What Does a Squirrel Nest Look Like in an Attic?
A squirrel nest in an attic usually looks like a loose, rounded pile of shredded attic insulation mixed with leaves, twigs and other material the squirrel carried in from outside. It’s often close to the spot where the squirrel gets in along the roofline. Around it, you’ll usually find tunnels through the attic insulation, droppings and chewed wood.
What the Nest Is Made Of
Outdoors, squirrels build their nests from twigs and leaves. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s guide to Texas squirrels describes a fox squirrel’s leaf nest as a ball about twelve to twenty inches across with an inner cavity six to eight inches wide, and notes that gray squirrel leaf nests usually have two openings. In an attic, squirrels use the same idea with whatever is handy, and attic insulation is the easiest material up there. That’s why an attic nest often looks like a messy clump of attic insulation with leaves and twigs worked into it.
Where to Look
Squirrels get in at soft roof connections, where the soffit runs into a roof transition and meets the shingles or tile, and through vents on the roof. The areas just inside those spots along the eaves are the first places to check, and they can be hard to see from the attic access.
Other Signs Around the Nest
The nest is rarely the only clue. Look for trails and tunnels running through the attic insulation, little toe prints on dusty ductwork, droppings, and gnaw marks on wood and wiring. Outside, attic insulation lying in the yard means something pulled it out of the house.
Don’t Pull the Nest Out Yourself
An attic nest may have young squirrels in it, and the mother will keep coming back to it. Pulling the nest out doesn’t remove the squirrels, and sealing the entry point with a squirrel still inside traps it. A trapped squirrel will chew its way out, often through the ceiling.
How We Handle It
The Critter Team provides squirrel removal services that deal with the squirrels first and the nest second. We humanely trap every squirrel out, including any young, seal the entry points, then remove the nest and damaged attic insulation, clean and deodorize the area, and install new attic insulation.
So What Does a Squirrel Nest Look Like in an Attic?
It looks like a loose, rounded clump of shredded attic insulation mixed with leaves and twigs, usually near the spot where the squirrel gets in along the roofline. Tunnels through the attic insulation, droppings, toe prints on ductwork and chewed wood are the signs that go with it. If you find one, the squirrels need to come out before the nest does.