Gutters are pretty useful. They can keep rainwater out of your house, help you initiate a Slip ‘n Slide on a rainy day, and give you and our pets a place to skateboard. But there’s one secret gutter has been hiding — it’s an ideal habitat for animals. Animal builds their habitats in all sorts of places, and these are some of the more unusual choices they make.

Squirrels

The most common animal to build a nest in your gutters is the squirrel. Squirrels like to build their nests over or near water or any place they think will be safe from predators and provide easy access to food. Because of this, they will often try to build their nests in your gutters. If you have squirrels building nests in your gutters, it is important that you get them out as soon as possible.

Squirrels are extremely territorial, and if they feel threatened, they can become aggressive and bite. They are also carriers of rabies and other infectious diseases.

In addition to being dangerous, squirrels can cause damage to your home by chewing through parts of the roof and roofing materials. If a squirrel chews through electrical wires while they are trying to make a nest inside your home, it can cause an electrical fire which can quickly spread throughout the structure of your house or business. In order to avoid this potential hazard, you should remove all squirrel nests from your gutters as soon as possible.

Mice

Mice love to build nests in gutters because they provide shelter from the elements and food in the form of any leftover plant matter that has fallen down into them. It’s easy for mice to build nests in your gutter, especially if it is filled with leaves and twigs. Once they get comfortable in your gutter, they will start having babies. These rodents are also known to chew on wires and cause other damage around the house.

Chipmunks

Chipmunks are small rodents that look similar to squirrels but are much smaller. They can be found in most of North America and are often seen scurrying around the top of tree limbs. Chipmunks enjoy building their nests in the gutters around homes and buildings. The reason for this is because it allows them to have easy access to food as well as protection from predators, as they can easily escape into the trees if necessary.

If you live in an area with an abundance of wildlife, you might consider keeping your gutters clean and unclogged so that it will be less likely that animals like birds and squirrels will build their nests there.