This little guy is apparently nesting in my attic

Jimmyeatsausage, 3 months ago

I’d recommend having the landlord remove it as soon as you can. Without knowing the specific type of insulation, it’s impossible to say whether it presents a hazard to the squirrel, but my guess would be it’s not safe or, at the very least, not ideal.

The bigger issue is that squirrels aren’t very picky about where they go to the bathroom, and if its hanging out in the attic, its almost certainly relieving itself up there as well. There are several diseases that can be found in squirrel waste, including salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and others. Some of these pathogens are airborne, so you or others in the house could get sick even without contacting the waste. Additionally, if it’s up there long enough, the urine could become a source of mold.

If you’re worried your landlord might inhumanely remove the squirrel, you may be able to contact your local humane society or other small animal rescue organization that can help you capture and release the squirrel somewhere safe.

You should also see if the landlord would be willing to install mesh or screening over your attic soffits and vents to prevent other animals from finding their way up there.

yokonzo, 3 months ago

He’s a pretty nice guy, I may just tell him about it and he’ll get someone to remove the guy humanely, thanks

noride, 3 months ago

That looks like cellulose insulation, little guy should be fine. That said, I hope someone has enough respect for you some day to do the right thing and let you know a rodent is destroying your property unimpeded. They can literally cause thousands of dollars in damage if left unchecked, and there are numerous other things that can kill or hurt him within the home that he now has access to.

Good on you for looking out for em though, seriously.

yokonzo, 3 months ago

You have a point there, I’ve been checking up on him pretty regularly with motion alerts and the only reason I haven’t really done much yet is cause it literally just seems like he’s sleeping and then going out in the morning to come back in the afternoon, but it does look like at some point he was chewing on stuff and that should be addressed, I will call my landlord and let him know the situation, I’m sure that if anyone goes up there he’ll just immediately scamper out anyways, cause his nest seems to be right against the entrance portal