From the trees to the roofline
A grey squirrel moves through branches and along fence tops as confidently as along the ground, and a house close to mature trees often has an overhanging branch acting as a direct bridge to the roof. From there it only takes a weak spot at the eaves or a loose ridge tile.
West Ham Park and Forest Gate's tree-lined streets
The terraces closest to West Ham Park, and the tree-lined streets running towards Wanstead Flats through Forest Gate, sit directly beneath mature canopy that gives squirrels an easy approach to older roofs with gaps already opened up by weathering.
Confirming it's a squirrel
When it happens tends to be the most reliable clue, just as near East Ham, where dense Victorian terraces and a busy high street running through the heart of the. Squirrels are active by day, so running and thumping overhead at first light and again in late afternoon points to them, while noise in the middle of the night usually means rats or mice instead.
Checking for damage
Look from the loft hatch without climbing further in, using a torch: flattened or shredded insulation, gnawed timber, chewed cardboard and droppings near the water tank. If you find gnawed electrical cable, treat it as urgent: exposed wiring is a fire risk, so don't handle it yourself, call an electrician instead, just as near Plaistow, where closely packed terraced housing with a mix of owner-occupied and rented properties.
What not to do
- Block the entry hole while squirrels may still be inside - they will chew a new way out
- Put down poison in the loft
- Catch a squirrel yourself and release it elsewhere
That last point is a legal one as much as a practical one: grey squirrels are an invasive non-native species, and releasing one once caught is against the law.
Booking squirrel control in Newham
Our squirrel trapping service in Newham is £280, and since around Stratford, where the regenerated town centre and surrounding streets, it helps to say when you book squirrel control whether the sounds are by day or night and whether trees overhang the roof, with more on the Newham squirrel control page.
