There are two species of flying squirrels in Greenville – The Northern Flying Squirrel and the Southern Flying Squirrel. Both are nocturnal so it can be difficult to see one. The Northern Flying Squirrel lives above 4500 feet and occurs only in the mountains close to the border with North Carolina.
The Southern Flying Squirrel lives across the state. If you have a flying squirrel problem, it will be this species.
Flying Squirrel Damage and Entry Point
Flying squirrels are small. They found a loose soffit where the roof meets with another section of it. It is common to find loose soffits in this section of the roof. It can be difficult to fully secure a soffit in such tight corners. The gaps lets air escape which can attract different pests.
Signs of Flying Squirrels in Greenville-Spartanburg
Evidence of flying squirrels can be found through droppings, tracks, scents or actual sightings. Inspect the roofline of your home for chew marks and small entry points. In addition to scratching sounds in the middle of the night, you may also hear low, soft chirping or clucking sounds.
The cabins in the mountains of the Upstate had a flying squirrel problem. The obvious sign was flying squirrel urine dripping from the attic and down the walls.
The owners also had guests complain of scratching noises from the attic late at night. Unlike tree squirrels, flying squirrels are nocturnal. You probably won’t see a flying squirrel, but you can hear their noises at night.
What Attracts Flying Squirrels?
Flying squirrels like to feed on things like seeds or nuts, berries, lichens, fresh leaves, and flowers, along with fungi. Flying squirrels are highly attracted to properties that have backyard birds or other wildlife feeders on them.
A few simple habitat modifications can keep your home free of nuisance squirrels. You can add a squirrel barrier to your bird feeder to keep them out, but you will still need to keep the ground below the feeder clean. Trimming tree branches near the roof can remove an easy access point
Flying Squirrel Trapping in Greenville-Spartanburg
For these two instances, we installed live traps at the end of one-way doors to get rid of the flying squirrels. Once we trapped all the flying squirrels and removed them, we implemented exclusions to prevent future problems. We sealed all holes and cracks big enough for flying squirrels to enter your home and secured vent openings with wire mesh.
How rare is it to see a flying squirrel?
Flying squirrels are common rodents in many parts of the country, but because they are nocturnal, few people ever see them.
What time of year are flying squirrels most active?
Flying squirrels are active year-round, are highly sociable, and will feed and den together. Flying squirrels set up nests in attics to escape predators and cold weather, as well as to raise their young.
