It means a squirrel is either making a way into your attic or already living there. Squirrels chew soffits, fascia boards and the corners where two rooflines meet because those spots are soft, close to a tree limb and lead straight to a warm, dry attic. A round hole at the roof edge with smooth, chewed edges is the classic sign. The fix is to get the squirrels out with a one-way door, close the hole with metal, and repair the wood. Call Cypress Critters & Pests at 713-775-8799.
Why do squirrels chew on the soffit?
For a way in, and because they have to chew. A squirrel’s front teeth never stop growing, so it chews all the time, and a soffit is soft compared with a branch. Squirrels look for the weak spots: a corner where the soffit meets the fascia, a seam that has pulled apart, wood that got wet and went soft, or a gap at a roof return, where a lower roofline tucks under an upper one. They come in off a limb that touches or hangs over the roof, test the edge, and chew until they can squeeze through. Once one squirrel opens a hole, others use it too.
How can I tell if a squirrel is already inside?
Squirrels keep daytime hours, which makes them easier to catch in the act than rats or raccoons. These are the signs:
- Running, rolling or scratching overhead in the early morning and late afternoon.
- A round hole at the roofline with smooth, chewed edges, sometimes with a dark rub mark around it.
- Squirrels going in and out at the same spot on the roof edge.
- Bits of chewed wood, shingle or insulation on the ground or in the gutter below.
- Leaves and torn insulation piled near the eaves inside the attic.
If the chewing is fresh but there is no hole yet, the squirrel is still working on it. That is the easiest time to stop it.
Is the chewing a danger to my house?
It can be. The hole lets rain in at the roof edge, and wet wood spreads soft spots along the soffit. Inside, squirrels chew on wiring the same way they chew the wood, and chewed wiring in an attic is nothing to leave alone. They also tear up insulation for nests and leave droppings and urine on it. The longer they stay, the more of the attic needs cleaning and the more of the roof edge needs repair.
Call or text 713-775-8799 if you are watching squirrels work on the roof edge.
Can I just patch the hole myself?
Not until you know nothing is inside. Patch a hole with a squirrel in the attic and it will chew a new one, often right next to the patch, and in spring there may be young inside that die behind it. Wood filler and a new piece of soffit will not hold on their own either, because a squirrel can chew through soft material quickly. The order that works is the same every time: confirm what is inside, get it out, then close the hole with something it cannot chew. Trapping a squirrel or two without sealing just opens the attic to the next one, which is why the animal exclusion service is built around sealing the whole roofline, not one hole.
How do you get squirrels out and keep them out?
Michael inspects the whole roofline first, because the hole you can see is rarely the only weak spot. He checks for young, then puts a one-way door over the main hole, so the squirrels can leave on their own and cannot get back in. Once the attic is empty, he closes that opening and the other weak points with metal flashing and hardware cloth, a heavy wire mesh squirrels cannot chew through, and he repairs the soffit and fascia so the house looks right again. Last, he points out the limbs that give squirrels a bridge to the roof so they can be trimmed back.
When should I call?
Call when you see fresh chewing at the roof edge or hear running in the attic in the morning. The squirrel removal page explains the work in more detail. In The Woodlands, where trees grow close to the houses by design and the covenants care how a house looks from the street, the page on squirrel removal in The Woodlands covers how Michael seals a roofline so the repair fits the look of the house. To stop the chewing before it turns into a hole, call 713-775-8799.
Questions people ask about squirrels and the soffit
Will squirrels leave the attic on their own?
Not while the attic is warm and dry and has a nest in it. Squirrels go out to feed every day, but they come right back to the same hole. A one-way door uses that habit: it lets them out on their regular trip and keeps them from getting back in. Once they are out, the hole gets sealed so they cannot chew their way back.
Why is the squirrel chewing the same spot after I patched it?
Because the squirrel or its young are still inside, or because the attic still smells like home to it. A patch made of wood, foam or thin screen does not stop a squirrel that wants back in. The opening needs metal or hardware cloth, and the attic needs to be empty before it goes on.
Do squirrels really chew the wires in an attic?
Yes. Squirrels chew constantly to keep their teeth worn down, and attic wiring is in easy reach. That is one reason Michael looks over the wiring during the inspection and points out anything that has been chewed. Getting the squirrels out quickly and sealing the roofline is the way to keep it from getting worse.
Should I cut back the trees that hang over my roof?
It helps. Limbs that touch or hang over the roof give squirrels an easy path to the soffit. Trimming them back takes away that bridge, though squirrels can still climb walls and jump a fair distance. Trimming does the most good together with sealing the roofline, not in place of it.
