Squirrels Cause Damage In The Loft.
It is common to have squirrels in the loft. They get in roof spaces to either nest or just to get out of the cold. If a mother has babies in the Loft then the young will remember that it is a good place to nest. Therefore the problem may occur year after year. This blog demonstrates the issues squirrels can cause by getting into your loft space. In this blog we will be looking at the following:
- What pest could be making noises in my loft?
- How can you tell if you have a squirrel in your loft?
- What dangers do squirrels cause with their gnawing?
- Signs of a squirrel at the entry point.
What Could Be Making Noises In My Loft?
I often get calls from clients asking for my help as they are hearing noises in the loft. So what we need to do is find out what it is we are dealing with so we can choose the right course of action to deal with the problem. The first question is what could it be? Normally it is either a bird, mouse, rat or squirrel, there are exceptions to this but these are the usual suspects and the reason for entry will normally be to set up a nest. So the first thing to do is a thorough investigation. During this time identifying key signs such as droppings, smells, routes in, gnawed beams, bare wires, an obvious nest and anything else unusual. This should then identify the spices you are dealing with.
How Can You Tell If You Have Squirrels In The Loft?
A good example of this was a recent call I received to noises in the loft. From talking to the customer I ruled out mice and birds immediately as the noise of movement was large. On entering the loft I got a strong pungent smell of squirrel and the droppings confirmed this. I then looked for potential nest sites, which I found. From this, I was able to identify a few possible entry points to which I then inspected from the outside. I found two entry points (shown in the picture below) and with this I set three traps in the loft. I came back to the property a couple of days later and I had caught two squirrels. Job done and a happy client.
What Dangers Do Squirrels Cause With Their Gnawing?
It was at this point I did a further detailed check of the loft space and found a couple of light cables that had been gnawed to the bare wire. If unreported it is this type of thing that could cause an electrical fire in the loft. The customer arranged for an electrician to replace the cables. The key for me is to always talk to the customer to find out as much information but more importantly listen to what they are saying and extract the telltale signs.
Signs Of Squirrel Entry.
Note the teeth marks on the gutter where the squirrel had gnawed it to gain entry. If you just found these gnaw marks, it could indicate either a rat or a squirrel because of the size of the teeth marks. It was all the other evidence that identified the type of pest. If entering a loft space that has had pest problems extreme caution must be taken, as touching bare live wires can be deadly.
Summary
If you have seen or heard strange noises in your loft then you could be dealing with a squirrel in your roof. In this case you really should be doing something about it as squirrels cause so much damage.
We can help to remove squirrels in the loft, just Contact Us. Pest-Tech Ltd is a member of the BPCA.