3 inches in diameter, with gnaw marks at the edges), daylight sightings of squirrels on your roofline, and, in fall months, the sound of food being stored overhead. In older homes throughout Oshawa, Whitby, Bowmanville, and Courtice, unsecured soffits and deteriorating roof vents are common entry points. If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, our team serves all of Durham and York Region and can inspect and identify the issue for you.

Yes – chewed electrical wiring is one of the most serious and underappreciated risks of a squirrel infestation. Squirrels’ front teeth grow continuously, so they gnaw constantly to keep them filed down. In an attic, this means insulation, wood beams, and electrical wiring are all fair targets. A single chewed wire can create an arc fault that starts a fire inside a wall cavity – often with no visible warning from the exterior.

Beyond the fire risk, squirrels also compact and saturate insulation with urine, reducing its R-value and creating moisture damage over time. In properties across Ajax, Pickering, Markham, and Stouffville, we regularly find attic insulation that needs to be partially or fully replaced following a squirrel infestation. The sooner the animals are removed and the entry point sealed, the lower the remediation cost. Our technicians also include a complimentary flea, tick, and maggot treatment of the affected area at no extra charge.

One-way doors are more effective for squirrel removal, and there’s both a practical and legal reason we prefer them. Under Ontario wildlife regulations, a trapped animal can only be relocated within 1 kilometre of the capture site. In suburban areas of Durham Region – Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Brooklin – that 1km radius often keeps you well within the same squirrel’s territory, meaning the same animal frequently finds its way back in through another entry point.

A one-way door works by letting the squirrel exit the home naturally to forage, then preventing re-entry. Once all animals have left, the door is removed and the entry point permanently sealed. This approach is faster, less stressful on the animal, and more reliable than trapping – particularly when multiple squirrels are involved. It also eliminates the risk of trapping a squirrel inside where it could cause further damage trying to escape. All of our squirrel removal work comes with a minimum one-year guarantee on the exclusion screening.

There are two peak seasons. The first is late winter to early spring (February through April), when grey and black squirrels begin seeking sheltered nesting sites to give birth. The second is fall (September through November), when squirrels are actively storing food ahead of winter and scouting for warm, protected spaces. These two windows account for the majority of squirrel calls we receive across Durham and York Region – from Oshawa and Whitby to Newmarket, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill.

It’s worth noting that once squirrels establish an entry point, they’ll use it across multiple seasons and may attract others. A roofline breach that starts as a single squirrel in spring can become a recurring problem by fall if the entry point isn’t properly sealed. If you’re hearing activity in Bowmanville, Courtice, Uxbridge, or anywhere else in our service area, don’t wait for the busy season to book – call us for a free quote at (905) 425-0589 or (647) 966-3742.

Yes – exclusion is a standard part of our squirrel removal process, not an add-on. Once all squirrels have been removed through our one-way door method, our technicians seal the entry point and install screening to prevent re-entry. That screening is guaranteed for a minimum of one year. We also inspect for secondary or potential entry points – rooflines, soffits, roof vents, and eavestroughs are all commonly vulnerable, particularly in the older housing stock found in parts of Oshawa, Whitby, and Bowmanville.

In addition to exclusion, every squirrel removal job includes a complimentary spray treatment of the affected attic area for fleas, ticks, and maggots – something most companies don’t offer. We serve homeowners throughout Durham and York Region, including Pickering, Ajax, Markham, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple, Georgina, King City, and beyond. Contact us for your free quote.