Grey Squirrels
The first recorded sighting of grey squirrels in the UK was at Hanbury Park in Cheshire, 1876. They’re an imported species from North America and not native to the UK. Their numbers are increasing and they’ll commonly use commercial buildings as well as residential homes for shelter – if squirrels can get into your loft there’s a good chance they’ll move in.
Squirrels in your attic will cause a lot of damage chewing wires and wood – we’ve even seen squirrel tooth marks in roofing lead. They’ll also use your loft insulation for bedding in their drays.
Signs of Squirrels In Your Attic
If you’ve got squirrels living in your roof you’ll hear them; scratching, squeaking, chewing and generally moving around. They’re more active at dawn and dusk so if you hear noises in your loft at these times there’s a good chance it’s squirrels.
You’ll also see squirrels in your garden and around your house, particularly sitting on tree branches or fencing that’s close to the entrance hole they’re using. If you’ve had squirrels in your loft for a while you may notice a urine smell coming from the attic. If you take a look in your attic you’ll probably notice chewed wood or wires and damage to insulation foam.
How to Get Rid of Squirrels in the Loft
There are some DIY methods you can use to encourage your squirrel lodgers to move on. Playing a loud radio or audio book in the loft so they’re exposed to continual human voices will encourage them to leave, and also turn the lights on. They prefer quiet, dark places to shelter so the noise and light will disturb them and they’re less likely to want to hang around.
You can also try squirrel repellent powder. The scent in squirrel repellents can be scented the same as a predator for example, which again will discourage the squirrels from wanting to stay.
These aren’t sure fire ways to get rid of squirrels, but they are steps you can take yourself that may help. When you’re in your attic be mindful that squirrels won’t necessarily attack you but might bite if they feel threatened or cornered.
It’s important that you never block the squirrel’s entry hole in an attempt to keep them out. If you accidently shut a squirrel in the attic it will chew anything trying to escape so could cause a lot of damage in the process.
If you do try to remove the squirrel infestation yourself but still have no success, then the next step may be to engage the services of a reputable pest controller who does squirrel pest control. They should be able to deal with it in a few visits using various squirrel control techniques.
Stop Squirrels Getting into Your Loft
Once you’ve got rid of the squirrels in your loft or attic it’s a good idea to cut back any nearby branches to their entry hole. It’s also important to block the hole so it’s no longer accessible to squirrels, remembering that they will chew holes to make them larger and can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps.
If you’re unsure how to do this yourself then it’s worth engaging the services of a good contractor, as prevention in this case is far better than finding a cure.
