An animal needs to chew materials to get smaller pieces out of them. What do they need them for? To build a haven for themselves. The best building material is wood but do squirrels chew wood?
Yes, squirrels chew wood. By gathering a lot of small wood chippings, squirrels make out the perfect base for their homes. However, there are many other materials the squirrels can chew.
In this article, we will read in-depth about why squirrel chews on wood. Moreover, we will also look at the rest of the materials squirrels like chewing on and how you can keep the squirrels away from wooden property structures.
Do Squirrels Need To Chew On Wood?
Squirrels are rodents with incredibly sharp teeth and continue to grow longer with time. That is why they constantly feel the need to gnaw and chew. It is one of the squirrels’ innate behavior that it is always on the look for wooden sticks.
Most squirrels prefer living on tree branches and building a nest. Right when the sun rises, the squirrels set out to gather wooden pieces. If the pieces are big, they chew on the wood to make them small.
A squirrel works hard to gather wooden sticks that can be utilized and made into the shape of their nest. Other than that, they stack all the wood in the holes inside the walls of homes and attics. So, we can say that these little squirrels are great builders indeed!
Why Is A Squirrel Chewing On My Deck?
A squirrel is a restless creature. Once it is up and about, it starts roaming around here and there, searching for all the natural materials it can utilize. There are two categories of such materials:
- The materials on which a squirrel can chew.
- The materials on which a squirrel can feed.
Sometimes, it so happens that a squirrel ends up chewing on structures and properties like a wooden deck. They do this for main two reasons:
- Squirrels constantly feel the need to clean their teeth.
- They need to sharpen their teeth by biting and chewing on wood.
Why do they depict this kind of behavior? They do this to maintain their teeth and their perfect form and shape. If they stop chewing on wood, their teeth will lose all the sharpness, directly affecting a squirrel’s lifestyle! They will no longer be able to gather materials and make a home out of them.
Will Squirrels Chew Through Pressure Treated Wood?
The young squirrels are jumpy and move from one place to another in the blink of an eye. They are also capable of chewing through pressure-treated wood. These furry critters are on the lookout for wood and wood chippings.
The wood can also give squirrels a treat sometimes, as squirrels constantly search for little creepy crawlies or insects in wood holes. Furthermore, even if they do not find any insects, they will keep chewing to keep their teeth in shape.
Sometimes, this particular behavior of squirrels can be an expected nuisance for human beings. The squirrels can target:
- Antique furniture
- Wooden Decks
- House Cupboards
- Wooden Doors
- Attic Flooring
Those who live in areas where the squirrel population is much are always on the lookout for squirrel chewing and make sure that their wooden belongings can be kept safe.
Do Squirrels Burrow Under Decks?
Usually, the squirrels prefer to live on top of trees or dig underground burrows. The squirrels like inconspicuous spaces, the ones that predators cannot detect. They do not remain awake at night. Hence, they must keep themselves well protected and away from the night hawkers.
The squirrels have devised ways to keep themselves well-hidden to keep themselves secure. This includes occupying attics, decks as well as chimneys. The squirrels build their dens in these enclosed spaces.
Another reason a squirrel prefers to burrow under the decks is that it can easily access all the food that the people in trashcans throw off. A squirrel quickly jumps to its feet and navigates the trash bins to use all the materials it can gather from there.
People who live in areas where the squirrel population is much are always on the lookout for squirrel chewing and make sure that their wooden belongings can be kept safe.
How Do I Get Rid Of Squirrels Under My Deck?
Before the squirrels cause much harm to your decks, you must take measures to keep them away. Timely action can save you from a lot of damage. Here are some of the things you can do to keep your decks intact:
Use of spray repellants
You can either buy a spray repellant from the market or make it at your own home. You can mix water, onions, jalapeno, and cayenne peppers in a spray bottle.
If you spray this mixture near specific areas of your home like doors, porch, pool decks, and garages, it will surely keep the squirrels away!
Using Spices as repellants
The easiest thing for you to do is utilize your home spices. It would help if you took a little paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Next, take the powdered mixture out and place some in your attics and wooden decks.
As mentioned earlier, the measure may look temporary, but they are very effective in keeping the squirrels away for a brief time. However, if the squirrels are determined enough, they can occupy other spaces like the garage.
Do Squirrels Eat Wood Fences?
Squirrels run around playing here and there, eating nuts, acorns, and wood fences on their way. So if you have a garden lined with a wooden fence to keep animals away, you will surely fail to protect it from a squirrel.
The wooden fences invite the squirrels over. The squirrels chew on them time and time again. They take some of it back to build their homes. The squirrels are good mothers. They want to make a home that is well-protected for their babies.
However, you can keep the squirrels away by using a few squirrel repellants. Moreover, you can replace the eaten wooden fences after a few months to keep your garden looking new.
You can also place bird feeds on the wooden fences so that the better incentive for a squirrel is to get food and distracts it from chewing on wood.
What Can Squirrels Not Chew Through?
It may seem like rodents are always on their way to chew things, but in reality, there is not a lot of material that a squirrel can chew through.
You should know about them to keep your belongings well protected. It is best if you adopt the use of materials like galvanized steel as well as stainless steel.
Many people also prefer using aluminum to line their wooden doors and decks with squirrel-repellant materials.
You are also advised not to stuff the holes in your walls with wood or wood chippings. Even sawdust is enough to attract squirrels. A squirrel comes instantly to chew through them.
The alternative is stuffing holes with a metal sheet and wire mesh. There is another material that the squirrels cannot chew through; it is the chicken wires. They have been designed specially to keep squirrels out.
Wrapping It Up
The squirrels have a habit of chewing through woods in your homes as well as in your gardens. They do this to sharpen their teeth and gather materials for building their homes. In winter, the collected wood is also a good insulator.
You can keep them out by installing the materials mentioned in your homes. Moreover, repellants are also sufficient to keep unwanted squirrels away.
References
- An Analysis of the Cost of Grey Squirrel Damage to Woodland
- University of California
