What Problems Do Grey Squirrels Cause?
Don’t underestimate the grey squirrel.
It may look cute and unassuming but don’t be fooled. This rodent is a public menace. It damages the environment and the economy and also threatens your bank account and health.
So what problems do grey squirrels cause? Let us provide you with the lowdown.
What Problems Do Grey Squirrels Cause in Your Home?
Grey squirrels typically enter your home via the roof. They will then wreak havoc by chewing through wires and gnawing at your walls and ceilings.
If you have a squirrel nest in your loft, the squirrels will damage your house daily. This spirals into an expensive problem if you do not act.
The squirrels will also contaminate your loft with their urine and stool.
How Does the Grey Squirrel Impact Human Health?
Grey squirrels carry many infectious diseases that are dangerous to humans.
They carry tularemia, typhus, and the bubonic plague. These are transmitted through a bite or direct contact with an infected squirrel. If left untreated, these diseases will kill. Squirrels also carry ringworm.
Squirrels also host fleas and ticks, which themselves carry diseases. These include encephalitis, Rocky Mountain fever, and Lyme disease.
These are not diseases you want in your loft; remove unwanted squirrels immediately.
How Do Grey Squirrels Affect the Environment and Ecosystem?
Grey squirrels gnaw tree bark to access the sweet sap-filled tissue beneath. This seriously harms the tree, which may succumb to either tissue damage or a resultant fungal infection.
Their grey cousins significantly threaten red squirrels in Europe and North America. This is primarily because of intense competition for food and territory. They also carry a disease called squirrel pox, which is fatal to reds but not greys.
The greys introduced to Europe have decimated the population of Eurasian red squirrels. There is typically a 15-year lag between the introduction of grey squirrels and the local extinction of the red squirrels.
Greys also have a taste for bird eggs and fledglings. Their presence dramatically reduces fledgling rates.
How Does the Grey Squirrel Affect the Economy?
Their fondness for fruit and tree bark makes grey squirrels a menace to the farming and timber industries. Farmers can have entire swathes of maize or fruit crops wiped out. Timber firms fall foul to bark stripping, killing their trees.
In the United Kingdom, the country most threatened by grey squirrels, bark stripping will cost the economy around $1.5 billion over the next 40 years.
Don’t Delay When Dealing With Grey Squirrels
The answer to the question “What problems do grey squirrels cause?” is simple. They cause a lot of problems.
But you can do something about it. When it is the health of you and your family at stake, there is no time to waste.
At NJ Pest Control, we offer squirrel control, removal, and prevention. If you have an emergency or want to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact NJ Pest Control today.
