20 Squirrel Facts (Including Why They Love Your Attic)

Squirrel facts at a glance

1. The eastern gray squirrel is the common squirrel in New Jersey towns.
2. Squirrels don't hibernate. They stay active all winter and shelter in leaf nests (dreys), tree cavities or attics.
3. On very cold days they stay in the nest and live off fat and stored food.
4. A squirrel can bury thousands of nuts in a single fall.
5. They find many of them again using spatial memory and smell, often by remembering landmarks.
6. The nuts they never find grow into trees; squirrels help plant forests.
7. Squirrels sometimes fake-bury a nut to fool other squirrels watching them.
8. Their front teeth never stop growing, which is why they chew constantly.
9. That chewing includes wood, vinyl, plastic vents and electrical wiring.
10. Gray squirrels can jump roughly 8 to 10 feet between branches or onto a roof.
11. They can rotate their back ankles to climb down trees headfirst.
12. Their tail works as a balance pole, a parachute and a blanket.
13. Squirrels have babies twice a year in NJ: late winter and late summer.
14. Litters are usually 2 to 4 babies.
15. Babies leave the nest at about 10 to 12 weeks.
16. Squirrels are active by day, mostly early morning and late afternoon.
17. They communicate with tail flicks and chattering alarm calls.
18. They can see movement above and behind them without turning their heads.
19. A squirrel can squeeze through a hole about the size of a golf ball.
20. An attic is perfect to a squirrel: warm, dry, safe from predators and full of insulation for nesting.

Why these facts matter for your house

Constant chewing, 8-foot jumps from trees, two litters a year and a love of warm, dry nesting spots add up to a lot of North Jersey attics with squirrels in them. If you hear scratching at sunrise, see signs of squirrels in the attic. Our squirrel proofing uses one-way doors and roofline sealing; no trapping or relocation.