When a Nut on a Chair Isn’t Cute

CountyPest
4 days ago
3 min read

What Flying Squirrels Are Really Telling You About Your Home

At County Pest Control, we see a lot of unusual things during home inspections. But few signs stop homeowners in their tracks quite like this:

A single nut… sitting in the middle of a chair.

To most people, it feels almost funny. Maybe even harmless. To us, it’s a very specific red flag.

Because flying squirrels don’t leave calling cards unless they feel completely at home.

Flying Squirrels Don’t Think Like Other Squirrels

Most people are familiar with squirrels and their organized food habits. They create neat storage piles, called middens, that they return to again and again.

Southern flying squirrels do things very differently.

Instead of one tidy stash, they scatter food everywhere. Wall voids. Insulation. Furniture. Random shelves. And yes, sometimes right in the middle of a chair. It looks chaotic, but it’s intentional. They’re creating multiple backup food locations inside what they now consider safe territory.

Honestly, it’s impressive they remember where everything is.

But when that territory is your home, it means they’re not just passing through. They’ve settled in.

Flying Squirrels Are Social (Which Makes the Problem Bigger)

Another thing most homeowners don’t realize is just how social flying squirrels are.

In the wild, it’s common for six to eight flying squirrels to share a single tree cavity. Once they move into attics or wall spaces, those numbers often grow. As temperatures drop in the Lehigh Valley, communal nesting becomes even more attractive.

We regularly see situations where a “single squirrel noise” turns out to be multiple animals, sometimes even multiple generations, sharing the same space. There are documented cases of twenty or more flying squirrels living in one structure.

That’s a lot of movement, chewing, and contamination in a home that was never designed for it.

Small Animals, Big Damage

Flying squirrels may be small, but the damage they cause adds up quickly.

They tunnel through insulation to create travel paths and nesting areas, which reduces energy efficiency and often leads to higher heating and cooling bills. In many cases, the insulation becomes so contaminated that full removal is the only real solution.

They also chew. Electrical wiring is a common target, and that’s where things can become dangerous. Chewed wire insulation can create shorts or fire hazards, and the damage is often hidden until it becomes a serious issue.

Once inside, flying squirrels don’t just use existing openings. They make them bigger. Fascia, soffits, vents, and roofline gaps are all common problem areas. And once those openings are widened, other wildlife often follows.

Add in urine, droppings, and nesting debris, and you’re left with lingering odors, contaminated insulation, and air movement carrying those smells throughout the home.

That Nut Is Telling a Story

A mysterious nut isn’t random. It’s a sign of ongoing activity, food storage, and comfort inside your home.

And where there’s one stash, there are usually many more you haven’t seen yet.

If you’re hearing nighttime movement, noticing new sounds in the attic or walls, or finding food in places it doesn’t belong, it’s worth taking seriously.

Why Early Action (and the Right Professional) Matters

Flying squirrel issues are much easier and less expensive to address early. A proper inspection allows us to identify how they’re getting in, how many are present, and what kind of impact they’ve already had on insulation and structure.

Just as important as acting early is who you hire.

Flying squirrels aren’t just another nuisance animal. They’re a regulated wildlife species in Pennsylvania, and handling them correctly matters for both legal compliance and humane outcomes. The order of operations matters too. Sealing openings or removing insulation at the wrong time can trap animals inside walls or attics, leading to odors, damage, and repeat infestations.

That’s why it’s so important to work with a certified wildlife control officer.

County Pest keeps a certified wildlife control officer on staff, and we also maintain a network of trusted, certified wildlife operators throughout the Lehigh Valley. This allows us to handle everything from simple cases to more complex situations safely, legally, and humanely, while making sure exclusion, wildlife control, and insulation work are sequenced properly.

For homeowners in Allentown, Bethlehem, Emmaus, Easton, and surrounding Lehigh Valley communities, this approach means fewer surprises and solutions that actually last.