Can squirrels damage my home?

Squirrels can chew through wood, insulation and electrical wiring, causing extensive damage to a home if not prevented, asserts the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Squirrels often gain access to attic crawl spaces and the eaves of a home, building nests that are difficult to locate.

Squirrels enter the home and tear up insulation and other materials to construct a nest. Patching the entrance to the nest is seldom a sufficient deterrent, since squirrels have been known to chew through the side of a home to reach their young, claims the State of Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Heavy wire mesh is often used to successfully block the entrance.