It's all because of two things: first, they get into your house, and two, they like to chew.
Squirrels move into your attic for a variety of reasons. Maybe it is near their food (since they like to live near their food) or maybe they need to make a nest to live (or have a family) or maybe it is because they found an opening into your attic - a place which is warm, dry and protected.
Well, it doesn't really matter why they are there. It's just that they are there.
This is a problem because squirrels love to chew. In fact it is a necessity for them to chew constantly and to chew anything. If they didn't, their teeth would grow too big for their mouths. So their natural bent is to chew and chew and chew.
Now consider this. If you have a squirrel living in your attic, what is it going to eat or chew? It may start by making a nest. Maybe you have some important papers or clothes in the attic. They would make a nice nest.
Now the squirrel needs some entertainment. So it might start chewing on your prized possession or antiques? (sometimes squirrels are not too picky in what they chew.)
Well, let's say you don't have anything like that in your attic. Even so, there are many more things it could start chewing and these are most likely something made from wood - like your floor, siding, studs, rafters,... (not cheap things to fix or repair).
What else is in most attics and is usually not very well concealed and sometimes laying right out in the open?? Electric wiring!
Squirrels obvioulsy don't know any better, so if it looks interesting or is in their way, they will chew it. Sadly, it is a known fact that many squirrels have chewed electrical wiring and have started many a house fire in the process. This is why allowing those cute critters in your attic is extremely dangerous.
The fear of having an attic fire should only be one concern of having squirrels in your attic. Attic squirrels are also bad because they can 1.) make it easier to get into your main living area, 2.) if they have a family, your problems (like chewing) is mutipled by 4 or 5 times, 3.) squirrels bring bugs, ticks or mites in your house which can spread into your living area, and 5.) their urine and feces can lead to health problems.
All this means is that you need to get rid of the squirrels (if they are there already) or prevent them from coming in (if they are not there yet.). The best way to start is to make sure all openings in your attic are properly closed. This will go a long way to keeping them out.
To learn more about getting rid of squirrels (or at least getting them under control), you need The Definitive Guide to Controlling Squirrels. This $5 guide will give you all the basics and can be found at www.ControllingSquirrels.com
