Identify Your Pest Wildlife Red squirrel
Red squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus · Also called: American red squirrel, pine squirrel
The red squirrel is a small, noisy tree squirrel with reddish fur and a white belly, common in Alberta’s spruce and pine trees. It becomes a problem when it chews into attics, soffits and sheds to nest and store food.
Size About 28 to 35 cm long, including the tail
Colour Rusty red-brown back, white belly and a white eye ring
Key feature Small reddish squirrel with a bold white eye ring and a loud chattering call
Season Active all year; does not hibernate; young born in spring
Where Attics, soffits, roof vents, chimneys, sheds, garages and wall spaces
What it looks like
The red squirrel is about half the size of a grey squirrel. Its back and tail are rusty red to olive brown, and its belly is white or cream. A white ring circles each dark eye. In summer a thin black line often runs along each side between the red back and the pale belly. In winter the coat is thicker and the ears may have small tufts.
Red squirrels are loud and busy. They chatter, trill and stamp their feet when disturbed, and they are active during the day all year. Look for piles of chewed spruce cone scales, called middens, at the base of trees. Indoors, you usually hear them running, scratching and moving food in the morning and late afternoon.
Often confused with
Eastern grey squirrel
Northern flying squirrel
Least chipmunk
Signs to look for
Daytime noises overhead
Chewed entry holes
Cone scales and food
Shredded insulation
Squirrel on the roof
Risks and damage
Red squirrels are mainly a property problem. They chew through soffits, vents and roof edges, shred insulation for nests and store cones and food inside walls and attics. Chewing on electrical wiring can create a fire risk. The openings they make can also let in water and other animals. Health risks are low, but droppings, urine and old nests should be cleaned up with gloves, and squirrels can carry fleas.
In Alberta
Red squirrels are native and common in treed areas across Alberta, including Edmonton’s river valley and neighbourhoods with mature spruce. They stay active all winter and often look for warm shelter in attics in fall. Females usually have young in spring and sometimes again in late summer.
Red squirrels also harvest mushrooms. They often wedge them in tree branches to dry in the sun, then store them to eat later in the winter.
How to keep them out
Trim back branches
Seal the roofline
Cap the chimney
Store seed in metal bins
Check the house in fall
When it is time to bring in a professional
Call a professional when you hear a squirrel in the attic or walls, find chewed holes near the roof or see wiring damage. Timing matters in spring and late summer, when babies may be inside. Technica’s licensed technicians can use one-way doors, check for young and seal entry points to help stop squirrels returning.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a squirrel or mice in my attic?
Squirrels are louder and busy during the day, especially in the morning and late afternoon. Mice are quieter and more active at night. Squirrels also leave cone scales, chewed holes near the roofline and larger droppings. Mouse droppings are small, about the size of a grain of rice.
Can I just seal the hole while the squirrel is out?
It is risky. There may be more than one squirrel, or babies inside, especially in spring. A trapped squirrel will often chew a new hole or die in the wall. A one-way door lets animals leave but not come back, and the hole is sealed once the space is empty.
Do red squirrels hibernate in winter?
No. Red squirrels stay active all winter and live on cones and seeds they stored in the fall. That is why a warm attic is so appealing, and why you may hear them even on cold January days.