‘Scratching in the loft’ covers a dozen different sounds, and the differences between them carry real information.
This is the full catalogue: what each noise is, what makes it, and what it means for what is happening up there.
The heavy thump
What it is: an animal landing after a jump between joists. What it means: a squirrel, almost certainly. Nothing else that gets into a roof space is heavy enough to produce it. A single loud thump with silence either side is the classic first sign, and it is what makes people sit up in bed.
The burst of running
What it is: two to four seconds of fast movement, stopping dead. What it means: purposeful travel across the roof space, usually along an established route. If it always runs in the same direction at the same time of day, that direction points towards the entry.
The rolling
What it is: something being pushed or dropped and moving across the ceiling. What it means: caching. It is usually a nut or an acorn, and it is one of the strongest indications of autumn squirrel activity. Nothing else produces it.
The gnawing
What it is: a coarse, rhythmic rasping, often for minutes at a time. What it means: incisor wear on timber, plastic or cable. It is the noise that actually costs money, and its location is worth noting carefully — particularly if it is always in the same place.
The dragging
What it is: a slow scraping or sliding, quite unlike running. What it means: nesting material being moved. Common in autumn and before breeding, and it suggests a site is being established rather than simply visited.
The scrabbling at an edge
What it is: scratching that seems to be at the very edge of the roof, often low down near a wall. What it means: activity at the entry point itself — going in, coming out, or working on the opening. It is the most useful noise for locating the way in.
The chittering or squeaking
What it is: higher-pitched vocal noise under the heavier movement. What it means: more than one animal, and quite possibly young. Worth mentioning when you call, because it changes the timing of the work.
Rolling plus gnawing plus daylight is close to conclusive. Those three together are a squirrel and nothing else, and they need no access to the loft to establish.
What the pattern adds
- Brief and abrupt — squirrel. Continuous and low-level — rodent
- Two peaks a day, morning and late afternoon — squirrel. Overnight — rodent
- Always in one spot — a nest or a gnawing site. Moving about — travel
- In and out repeatedly within an hour — caching rather than resting
Questions
Which noise should I be most concerned about?
Gnawing, because that is the one causing damage — particularly if it is always in the same place.
Is scratching at the edge of the roof significant?
Very. It usually marks the entry point, which is the hardest thing to find and the most useful thing to know.
What if I only ever hear one thing?
Still useful. Say which noise, at what times, above which room, and that is generally enough to work with.
Squirrel Control Felixstowe
Squirrel control in Felixstowe 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.
For squirrel control in Felixstowe, call 01502 630 122, or read the Felixstowe squirrel control page.