Grey squirrels may look charming in the park, but they’re a very different prospect once they move into your loft. Thumping, scratching and scurrying above the ceiling, often early in the morning, is usually the first sign. Left alone, squirrels can chew through electrical wiring, tear up insulation and damage roof timbers. Gloucester Pest Controllers provides humane, legal squirrel control and roof proofing for homes and businesses across Gloucestershire.
The grey squirrel is a non-native species that’s widespread across the county, from city gardens and parks to the woodland of the Cotswolds and the Forest of Dean. Squirrels normally build nests (dreys) in trees, but a warm, dry, quiet loft makes an ideal alternative, particularly in autumn and winter and during their breeding seasons.
Squirrels are strong, agile climbers. They use overhanging branches, climbing plants, drainpipes and neighbouring roofs to reach the roofline, then get in through loose or missing roof tiles, damaged soffits and fascias, gaps where the roof meets the wall, and holes around vents and pipes. If a gap is slightly too small, they’ll simply gnaw it bigger.
Once inside, the damage can be serious:
Signs of squirrels: scratching or thumping noises at dawn and during the day (rats are mostly active at night), squirrels seen going in and out of the roofline, chewed holes in soffits, shredded insulation, droppings, and lights or sockets failing upstairs.
Grey squirrels are classed as an invasive non-native species. Under UK law, it’s illegal to release a trapped grey squirrel back into the wild or move it elsewhere, so “catch and release” isn’t a legal option. Our technicians are trained to deal with squirrels humanely and lawfully, and we always confirm the species first, because the rare red squirrel is fully protected.
Your technician starts by surveying the loft and roofline to confirm squirrel activity, find entry points and check for damage. We then use humane, professional traps placed in the roof space and along routes squirrels use, checked regularly in line with welfare standards and the law. We continue until all activity has stopped. We never seal a roof while squirrels are still inside, as trapped animals cause more damage and young could be left behind.
We remove squirrels safely and make sure they can’t get back in.
If squirrels have been living in your loft for a while, they’ll have left behind nests, droppings, urine-soaked insulation and debris. Our Loft Clearance service safely removes the mess, sanitises the space and can arrange new insulation, so your loft is clean and protected.
Squirrel control involves working in roof spaces, at height and within strict wildlife laws, so it pays to use an experienced, insured team. Our technicians know how squirrels behave and where they’re most likely to get in, from the gable ends of older houses to the soffits of newer estates.
We use only humane, legal methods, and we never seal a roof until we’re sure every squirrel has gone. Proofing is carried out with durable materials that squirrels can’t chew through, and we’ll point out any repairs needed to tiles, fascias or wiring. You’ll get a clear price before any work starts, and a local team you can call if you ever hear noises again.
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