Will a squirrel chew through the ceiling?

Squirrels are cute little furry creatures with long bushy tails that appear constantly in children’s story books, or can be found in parks eating nuts out of people’s hands. They are not generally seen as pests or nuisances, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t wreak quite a bit of havoc in a home.

These pesky rodents are very mischievous and like to get into trouble. The problem is that they are extremely intelligent, have excellent long term memories, great climbing abilities and huge front teeth perfect for chewing through almost anything. Though not a disease threat to humans, they can still be very aggressive and a bite from a squirrel is nothing to laugh about.

Squirrels have long front teeth that never stop growing, so they constantly need to chew on things to wear down their teeth to a manageable length. When a squirrel finds its way into an attic it will most likely build its nest there and chew through some insulation, fabric and even paper to make its hidey – hole as cozy as possible. Squirrels can chew their way into the walls and scamper up and down them with ease. They will also chew through ceilings if they find a weak enough spot, usually around light fixtures. This is why they end up inside closets, pantries, bedrooms, and sometimes even get stuck at the bottom of walls.

So, basically squirrels do not chew through ceilings because they are hungry; unlike mice or rats who eat practically anything, squirrels have a very fat and protein based diet. They chew their way through anything due to a natural dentistry need. To prevent squirrels getting into your attic or chewing their way through your walls and ceilings, check the eaves and your roof tiles to make sure that there aren’t tiny holes through which they can enter and make themselves at home. Because they can chew through almost anything, board up any places that you feel may be weakened by structure or weather, preferably using steel, which they cannot chew.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Squirrels page or email us if you have any other questions about Will a squirrel chew through the ceiling?