The two daily peaks are well established. What people ask about far more often is the noise that does not fit either of them, and the answer depends entirely on which way it does not fit.
Midday noise
Between the peaks, a squirrel using a roof space is normally out. Noise in the middle of the day is therefore worth a second look, and there are several ordinary explanations.
- An animal that stayed in. Wet or very cold weather keeps them under cover, and a wet midday can look like an all-day pattern
- Caching traffic. In autumn there is genuine in-and-out movement through the day
- A female with young. She returns to the nest through the day, which is one of the strongest reasons to mention it
- More than one animal, on different schedules
- Not an animal at all. Pipes warming, timber expanding on a sunny afternoon, or something loose in wind
Small-hours noise
This is the one that changes the answer. Sustained activity between midnight and four is not squirrel behaviour, and the sensible conclusions are:
- Rodents. By far the likeliest, and it means a different job in a different part of the building
- Both species. Daytime and night-time noise together usually means two animals rather than one unusual one
- Something trapped. An animal that cannot get out will be active at any hour — particularly relevant if anything has been sealed
- Not an animal. A heating system on a timer, a ball valve, or wind on a loose fitting
The one that needs saying immediately. If something has been sealed or blocked and the noise has since become frantic or unceasing, say so at the start of the call. A trapped animal is the most urgent version of this problem.
How to tell which you have
Weight and pattern. Squirrel noise is heavy and comes in short bursts that stop dead. Rodent noise is lighter, more continuous, and has a scurrying, scrabbling quality. Where both are present the two are usually distinguishable once you know to listen for the difference — and hearing two distinct kinds of noise is itself the finding.
What to do
Record what you hear rather than deciding what it must be. Time, room, kind of noise, how long, for three days. A pattern that does not fit the textbook is useful information, not a contradiction, and it is exactly the sort of thing worth reading out on the phone.
Questions
Noise at 2am and 7am. Which is it?
Most likely both species. That is a common finding in older property and worth reporting as it stands.
It is active all day. Is that normal?
It can be, in wet weather, during autumn caching, or where there are young. All three are worth mentioning.
Could it be trapped?
If anything has been sealed and the noise has become constant or frantic, yes — and it is urgent.
Squirrel Control Hadleigh
Squirrel control in Hadleigh 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 Hadleigh, call 01502 630 122, or read the Hadleigh squirrel control page.