Why there is no single answer
Two lofts on the same road can be very different jobs. One might have a single squirrel using an obvious hole; the next might have a family, several gaps and a roof that is awkward to reach. Timescales depend on the property and the infestation, and on things nobody can see from the street, so be wary of anyone who promises a fixed number of days before seeing the house.
How many squirrels are using the loft
One squirrel is a simpler job than a group. You cannot count them from below, but clues help: noise in several parts of the loft at once, squirrels seen going in together, or chasing sounds. Mention anything like that when you call. A nest with young in it, which you may hear as faint squeaking, is another thing worth passing on.
The time of year
Late winter to spring, and again in late summer, are when young may be in a nest. Young squirrels stay in the drey for some weeks before they can leave it, and that can affect how the work is planned and how long it runs. Outside those seasons, a loft is more likely to hold adults only. How the calendar shapes loft activity more generally is covered in what squirrels sound like through the year.
The roof and the loft
A clear hatch, a ladder and some boarding make the loft easier to work in. A roof with more than one entry point, or with gaps that are hard to see from the ground, takes longer to understand. The usual weak spots are covered in how squirrels are getting into your roof.
What you can do to help
- Clear a path to the loft hatch and move anything stored directly beneath it
- Keep a note of when and where you hear movement
- Leave the entry hole open and do not put down food or poison
- Keep children and pets away from the loft and the area under the hatch
- Tell us about chewed cables, water tanks or anything fragile up there
- Let neighbours know, in case the squirrels are using their roof as well
Homes with pets or tenants
In a family home with pets, like many in Sudbury, keep dogs and cats out of the loft and away from wherever the work is going on. If you rent, let your landlord know early; landlords with houses in Kenton between tenancies may find an empty house the easiest time to get the loft dealt with.
How you know they have gone
The early morning and late afternoon noise stops, there is no fresh chewing or disturbed insulation, and nothing is seen going in and out at the roof line. Give it a little while before treating a quiet loft as empty, because squirrels sometimes stay out for a day or two. If you are unsure whether a noise at night is a squirrel at all, squirrels or rats in the loft can help you rule out other animals.
The repair runs on its own timetable
Closing the hole properly comes after the squirrels are out, and if tiles, fascias or flashing need work, that means booking a roofer, whose availability is separate. The order of work is laid out in stopping squirrels getting back into your roof.
Getting started
The sooner it begins, the less damage builds up, and the less there is to repair afterwards. Squirrel control in Brent is a £280 trapping service. Book squirrel control and, if the squirrels have returned after an earlier problem, read why squirrels keep returning to the same loft as well.
