According to the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. loses approximately 6,000 acres of open space
each day to development—much of it being habitat critical to tree-dwelling species like
squirrels.
Native hardwood forests, vital to species such as the eastern gray squirrel and the fox squirrel,
have experienced significant reduction, especially in the eastern U.S., where 83% of forestland
is privately owned and increasingly converted for residential or commercial use.
Climate change is also compounding habitat loss. A 2020 study in Global Ecology and
Biogeography found that suitable habitats for North American tree squirrels could shrink by up
to 25% by 2050 if current climate and land-use trends continue.
Declining habitat reduces natural food supply and drives squirrels into urban and industrial
areas, including electrical substations. This means the challenge of animals entering
substations for food and shelter is not going away.
TransGard fences remain the most reliable answer to this problem. They deliver a humane
shock to animals that attempt to climb the fence, and not only does the experience of a shock
deter immediate action, but a squirrel’s “spatial memory” of an unpleasant experience also
informs future behavior, encouraging them to avoid substations altogether.
If your substation has a problem with squirrels, contact us for a free site audit – or just to ask a
question.
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