Why Squirrels Keep Coming Back to Your Attic
The Five Ways Squirrels Find Their Way Home: Topographic, Celestial, Magnetic, Olfactory And True
Squirrels use a combination of navigation methods to get back home including:
- Visual Cues: They use visual landmarks like trees or rocks to orient themselves and navigate their territory. Vet Explains Pets
- Sense of Smell: They can smell familiar scents to find their nests or food caches. Vet Explains Pets
- Spatial Memory: They have great spatial memory to remember important landmarks and create mental maps of their area. Vet Explains Pets
- Earth’s Magnetic Field: Some studies say squirrels can detect the Earth’s magnetic field as an extra navigation tool. Vet Explains Pets
- Position of the Sun: As daytime animals, squirrels use the sun’s position to get their bearings during the day. Vet Explains Pets
With these methods they can navigate and get back to their nests even after traveling far.
Squirrels are cute and fun but once they decide your house is the perfect place to crash they can be a real nuisance. If you’ve ever caught a squirrel in a cage in your attic more than once—even after you’ve relocated it—then you’re probably seeing the squirrel homing instinct at work. Below we’ll get into why gray squirrels and red squirrels keep coming back and what you can do to stop them. your home.
Squirrel Homing Ability
Squirrels—like many animals—have a natural homing instinct that compels them to return to familiar safe places. If you’ve used live trapping and release methods to remove a squirrel you’ve relocated, you might be surprised to see it (or another of its kind) in your attic within a few days.
- Sense of Territory
- Squirrels mark and defend their territory especially when they find a food source or a den.
- Their memory is strong so they keep an eye on their favorite nesting spots in trees, eaves or other hidden areas around your yard.
- Survival and Shelter
- In the winter, squirrels will seek warmth. The cold drives them inside and an attic is shelter from the elements.
- For mothers with young, a quiet, insulated space is key. With winter coming, squirrels don’t want to lose a known safe spot.
- Food Sources and Familiarity
- Squirrels eat many things—nuts, tulip bulbs, insects, small pieces of meat (like insect larvae).
- If they find a food source near your property—bird feeders, gardens or unsecured garbage—they’ll keep coming back.
Why They’re a Problem in the Attic
- Chewing and Electrical Wires
- Squirrels have ever-growing teeth and need to gnaw on surfaces to keep them healthy. This chewing can damage electrical wires, wooden beams and insulation.
- Frayed wires increase the risk of fires and are a danger to humans and pets.
- Droppings and Parasites
- When squirrels are in your attic they leave behind droppings that can carry parasites or diseases that can harm humans.
- Droppings can also create unpleasant odours and stains on walls or ceilings.
- Structural Damage and Holes
- In getting inside, squirrels can tear holes in the eaves or siding, enlarge existing holes.
- These holes allow other animals—raccoons or other small mammals—to move in and create ongoing pest problems.
Tips: How to Keep Squirrels Out
- Seal All Entry Points
- Trim Branches and Maintain Your YardKeep a 8-10 foot clearance between your roof and the nearest branches.
- Secure garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
- Use squirrel-proof bird feeders and don’t leave bait or open seed out at night.
- Professional Wildlife Removal and Exclusion
- Sometimes hiring a wildlife control professional for fast squirrel removal is the way to go especially if you have a persistent mother squirrel and her babies.
The Science and Behaviour of Squirrels
- A Brief Overview of Squirrel Species
- Gray squirrels and red squirrels are the most common attic invaders but many types of squirrels exhibit the same behaviour.
- Research shows they are highly adaptable; any member of the squirrel family can thrive in urban and suburban environments.
- Diet and Resourcefulness
- Squirrels eat a wide range of foods. Insects to nuts and even tulip bulbs, they can survive in the forest and residential neighbourhoods.
- That’s why you might see a squirrel today eating birdseed and the next squirrel you see tomorrow rummaging through your trash.
- Seasonal Patterns
- In the fall squirrels gather and hide nuts for winter; that’s why you see an increase in activity around your yard.
- As the weather cools in late fall and winter they focus on finding warm shelter in convenient places—often your attic.
- Homing Instinct and Relocation
- Relocating a caught squirrel to a new area sometimes fails because it can navigate back, guided by its tail twitches, sense of direction and powerful memory.
- That’s why a relocated squirrel might show up again on your property, using branches and fences as landmarks.
Squirrel Baby Season Keeps Squirrels Returning
Spring Baby Season For Gray and Red Squirrels
Squirrels often give birth in early spring when temperatures are still cold, driving them to seek warm, safe spaces like attics. These areas provide protection from predators and frosty weather, crucial for newborns. However, nesting mothers can cause significant property damage, such as tearing insulation or enlarging entry points. Limited outdoor food sources during late winter make homes near bird feeders, gardens, or garbage cans especially attractive, emphasizing the need for prompt prevention.
Late Summer Baby Season For Gray Squirrels
A second breeding season occurs in late summer or early autumn. Juvenile squirrels from spring, while not yet breeding, may linger nearby, building nests or seeking attic entry. These young squirrels learn food and shelter habits from their mothers, often returning to previously safe locations. As temperatures drop in autumn, they seek warmth, risking late-season infestations. Regular inspections and sealing entry points can prevent these persistent visitors from turning your home into their winter retreat.
Silence Doesn’t Mean Squirrel-Free
Many winter customers are surprised to discover squirrels have returned after months of silence. The absence of noise often leads homeowners to believe the first squirrel problem has resolved itself, causing them to delay fixing entry points. However, squirrels frequently return to previously accessible spaces when temperatures drop, taking advantage of forgotten gaps. This oversight can result in more extensive damage as the squirrels settle back in, making proactive sealing and prevention critical, even during quiet periods.
Coexisting with Nature
While squirrels can be a nuisance when they make themselves at home in your attic throughout the winter months, but of course, they are still an entertaining part of nature. They spread seeds and can even eat insects that harm local plant life. But once they start chewing through your attic, pooping on your insulation and fraying your wires they’ve gone from neighbourly wildlife to household pest.
Summary
Squirrels—gray squirrels, red squirrels or whatever species—have a powerful homing instinct that makes them persistent houseguests. Their ability to find holes, cache nuts and weather the cold is impressive but can also cause property damage and harm if left unchecked.
By sealing entry points, trimming branches and managing food sources you can reduce the chances of squirrels in your attic. If the problem persists seek professional help with live trapping and relocation methods, always remembering that humans and wildlife can coexist responsibly. With the right approach you can enjoy your attic year round—without uninvited four-legged members of the wildlife kingdom setting up camp in your home.
