Squirrels Ate My Screens

Tips on Protecting Your Windows From Rodent Damage

Squirrels ate my screens. Under the category of “Things That Like to Eat My Home,” add: Squirrels.

Not that squirrels enjoy dining on building materials. Squirrels, however, are rodents and rodents have to chew. Literally. Chewing is how they keep their fast-growing (up to six inches per year) front teeth useable. Without chewing, squirrels’ incisors would get so long so quickly that they could no longer eat, and would starve.

So Have Teeth, Will Gnaw, if you’re a squirrel. This means the next time Ms. Sciurus carolinensis tries to chew a hole in your siding, it’s not personal. It’s dental. Or, she’s looking for a snack or a place to live.

Lately, I’ve been hearing reports of squirrels eating window screens. I don’t like anyone disrespecting windows, but I wasn’t quite as surprised once I learned about all the things squirrels do chew through regularly—shingles, wood siding, metal vents, heavy plastic trashcans, electrical wiring, PVC pipes, insulation, and more. In fact, it’s been suggested that squirrels are responsible for 10-20% of all power outages in the U.S., ^[1] including briefly knocking out trading at NASDAQ in 1987 and 1994. ^[2]

Enough! Time to draw a line in the lawn. Here are ways to fight back.

 

Tip #1: Stop Being a Squirrel Magnet

Problems with squirrels start when they find your property attractive and begin hanging around. If you have trees and shrubs and keep food in your home—Bingo! You qualify.

Don’t cut down all your trees or stop buying groceries, though. A few tricks will make your home less compelling. Squirrels have sharp senses of smell and taste. That makes food a #1 attractant. I know you think your bird feeder is for birds, but squirrels think otherwise. Consider locating all birdfeeders at least 20 feet from your house, and squirrel-proof them with a pole guard so the little buggers can’t clamber up. Garbage cans are another lure, and plastic cans are no match for a determined squirrel. If your community allows it, try replacing plastic garbage cans with metal; squirrels are less likely to chomp down on a metal can.

This brings us to window screens, metal and otherwise. If the only thing standing between your food and a squirrel is a screen, it’s not going to go well for the screen. That’s something to keep in mind if you like to eat on a screened-in porch, or if you open kitchen windows to catch the breeze. Go ahead and enjoy the season; just don’t leave food lying around unsupervised for long stretches. You could attract some serious attention from the furry kind.

Tip #2: Use Repellants to Send Squirrels Running

Good news: You can use the squirrel’s keen sense of smell against him. Local home goods stores often carry animal repellents that you can spray around windows, the base of your screened-in-porch, and any other place you want to protect. Some products contain coyote urine, which will really make squirrels think twice about loitering.

Squirrels also hate capsaicin, the active ingredient in cayenne pepper. Brew up your own DIY batch of repellent with this recipe:

• One bottle of cayenne pepper sauce
• One gallon of water
• 1 teaspoon mild liquid dishwashing detergent

Mix the ingredients together. Spray or brush the repellent on areas where squirrels are active. Reapply periodically, especially after it rains. ^[3]

Got mothballs? Try putting some in a sock and placing loaded socks in strategic spots to discourage exploration. Mothballs get their pungent order from naphthalene, which irritates a squirrel’s lungs. If you’re short on mothballs, try using ammonia-soaked rags instead.

Hands Up and Step Away From the Squirrel

You may be surprised to learn that squirrels are protected by law in Illinois. It’s true; the Illinois Wildlife Code prohibits taking matters into your own hands if you feel particularly unkind toward a squirrel who’s given your home some unwanted attention. (Or maybe if you are a former NASDAQ trader.) The rules seem to vary by community and species of squirrel, though. It’s wise to do a little research online before taking action, even if that bad boy just ate your window screens.

After all, he’s simply doing what comes naturally to him. And, in case you were wondering, Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21.

Your home is your castle, and we’re here to help you take great care of it. At McCann Window & Exteriors, we love hearing from our customers about their plans and concerns. Please give us a call if you have questions about restoring, repairing, or replacing your windows and home exterior. Just call 847-562-1212, or SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION.

Here’s to Mother Nature!

