Squirrels
From the Heath to the Rooftops
Grey squirrels travel along branches, walls and roof lines rather than across open ground. Gardens backing towards the Heath, street trees and the trees around Childs Hill Park give them routes onto the rooftops, and a terrace of joined houses is a single run from one end to the other. How squirrels get into roofs shows the usual entry points.
One roof over many flats
A mansion block has one roof, and the roof space is part of the building rather than any one flat. If squirrels are above your ceiling, tell the managing agent as well as us. Access usually needs to be agreed, whether it is through a hatch on the top landing, a roof door or the loft hatch inside a top-floor flat.
Terraced lofts
In a Victorian or Edwardian terrace, each house has its own loft, but the party walls do not always reach the underside of the roof. A squirrel that got in two doors down can end up in your loft. Talk to your neighbours: when several lofts are affected, dealing with the roof line together is far more likely to work.
How a Squirrel Job Runs
Confirming it is squirrels
Noise in the roof is not always squirrels. Scampering around dawn and dusk suggests squirrels; scratching all night is more often rats or mice. What squirrels sound like in a roof helps you tell.
Trapping
The £280 service is for trapping the grey squirrels using the roof space. You will be told what it involves and what is needed from you before it starts, such as keeping hatches shut and leaving the roof space undisturbed.
Making sure the roof is empty
The way in should stay open until the squirrels have gone, or they may chew a new hole, perhaps into a flat below. In spring and summer there may be young that cannot leave. How long squirrel control takes depends on the roof and the number of squirrels.
Repairing the entry point
Once the roof is quiet, the gap needs a proper repair by a roofer. In a block this is for the managing agent to arrange; in a house, line a roofer up early. Stopping squirrels getting back in describes what a lasting repair involves.
Branches near the roof
Trees close to the building give squirrels a launch point. If a tree is on your property, a tree surgeon can cut it back; check with Barnet Council first whether it is protected. Trees on the Heath and in the park are not yours to cut.
Booking for a Block or a Terrace
When you book squirrel control, say whether it is a house or a flat, which floor, when you hear the noise and where you think they get in. In a block, confirm the managing agent knows, since work in the roof space needs their agreement. In a terrace, mention whether the neighbours hear the same. Photos of a gap at the eaves or a chewed fascia are useful, and what damage squirrels cause helps if you want to check the loft first.
Timing Through the Year
Squirrels can move into a roof at any time, but late winter to spring and again in summer are when females look for nesting places. Booking as soon as you hear activity can mean dealing with adults before a litter arrives. Why squirrels keep returning explains why an unrepaired gap draws them back.
The Law on Grey Squirrels
Grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species. Once caught, it is an offence to release one or allow it to escape, so taking it to the Heath and letting it go is not allowed. The legal position on release explains more, and Squirrel Control Barnet covers the rest of the borough.
