Droppings are the most reliable physical evidence in a roof space, and unlike the noise they stay put long enough to be looked at properly.
They also answer two questions at once: what has been there, and roughly how recently.
What squirrel droppings look like
- Size. Roughly a raisin — about 8mm long
- Shape. Barrel-shaped with rounded ends, rather than tapered
- Colour. Dark brown when fresh, fading and greying with age
- Distribution. Scattered around resting and feeding places, not laid down in defined runs
- Texture. Firm when fresh, crumbling when dry
Telling them from the alternatives
- Rat. Larger, longer, distinctly tapered at one or both ends, and concentrated along runs and in corners — rats are creatures of habit and it shows in where the droppings are
- Mouse. Much smaller, rice-grain sized, and in very large numbers
- Bat. Similar size to mouse droppings but they crumble to a glittering dust of insect fragments. This matters: all UK bats and their roosts are legally protected, and if bats are suspected the work stops and specialist advice is taken
- Bird. Pale with a white component, directly below a perch
Do not sweep, hoover or handle droppings. Disturbing dried material in an enclosed roof space puts dust into the air you are breathing. Photograph them where they are and leave them.
Reading the scatter
Where the droppings are tells you more than what they are. A concentration in one area suggests a resting or nesting site; a trail along a joist suggests a route; droppings near the eaves on one elevation points at the entry. Fresh dark droppings on top of clean insulation means current activity, whereas grey, crumbling ones under a light layer of dust are historic.
That distinction is worth making before anybody assumes there is a live problem. A roof space can carry the evidence of an episode three years ago quite happily.
Clearing up afterwards
Once the activity has been dealt with, contaminated material is better removed than cleaned — soiled insulation does not wash, and nesting material holds scent that makes the site attractive to the next animal along. Anyone doing it themselves wants gloves, a fitted mask, eye protection and good ventilation, and should damp material down rather than raising dust.
What to photograph
- The droppings in place, with something for scale — a coin works
- Where they are relative to the hatch and the eaves
- Any nesting material nearby
- Any gnawing on timber or cable in the same area
- Disturbed or hollowed insulation
Questions
Are they dangerous?
Treat any roof-space droppings as something to avoid handling and to avoid raising dust from. That guidance holds whatever the species.
How can I tell if they are fresh?
Colour and dust. Dark and sitting on clean material means current; grey, crumbly and under a layer of dust means old.
Can I just leave them?
Contaminated insulation is better replaced, and nesting material is better removed, because scent left in place makes the roof attractive again.
Squirrel Control Costs
Squirrel control is £280 fixed cost. Proofing work, where it is needed afterwards, is £180. Call 01502 630 122 and tell us what you have heard or seen.
To arrange squirrel control, call 01502 630 122, or read the squirrel control page.