We All Just Want a Nice Cozy Place to Call Home

    The fairest Home I ever knew
    Was founded in an Hour
    By Parties also that I knew
    A spider and a Flower --
                      -Emily Dickinson

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Our homes are considered to be a safe haven, a place of comfort, ours, not a public domain, private, a haven for family and friends. What exactly do you do then when your home becomes the exact opposite of that? 

What do you do when your home is no longer just YOUR home? 

If you're not careful, you may find yourself in a situation where you're not the only residents in your home. The problem is that you may not realize that you're indeed having to share your home until it's too late. Whom, you may ask, are you sharing this home with? The answer is quite simply rodents, bugs, spiders, and other pests. I'm sure these guys are not exactly who you had in mind for co-signers on your mortgage. 

This time of year it's especially important to be sure your home doesn't have a welcome sign out for any ol' pest to come along and join you. In the winter months, rodents are looking for warmth just like we are. However, squirrels in particular are looking for a little more than just warmth.  

Between the months of February and April are typically when squirrels have their first of two litters of the year. Because of this, squirrels are looking for not only warmth, but a safe place for the first six to eight weeks of their babies lives. What better place out of harm's way than in your attic?  

Checking on Her Nest

This is a picture of a mommy squirrel doing exactly that.

​A few weeks prior to this picture being taken. A Champion Pest Management technician was on site for an inspection and an estimate to complete some exclusion work. The homeowners could hear noises in the attic and were worried. 

Upon initial inspection, Greg found an area of concern. The gable vent in the attic was prepped with hardware cloth which may not seem like a problem; however, what he saw on the other side of the mesh was what caused some alarm. 

What Greg found was a possible squirrel's nest being built between the hardware cloth and the gable vent. These findings were reported to the homeowner. It was suggested that Champion Pest Management reapply the hardware cloth to the exterior of the gable vent before this potential nest became a home. 

Unfortunately, the homeowners didn't act quickly enough. When the CPM technician returned to fix the exclusion, Greg found no other than a baby squirrel in the nest. Along with the baby, Greg discovered where the mommy squirrel had chewed through the hardware cloth (possibly during labor), and left the homeowner's attic vulnerable to infestation. Greg patched the hole, but he'll have to wait to return to fix the placement of the hardware cloth on the gable vent.

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Check out the video below of the baby squirrel and mommy squirrel in the gable vent. ​

Now, is a great time to have your checked home for proper exclusion. Give Champion Pest Management a call today for your free quote. 
843.860.4791