Pest Control
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Heavy scratching, thumping and running above the ceiling, mostly in daylight and often first thing in the morning, points to a visitor much larger than a mouse. Grey squirrels are agile climbers, they gnaw, and they will make a nest in a loft that nobody visits. They also come with a legal catch that most people do not know about until they have one in a trap.
Why squirrels move into lofts
The grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) comes from North America and was introduced to Britain in the nineteenth century. It is now common across most of England, in towns as well as the countryside, and wherever there are mature trees and gardens there are squirrels.
A loft offers a dry, sheltered, undisturbed space, and loft insulation makes good nesting material. Squirrels build nests, called dreys, for resting and for raising young. Females usually have two litters a year, one in late winter or spring and another in summer, so a loft can be in use at almost any time.
Grey squirrels do not hibernate. They are less active in cold or wet weather, but they are around all year, which is why loft activity often shows up in autumn and winter.
How they reach the roof
A squirrel does not need much help to get onto a roof. The usual routes are:
- tree branches overhanging or touching the roof
- ivy and dense climbing plants on the walls
- trellis, fences, sheds, garages and extensions close to or joined to the house
- drainpipes and rough brickwork
Once at roof level, they look for a way in: loose or damaged soffits and fascias, gaps at the eaves, damaged roof vents, the joins between roof sections, and old holes or failed repairs. Squirrels are strong for their size and persistent about getting back into a familiar shelter, so a gap stuffed with lightweight material rarely stops them for long.
Signs of squirrels in the loft
- Noise in the daytime. Running, thumping, scratching and rustling, heavier than mice and usually heard in the morning and late afternoon rather than in the middle of the night.
- Droppings. Much larger than mouse droppings and close to rat droppings in size, which is one reason a survey is worth having.
- Torn insulation. Insulation pulled up, shredded or gathered into a nest with leaves and twigs.
- Gnawing. Chewed timber, stored items and cable sheathing, and enlarged holes around vents or at the eaves.
- Smell. A stale urine smell where they have been in residence for a while.
- Outside clues. Squirrels regularly on the roof or running along the gutters.
Timing is a good clue, but not proof. Rats, mice, nesting birds and bats also use roof spaces, and some need very different handling. Our guide to what is living in your loft covers how to tell them apart.
Why squirrels in the loft are a problem
Like all rodents, squirrels have front teeth that never stop growing, and they gnaw constantly. In a loft that means chewed timber and ceilings, torn insulation and, most seriously, stripped insulation on electrical wiring, which is a fire risk. If you find chewed cables, have an electrician check them.
Their urine and droppings foul the insulation and anything stored up there, and can get into an open cold-water tank. Squirrels can also bring fleas and ticks into the roof space, and old nesting material and droppings can attract insects of their own. Then there is the noise, which is hard to live with when it is right above a bedroom.
What the law says
This is where squirrels differ from most household pests.
- Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the invasive species rules that followed it, it is an offence to release a grey squirrel, or allow one to escape. That includes a squirrel caught in your loft.
- A caught grey squirrel has to be humanely dispatched. Animal welfare law makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering, so whoever sets a live-catch trap is responsible for checking it and for dealing with the animal quickly and humanely.
- Not every trap is legal. Spring traps used on grey squirrels must be approved for that species, and traps have to be set so they do not catch other wildlife.
- Red squirrels are protected. Our native red squirrel is fully protected by law. It is largely absent from central and southern England, but control should never start on an assumption about what is in the roof.
There are no poisons for squirrels available to the public. For a homeowner, the practical message is simple: buying a trap online does not make it legal or appropriate to use, and trapping a squirrel leaves you with a decision most people would rather not make.
Should you block the hole straight away?
No. It is tempting to seal the gap as soon as you find it, but proofing comes last. Seal a loft while a squirrel is inside, or while young are in a nest and the mother is outside, and you create a welfare problem and usually a smell. The animal may also chew its way out somewhere new, sometimes into the house.
First establish whether the loft is still occupied, whether there is a nest, and how many ways in there are.
What lasting proofing looks like
- repairing damaged soffits, fascias and eaves
- covering vents and gaps with securely fixed metal mesh or plates, keeping the roof ventilation working
- repairing old holes and failed proofing
- cutting back branches within jumping distance of the roof, and managing ivy and climbers
- not feeding squirrels near the house: squirrel-proof bird feeders, and food waste kept in lidded bins
The key word is secure. Squirrels pull at loose material, so proofing needs to be a repair fixed to the building, not a temporary plug.
One more thing to check before any gap is closed: bats. All UK bats and their roosts are protected by law, even when the bats are not there at the time. If there is any sign of bats, get advice from the Bat Conservation Trust or Natural England before blocking access points. Our guide to bat and mouse droppings explains what to look for.
After the squirrels have gone
Check the loft for damaged insulation, gnawed cables and timber, and droppings and nesting debris. Where the fouling is heavy, the insulation may need clearing and replacing. Then make sure every access point has been repaired, because a roof that let one squirrel in will let the next one in too. Homes near parks, woodland and mature trees are the most likely to see repeat visits.
When to call us
Call us if you are hearing heavy movement in the loft during the day, finding torn insulation, or regularly seeing squirrels on the roof. We confirm what is up there, deal with it lawfully and humanely, find how it is getting in and proof the roof so it stays out. Request a quotation or call 01926 632 929. For the proofing side, see building protection and proofing.
Ask us about squirrels → Building protection and proofing → Noises in the house →