Squirrels in the loft are almost always grey squirrels that have got in through a gap at the roof line. You’ll usually hear them early in the morning, and they chew wiring and shred insulation. They can’t legally be released, so they have to be removed by a trained pest controller, and the gap sealed once they’ve gone.
This guide covers how to tell it’s squirrels, how they get in, the damage they do, what the law says and what it takes to get them out for good.
How do I know if I have squirrels in my loft?
The usual signs are running and thumping early in the morning, droppings, shredded insulation, a urine smell and squirrels seen going in at the roof line.
The British Pest Control Association lists the same signs. In the loft itself, look for:
- Droppings scattered across the boards, often near the water tank and close to where they get in.
- Shredded insulation, pulled into a heap. A squirrel nest in the loft, called a drey, is a ball of insulation, leaves and twigs, usually tucked into the eaves.
- Chewed wood and cables, with the coating stripped off the wires.
- A strong urine smell, which usually means they’ve been there a while.
- Daylight showing at the eaves, or a gap that’s been chewed wider.
Outside, watch the roof for ten minutes in the early morning. Squirrels going in and out at the same corner of the roof is the surest sign there is.
Is it squirrels or rats in the loft?
Squirrels are active by day, so noise early in the morning and through the day points to squirrels. Rats and mice are mostly heard at night.
The sound is different too. A squirrel weighs around half a kilo, so you hear running, thumping and things being rolled about. Rats scratch and gnaw, and mice make a lighter, quicker scratching.
Noises in the loft at night are more likely to be rats or mice. If the scratching is inside the walls rather than overhead, read scratching in the walls at night. For mice, see how to get rid of mice in walls, floors and lofts.
Not sure which animal it is? What’s in my loft? compares squirrels, rats, mice, birds and bats by noise, time and droppings.
It matters because the treatment, the law and the gaps that need sealing are different for each. If you’re not sure, a photo of the droppings or the gap usually settles it. James does rat control as well as squirrels.
How do squirrels get into a loft?
Through gaps at the roof line: loose fascias and soffits, damaged vents, gaps under tiles and where gutters meet the roof, usually reached from trees.
Squirrels climb brickwork and drainpipes easily and jump several feet from branches, so a gap two storeys up is no harder for them than a gap at ground level is for a mouse. Once a gap is started, they chew it wider.
The commonest ways in:
- Soffits and fascias. A squirrel in the soffit is the classic case. Timber boards rot and shrink, and plastic ones can be chewed through or pushed loose.
- The eaves and roof edge. Gaps behind the gutter or under the first row of tiles lead straight into the loft.
- Vents and air bricks high on gable walls, especially old ones with broken grilles.
- Chimneys. A squirrel in the chimney usually came down from the pot, and can get into the loft where the stack passes through it.
- Not cavity walls. Squirrels get into soffits and lofts, not wall cavities. Scratching inside the walls is more likely to be rats or mice: see scratching in the walls at night.
In Fareham and Gosport, older terraces lose their fascias to rot, while newer builds such as those in Whiteley and Locks Heath have plastic soffits and roof vents that squirrels can chew. More on local houses on the squirrel pest control page.
What damage do squirrels do in a loft?
They strip the coating off electrical cables, shred insulation, gnaw timber and foul the loft and cold water tank with urine and droppings.
That list comes from the British Pest Control Association. The wiring is the part to take seriously. A squirrel’s front teeth never stop growing, so it gnaws constantly, and loft cables are soft, warm and easy to reach. Bare wires in a loft full of loose insulation are a hazard.
The longer they stay, the worse it gets. Insulation soaked in urine stops working and starts to smell, and usually has to come out. Chewed timber at the eaves lets in rain. If you’ve had squirrels for a while, ask for the wiring to be checked once they’ve gone.
How do you get rid of squirrels in the loft?
Grey squirrels can’t legally be released, so a trained pest controller uses kill traps. The way in is sealed once the loft is clear.
Grey squirrels are an invasive species. Under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it’s illegal to release one, or let one escape, so catching one in a cage and letting it go in the woods is against the law.
Why DIY rarely works
Repellent sprays, ultrasonic plug-ins and traps are all sold online for squirrels in the loft. The BPCA’s advice is that DIY control is unlikely to work and could be illegal, and that not every trap sold online is approved for squirrels. Squirrels are also strong enough to pull out proofing that isn’t fixed properly.
What James does
- Survey.
James looks at the roof from outside first to find the way in: the eaves, fascias, soffits, vents and any branches touching the roof. Then he checks the loft for droppings, nesting, chewed wiring and damage around the water tank, and tells you what he’s found before anything starts. - Trapping.
James sets kill traps in the loft along the routes the squirrels are using. - Weekly checks.
Weekly checks. James checks the traps every week and keeps going until there are no more signs of squirrels using the loft. - Sealing the way in.
Once the loft is clear, the gaps are closed with metal mesh or plates fixed firmly in place. Squirrels are strong enough to pull out anything loose.
How long it takes depends on how many squirrels there are. For homes in Fareham, Gosport and south Hampshire, see squirrel pest control.
Can I just block the hole?
Not until the squirrels have gone. It’s against the law to knowingly shut an animal in, and a trapped squirrel will chew a new way out.
Fareham Borough Council gives the same warning: check for trapped squirrels before blocking access holes. A trapped squirrel usually makes a new hole somewhere else in the roof, so you end up with two problems instead of one.
Young are the bigger risk in spring and summer. Grey squirrels have two litters a year, in early spring and summer, of three to seven young each, according to the BPCA. Seal a loft with a litter inside and you’ll know about it within days.
How do I keep squirrels out of the loft?
Cut back branches near the roof, seal gaps at the roof line with metal mesh, and keep anything a squirrel could climb away from the walls.
- Cut back branches that overhang or touch the roof.
- Move ladders, bins and log piles away from the walls.
- Keep bird feeders away from the house, or use squirrel-proof ones.
- Check the roof line from the ground each autumn for loose soffits, damaged vents and gaps under the tiles.
- Seal gaps with metal mesh or plates, fixed firmly. Squirrels chew through foam and plastic, and pull out loose mesh.
When do squirrels get into lofts?
Most move in during autumn, looking for a warm, dry place to nest as food gets scarce. Problems peak again in spring, when they’re breeding.
The BPCA says squirrel problems peak in spring and autumn, and warns that squirrels looking for food in the autumn months cause the most trouble in buildings. If you hear them now, deal with it before they raise young in your roof.
Will the council remove squirrels in Fareham or Gosport?
No. Fareham and Gosport borough councils both say they don’t provide a service for squirrels, so you need a private pest controller.
Fareham Borough Council says it does not provide a pest control service for squirrels, and advises that control should only be carried out by qualified pest control officers. Gosport Borough Council says it is unable to provide a service for pigeons, squirrels, foxes and bees.
How much does it cost to get squirrels out of a loft?
It depends on how many ways in there are, how high up and how much sealing is needed. NJS gives a free remote quote first.
Tell James what you’ve heard or seen and he’ll give you a fixed price, usually within ten minutes. A photo of the roof line, the gap or the loft makes the quote quicker. The price is agreed before any work starts, and the person who quotes is the person who turns up.
For squirrel removal in Fareham, Gosport and south Hampshire, see squirrel pest control