Kevin McCann

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References

1. Katherine Shaver, “The bushy-tailed, nut-loving menace coming after America’s power grid.” The Washington Post, Dec. 25, 2015. Accessed July 9, 2019: www.washingtonpost.com/local/the-bushy-tailed-nut-loving-menace-coming-after-americas-power-grid/2015/12/25/d4b4c2b6-a8db-11e5-9b92-dea7cd4b1a4d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.cc6b78656f79
2. Bonnie Brodnick, “Squirrel Appreciation Day: Don’t Miss Celebrating!” HuffPost, Oct. 6, 2014. Accessed July 10, 2019: www.huffpost.com/entry/squirrel-appreciation-day_b_2496591
3. Danny Lipford, “How to Keep Squirrels From Damaging Your Home,” Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford: www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-keep-squirrels-from-damaging-your-home/

How to Keep Squirrels Off Window Screens

Start by removing the reason they climb. Take down bird feeders within about twenty feet of the window, clear fallen fruit and nuts, and trim any branch that gives a squirrel a launch point within roughly eight feet of the house. Then make the surface unpleasant. A capsaicin based repellent applied to the screen frame and the sill works on contact and does not stain aluminum or fiberglass mesh, though it needs reapplying after rain. On a screened porch or enclosure, running a band of smooth aluminum flashing along the bottom two feet removes the grip they need, since squirrels cannot climb a surface with no texture.

Can Squirrels See Through Windows and Glass?

Yes. Squirrels see through glass clearly, and they see color, though their range favors yellows and blues over the full red spectrum that people perceive. That is why one will sit on a sill and watch a kitchen: it can see movement, food, and pets on the other side. It also means the glass itself is not a deterrent. What squirrels judge poorly is reflection. On a bright day a highly reflective window reads to them as open sky, which is the same visual failure that causes birds to strike windows.

Why Do Squirrels Climb Window Screens?

A screen is the easiest vertical surface on a house. The mesh gives claws better purchase than brick, siding, or glass, so it becomes a ladder to a roofline, a soffit gap, or a feeder mounted above. They also climb toward whatever they can see or smell inside, whether that is pet food, fruit on a counter, or another animal. A squirrel that climbs the same screen repeatedly is usually routing to a nesting site above the window rather than to the window itself, so check the soffit and fascia directly overhead before you treat the screen.

Can Squirrels Chew Through Aluminum and Fiberglass Screens?

Both, without much effort. Squirrel incisors grow continuously, and they cut through fiberglass mesh in seconds and aluminum mesh in well under a minute. Neither material is a barrier. The mesh that actually holds is stainless steel or a heavy gauge pet resistant polyester, which carries roughly seven times the tensile strength of standard fiberglass. If a screen has already been chewed, replace the mesh rather than patching it, because a repaired hole stays a marked entry point and they come back to it.

What Is Eating Holes in My Window Screens?

The damage pattern identifies the animal. Squirrels and raccoons leave large ragged tears with the mesh pulled outward at the edges. Cats leave vertical claw runs that do not usually breach the frame. Insects do not chew screens, though wasps will nest behind a loose one. A fist sized hole in a bottom corner is almost always a squirrel or a chipmunk making an entry into a porch or enclosure.

Are Squirrel Proof Window Screens Worth It?

For a house that has already lost screens twice, yes. Pet resistant mesh costs modestly more per square foot than standard fiberglass and resists both squirrel teeth and dog claws. Stainless steel mesh costs more again and is effectively permanent. The economics are simple: a home that re screens three or four openings every season will usually recover the upgrade within a year. The efficient time to do it is when the screens are already out for cleaning, rather than as a separate trip.

Why Does a Squirrel Keep Coming to My Window?

Repeat visits mean the squirrel learned that something at that window pays off: a feeder, fruit visible from outside, food someone once set out, or a sill that holds winter sun. Squirrels have strong spatial memory and will return to a productive spot for weeks after the reward is gone, so remove the source and then give it two or three weeks of nothing before deciding a deterrent failed. If the visits continue through winter with no food source anywhere nearby, check for a nest in the soffit or attic directly above the window.

Why Is a Squirrel Licking My Window or Screen?

Usually salt or condensation. Road salt tracked onto glass and sills in winter, mineral residue left by hard water runoff, and dew collecting on cold glass all give a squirrel something worth licking. It harms neither the animal nor the glass, though persistent licking will stretch screen mesh over time. Rinsing the sill and the lower sash with plain water removes the draw.