Wildlife Removal - Squirrel fends for itself in Brielle, NJ

There are quite a few misconceptions about squirrels. One common misconception is that they must hibernate during the winter since we never see them during extreme cold. In fact, they are just remaining near their nest where it is warm (just like we prefer to hunker down inside our homes during the winter). Another misconception is that squirrels store their food, like acorns, right in their nest or dens to snack on all winter. In fact, squirrels bury their nuts in various locations, and they are smart enough to remember where their stored food is buried. Squirrels are smarter than you may think. They live by the motto of not putting all their “nuts” in one basket!  Finally, a big misconception is that a squirrel’s diet is limited to nuts and berries. While they certainly seek out these foods out in the wild, these rodents are more than happy to eat a variety of everyday foods that we as people also enjoy, especially any foods containing peanut oil as well as foods containing grains, like bread and crackers.  

I recently caught a squirrel on video red-handed in Brielle, NJ,, going into a garbage can to fish out what appears to be a cracker. If you don’t have a secured lid on your garbage, for most wily nuisance animals, especially squirrels and raccoons, it’s mere child’s play for them to open up the lid and get the bounty of goodies often waiting for them inside. 

One last misconception that I may as well clear up. Whenever a homeowner finds acorn shells in their attic, they automatically believe that squirrels must be getting inside. Of course, that is sometimes the case. However, if you look high and low and can’t find an access point large enough for a squirrel to enter the attic, the invading animals may well be much smaller rodents, that is, mice! Squirrels rarely bring their food into the attic, rather, as mentioned before, they bury it in secret states outside to access later. However, mice will simply hoard their food in one spot. Certainly, a squirrel may bring an acorn or two into an attic, but by and large, if you find a decent number of acorns inside your home, the safe bet is that you likely have a mouse infestation.