Of all the differences between these two, the one with the biggest practical consequence is not the noise or the droppings. It is where the animal came in.
That single fact determines where the work happens, and getting it wrong is the expensive mistake in this subject.
Squirrels come from above
A squirrel arrives at roof level and enters at roof level. It reaches the roof by tree, fence, low roof, downpipe or cable, and goes in at the eaves, the verge, a soffit joint, a roof-to-wall junction or a lifted tile.
So the survey is an external one at height, and the proofing work is at the roof edge. Ground level is irrelevant.
Rats usually come from below and inside
Rats are ground animals that climb well inside a structure. Their routes are almost the opposite of a squirrel's:
- Defective or disused drains, which is the classic and most commonly missed route
- Gaps at ground level, air bricks, service entries where a pipe or cable passes through a wall
- Underfloor voids
- Cavity walls, climbed internally to eaves level
- Service risers, boxing and soil pipe casings
A rat in a loft has usually walked up inside the building. The roof edge may be completely sound.
This is why misidentification costs money. Proof a roof edge in steel mesh against a rat that is coming up a cavity wall from a broken drain and the work is faultless, the roof is closed, and the noise carries on exactly as before.
How to tell from the outside
- Look for the route, not the hole. Is there a tree, fence, low roof or cable reaching the roof? That supports squirrels
- Check ground level. Gaps under render, broken air bricks, an open service entry, a manhole with a damaged cover — that supports rats
- Look at the marking. Squirrel rub marks are at roof height; rat smears are dark, greasy and at low level along a wall
- Consider the drains. Any history of drainage work, subsidence or a disused branch is worth mentioning
Ipswich in particular
The town has a good deal of older housing with original drainage, and a great many properties where roof spaces and wall cavities connect in ways that are not obvious. Both of those make the above-or-below question more worth asking than it would be on a modern estate.
The practical answer is not to guess. The timing of the noise settles the species in most cases, and the entry route follows from the species rather than the other way round.
Questions
Can rats get in at roof level too?
They can, along cables and up rough walls, but it is much less common than the internal route. The drains are the first thing to consider.
Can squirrels come up from a cavity?
It is not their pattern. They arrive from above, and their entry is at roof level.
What if the roof edge looks perfect?
Then the timing of the noise matters even more. A sound roof edge with nocturnal noise points firmly at the ground and the drains.
Squirrel Control Ipswich
Squirrel control in Ipswich 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 Ipswich, call 01502 630 122, or read the Ipswich squirrel control page.