Squirrels in Kingsbury Lofts
A 1930s semi has a large, dry, undisturbed loft with a hipped roof and deep eaves — and, after ninety years, a fair few gaps. For a grey squirrel living in the trees of Fryent Country Park or a neighbouring garden, it is a ready-made home.
How they get in
Most often at the eaves, where timber fascia or soffit boards have rotted or shrunk, or where the tiles meet the gutter. Branches overhanging the roof, climbing plants and drainpipes give them the climb. Bay window roofs, a feature of so many Kingsbury houses, provide a handy halfway point.
What you will hear
Squirrels keep daylight hours. The typical report is scratching, running and a heavy thump in the loft around dawn and again in the late afternoon. Noise mainly at night points more towards rats or mice.
Damage in the roof space
- Loft insulation pulled up and dragged into a nest
- Chewed electrical cables, which can be a fire risk
- Gnawed timber, pipe lagging and water tank lids
- Stored boxes and belongings shredded
After trapping
It is illegal to release a trapped grey squirrel back into the wild, so moving them to the park is not an option. Once they are gone, the entry point needs repairing, and overhanging branches are worth cutting back, or the next squirrel will move straight in.
