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Pest Control Specialists Work Overtime To Round Up Unwanted House Guests In Westchester

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Pest control specialists are working overtime to round-up all kinds of creatures in Westchester.

As CBS 2's Vanessa Murdock reported, two particular pests are causing headaches for homeowners.

"I come through the doorway and this squirrel is moving from countertop to countertop dropping apples on the floor. I'm just watching him contaminate my counters," New Rochelle resident, Alprentice McCutchen, said.

McCutchen said that the squirrels in New Rochelle have become brazen, eating through screens to nosh on food.

It's happened more than once.

"My wife comes in and notices a squirrel on the counter eating our fruit from our garden," he said.

Austin Jahner, of Tri-State Wildlife, said that the problem is not uncommon especially in the middle of summer when baby squirrels head out on their own.

"This time of year we're getting pretty consistently two to three calls a night," Jahner said.

The squirrels have been making themselves at home by chewing holes behind gutters.

"Squirrels will literally sit in the gutter and chew through the roof," Jahner said.

It isn't just squirrels that are causing problems. Bats have been an issue as well because babies are learning to fly.

"It's easy for bats to get in. If you can fit your pinky into it a bat can get into it," Jahner explained.

If bats make it into your home during the summer they could bring others and end up having babies, which could leave you with an entire colony, and they do carry diseases.

"They have more bacteria in their feces; higher incidence of rabies," Jahner said.

Squirrels on the other hand tend to be docile.

McCutchen simply opened the door to let the furry intruder out. He opened his wallet too, shelling out over $200 for new screens to ensure that the rascally rodents stay outside from now on.

Squirrels can become an even bigger issue in the late fall when they start to look for shelter. And while bats may not be welcome in your home, you will want them in your neighborhood as they eat bugs and mosquitoes.

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