A squirrel in an Ipswich loft has not done anything unusual. It has found an unusually good example of something it was already looking for.
Understanding what that something is makes the whole behaviour ordinary rather than mysterious.
The two kinds of shelter
Grey squirrels use two sorts of nest site, and they are not equal.
- A drey. A ball of twigs, leaves and stripped bark, roughly football-sized, wedged into a fork high in a tree. Built from scratch, exposed to weather, visible to anything that hunts, and needing constant maintenance
- A cavity. A hollow in a mature tree, lined with soft material. Dry, dark, warm, defensible at a single entrance, and requiring almost no upkeep
Given the choice, a cavity wins every time. Dreys are what squirrels build when no cavity is available, which in most modern woodland is most of the time — hollow-bearing veteran trees are far less common than they were.
Why a loft is a very good cavity
Run down the list of what makes a tree hollow desirable and a roof space matches every item, usually better:
- Dry. Under a sealed covering rather than under bark
- Dark and enclosed. No exposure at all
- Above ground. Well above it, in fact
- A small entrance. An eaves gap or a lifted verge is a defensible doorway of exactly the right size
- Lined. Already full of soft material, with no gathering required
- Large. Vastly bigger than any hollow, with room for caches, nesting and separate resting places
This is why the behaviour is not opportunistic. A roof space is not a poor substitute an animal settles for. On every measure a squirrel is using, it is better than the best natural option available.
What that means for the nest itself
Because the space is already lined and sheltered, what gets built in a loft is generally not a proper drey. It is a hollowed bowl in the insulation with shredded material worked into it, which is why insulation damage is so often the first thing noticed at the hatch — the nest is made of the loft rather than brought into it.
It also means the site is worth defending and worth returning to. An animal does not abandon a good cavity because it has been disturbed once.
The practical consequence
A roof that has held a nest will be found again, by the same animal or another, unless the entrance is closed. Removing the nesting material matters too, because scent left in place advertises the site. Both belong to the work that happens after control rather than before it.
Questions
Do they build a proper drey in a loft?
Rarely. The space is already dry and lined, so what appears is usually a hollowed nest bowl in the insulation with shredded material worked in.
Will they use the same spot again?
A good site is worth returning to, which is why closing the entrance matters more than clearing the nest.
Do they nest in chimneys too?
It happens, and it needs different handling from a loft. Mention it when you call if the noise seems to be in a flue rather than overhead.
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.