Squirrel control › Framlingham
Framlingham gardens are mature, and mature planting is the single strongest predictor of loft activity there is.
It is also the part of the problem a household can change directly, provided the expectations are right about what changing it achieves.
The distance that matters
Grey squirrels jump a considerable distance horizontally and drop a great deal further. A branch does not have to touch the roof to serve as a launch point, which is why ‘nothing is touching the house’ is a weaker reassurance than it sounds.
As a working target, aim for nothing overhanging the roof at all and a clear gap of several feet between the nearest growth and the roof edge. That will not stop a determined animal with another route, and it removes the easiest one.
What to cut
- Branches overhanging the roof, first and above everything else
- Branches within a few feet of the eaves, verge or ridge, including those approaching from above
- Climbing plants at the eaves. Ivy, wisteria and climbing roses on a wall are a ladder, and ivy into a soffit is a route as well as a moisture problem
- Hedging that meets the building, particularly where it runs into a low roof
- Anything growing up a downpipe or a soil pipe
When to cut
After the control work rather than before, so that nothing is being disturbed while the roof is still occupied. Beyond that, timing is governed by the birds rather than the squirrels.
Nesting birds are protected. It is an offence to damage or destroy an active nest, so hedge and tree work is best kept outside the main nesting season, which runs roughly from March to August. Check before cutting rather than after.
What you may not be free to cut
Framlingham has a conservation area and a number of protected trees. A tree subject to a Tree Preservation Order, or any tree of sufficient size within a conservation area, generally requires notice to or consent from the local authority before work is carried out. Trees in a neighbour's garden are theirs, and while there is a common-law position on overhanging growth it is a conversation worth having before a saw comes out.
That is not a reason to skip it — it is a reason to check first, and to get a competent arborist rather than improvising.
The feeders
Feeding birds supports a larger local squirrel population than the habitat alone would. Nobody sensible suggests stopping. Siting feeders well away from the house, using squirrel-resistant designs, clearing spilled seed and windfall fruit, and not leaving pet food outside all reduce traffic close to the building.
Be clear about what this achieves. Cutting the approach lengthens the odds; it does not close the door. A fence line, a downpipe or a neighbour's tree will still get an animal to the roof, which is why the opening still has to be closed.
Questions
Will cutting the trees fix it on its own?
No. It removes the easiest route and leaves the others. The opening is what decides the outcome.
Can I cut a neighbour's overhanging branch?
There is a common-law position on overhanging growth, and it is subject to preservation orders and conservation area rules. Speak to them first and check with the council.
Is autumn a good time to do the cutting?
It sits outside the main bird nesting season, which is the main constraint. Do it after the pest work rather than before.
Squirrel Control Framlingham
Squirrel control in Framlingham 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 Framlingham, call 01502 630 122, or read the Framlingham squirrel control page.