Most people in Louisville know about the Eastern Gray Squirrel—the bushy-tailed acrobat raiding your bird feeder during the day. But many homeowners are shocked to learn we have another species that is just as common but rarely seen: the Southern Flying Squirrel.

These tiny rodents are strictly nocturnal. You will almost never see them in your yard, but if your home has mature trees nearby (common in Prospect, Crestwood, and the Highlands), they might be throwing a party in your attic right now.

What is a Flying Squirrel?

They don’t actually fly; they glide. They have a membrane of skin (patagium) stretching from their wrists to their ankles. This allows them to jump from a high tree branch and glide 50-100 feet to your roof.

They are small—about the size of a chipmunk—with huge, dark eyes adapted for night vision.

Why They Are a Unique Problem

Removing flying squirrels is significantly harder than removing gray squirrels for three reasons:

1. They Live in Colonies

Gray squirrels are territorial and solitary. If you have gray squirrels, you usually have a mother and her babies. Flying squirrels are social. In the winter, they aggregate for warmth. If you trap one flying squirrel in your attic, there are likely 10 to 20 more right behind it. We have removed colonies of over 30 flyers from a single attic in Louisville.

2. They Use Tiny Entry Points

A gray squirrel needs a hole the size of a baseball. A flying squirrel can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter (about 1 inch). They often enter through:

• Gaps in the ridge vent.
• Unscreened gable vents.
• Tiny rot holes in the fascia.
• Gaps where the dormer meets the roofline.

Finding and sealing every single 1-inch gap on a roof requires a meticulous, professional eye.

3. The “Latrine” Effect

Because they live in large groups, their waste accumulates quickly. They designate specific areas of the attic as toilets. This concentrated urine and guano creates a strong, musky odor that soaks into insulation and drywall, requiring expensive restoration.

Signs You Have Flying Squirrels

• Nighttime Noise: This is the #1 clue. If you hear scratching, scampering, or “bowling” sounds (acorns rolling) between 10 PM and 4 AM, it is flying squirrels. (Gray squirrels sleep at night).
• Ceiling Stains: Brown spots appearing on your ceiling from urine saturation.
• Exterior Chewing: Small chew marks around roof gaps.

The Removal Strategy

Standard squirrel traps often don’t work because flyers are too light to trigger the pan.

1. Colony Traps: We use specialized repeater traps mounted directly over the entry hole. As they exit to feed, they are caught in a holding cage.
2. Exclusion: We install one-way doors that allow the colony to glide out at night but block re-entry.
3. Total Sealing: We seal every other potential gap with steel mesh and high-performance sealant.
4. Habitat Modification: We recommend trimming tree branches back at least 10-12 feet from the roof. Since they glide, they need a launching point. Pushing the launch point back makes your roof harder to reach.

If you suspect these nocturnal gliders are in your home, don’t wait. A colony can destroy an attic in a single winter. Call Critter Removal of Louisville for a specialized inspection.