From the park to the roof line
A grey squirrel moves through tree canopies, along fences and over garden walls as easily as along the ground. Houses near Fryent Country Park, Gladstone Park, Roundwood Park and the Welsh Harp have plenty of mature trees close by, and a branch overhanging a roof is as good as a bridge. From there, the squirrel only needs a weak spot at the eaves. A climbing plant on the front wall, a drainpipe close to the roof or a garage roof beside the house can do the same job where there is no tree at all.
When they move in
There are two seasons to watch. In late winter and early spring females look for somewhere warm to give birth, and in late summer a second breeding season brings another round of house-hunting. A quiet loft in October can be a noisy one by February, so a check at the eaves in autumn is time well spent. Walk round the house with binoculars and look for chewed corners, gaps behind gutters and tiles that have moved.
The houses most exposed
The 1930s semis of Kingsbury, with deep eaves and big lofts beside the country park, are a textbook case. The Edwardian houses on the rising ground around the park in Dollis Hill have large roof spaces too, and the interwar streets of Preston and Kenton share the same design. How squirrels get into a roof covers the gaps they use and the routes up to them.
Confirming it is a squirrel
Timing is the best clue. Squirrels are active by day, so running and thumping at first light and again in the late afternoon points to them, while noise in the middle of the night points to rats or mice. What squirrels sound like describes each sound, and squirrels or rats in the loft compares the droppings and damage. If it turns out to be rats, the rat overview takes over from here.
Checking for damage
Look from the hatch without climbing in, using a torch, and do not handle droppings or nest material with bare hands: flattened or shredded insulation, gnawed timber, chewed boxes and droppings around the water tank. Outside, check for torn soffit vents or a chewed corner of fascia board. The damage squirrels cause in a loft explains what each means and why it builds up faster in a large roof space. Stored belongings are often the first thing people notice, so check boxes, suitcases and anything made of fabric or cardboard.
Wiring comes first
Of everything a squirrel can chew, electrical cable is the most serious, because bare conductors are a fire risk. If you see chewed cable, do not touch it; have an electrician check it before the circuit is used as normal. Can squirrels damage electrical wiring covers the warning signs. Mention any chewed cable to whoever goes into the loft next, whether that is a roofer, a plumber or a pest controller.
What not to do
- Block the entry hole while squirrels may still be inside; they chew a new way out, sometimes into the house
- Put down poison in the loft
- Catch a squirrel and release it elsewhere
That last one is a legal point rather than a practical one: grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species, and it is illegal to release one into the wild once caught. Is it legal to release a grey squirrel summarises the rules.
The order to deal with it
First the squirrels are removed. Then the loft is confirmed empty. Only then is the entry point repaired with materials they cannot chew, and branches or climbing plants near the roof cut back. Doing these in a different order is what leaves squirrels trapped inside or lets the next ones in. How long the first stage takes depends on the number of squirrels, the season and the roof; how long squirrel control takes explains why. Stopping squirrels getting back in covers the repair, which usually needs a roofer.
Building and roof work
Scaffolding gives squirrels an easy climb, and a roof opened for repairs can leave gaps exposed for weeks. If you are renovating, as many owners of large houses in Queen’s Park are, ask the builder to check the eaves before the scaffold comes down. The same applies to a new dormer or loft conversion, where the join between old and new roof can leave a gap.
If they keep coming back
A repeat visit usually means the hole was never closed properly, a nearby branch still reaches the roof, or the house next door has an open gap. In semis and terraces the roof spaces can connect, so a squirrel removed from your side may still be living above your neighbour's ceiling. Why squirrels return to the same loft works through each cause.
Booking squirrel control in Brent
Squirrel control in Brent is a £280 trapping service, set out on the Brent squirrel control page. When you book squirrel control, describe when you hear them and where you think they are getting in. Tell us whether the loft has a hatch and ladder and whether pets, children or tenants use the rooms beneath it.
