Naturally, squirrels are rarely aggressive and will not bite. But there are instances when they feel threatened and bite. Mother squirrels tend to be more aggressive. A squirrel will only bite you when you try to capture, trap and harass them or when you feed them with bare hands, that is the main reason why you should not feed squirrels. Call out professional squirrel removal Hamilton services for fast and reliable solutions.
What Will Make a Squirrel Bite You?
When squirrels get frightened, the most probable reaction they will have is becoming hostile. They become uncomfortable when people get too close while feeding them. Sometimes they bite your finger by mistake when thinking it is food.
If spooked by anything, a squirrel is likely to lash out suddenly by biting you.
Mother squirrels can be hostile and aggressive if you mess with their babies. Don’t try to approach, hold, or touch a baby squirrel. Baby squirrels are fearless and can scurry up your legs, causing its mother to become aggressive and bite you.
Dealing with Squirrel Bites
Squirrel bites are not harmful to health. You can deal with them using simple First Aid measures before you check into a hospital.
When bitten;
- Stay calm because squirrel bites are preventable.
- Move away from the animal, treat your wound, and head to the hospital to rule out any infection.
Clean the wound using soap and water
Wash your wound with warm water and soap to get rid of any germs.
Disinfect it by rubbing hydrogen peroxide or alcohol
Rub some alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to the wound to disinfect it.
Bandage it
Cover the wound with a bandage. For small injuries, you can use a band-aid. But if the wound is severe, you should wrap your hand in gauze or towel. When you cover your wound, it will heal faster and will be free from infection. Let the bite wound stay covered until it is fully healed.
Go to hospital
You want to rule out any possibility of an infection, then visit the hospital. Although getting infected from a squirrel bite is rare, you will still want to visit the hospital just to make sure you haven’t caught something you shouldn’t have.
A dangerous squirrel bite may transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, Typhus, Encephalitis, Roundworm Brain parasite, and Tularemia if the squirrel is a carrier. These diseases can cause symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, fever, flu, chills, fatigue, and much more. Seek medical attention immediately you experience such symptoms.
Conclusion
Generally, squirrel bites are mild and are no cause for alarm as long as you clean and disinfect the wound. However, a hospital check-up can help you to get the necessary treatment early in case you get infected.