Trees get the attention. On a modern Kesgrave estate with young planting, the route that actually matters is usually the fence.
A boundary running to the house is a continuous, sheltered road at exactly the right height, and it is the reason one house in a row gets this and the others do not.
Why a fence works so well
- It is continuous. A squirrel can travel the length of a street's gardens without coming to ground
- The top rail is comfortable. Close-board and panel fences both give a flat run
- It is elevated. Off the ground, away from cats and foxes
- It leads somewhere. Boundaries run to the house, because that is where the plot starts
- It connects to everything. Where a fence meets a garage, a shed or a low roof, the route steps up
The junctions that matter
The fence itself is only a road. What turns it into a way onto the roof is where it meets something taller.
- Fence to garage roof. The commonest arrangement on an estate, and a garage roof is a platform at first-floor eaves height
- Fence to extension or conservatory, which puts the animal at the junction with the main wall
- Fence to porch or bay roof
- Fence to a wall that returns to the house
- Fence to a shed, then shed to a tree, then tree to roof — routes are often three or four stages
Trace it as a sequence. Squirrels rarely climb a bare two-storey wall. They step up in stages, and every route can be described as a list. Write yours out and the weak link is usually obvious.
How to find the wear
A regularly used fence shows it. Look along the top rail for a cleaner line where moss, lichen and algae have been worn away; look at posts and at the point where the fence meets a wall or a roof for scratching and polish; and look for the same wear on a wall coping or a low roof edge at the step-up point.
It is easier to see in damp weather and in low light, when the worn line contrasts with the growth either side.
What can be changed
- Move what is stacked against the fence-to-roof junction — bins, logs, garden furniture, stacked pots
- Cut back planting at the point where the fence meets the building
- Reconsider a trellis on top of a fence running to the house, which raises the road
- Accept the rest. The fence itself is usually staying, which is why the roof still has to be closed
Why it explains one house in a row
On an estate where every house is the same, the difference between the one with the problem and its neighbours is almost always a detail of the plot rather than the building: a fence that runs right up to the wall, a garage on the boundary, a single mature tree left from before the estate was built. It is worth looking at the plot before concluding anything about the house.
Questions
Should I take the fence down?
No. It is a road rather than the door, and the roof opening is what decides the outcome.
Do they really walk along fences?
Routinely, and it is easy to watch. The top rail is a comfortable elevated run between gardens.
My garage is on the boundary. Is that a problem?
It is a platform at eaves height, which makes the main roof easy to reach. Worth including in the survey.
Squirrel Control Kesgrave
Squirrel control in Kesgrave 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 Kesgrave, call 01502 630 122, or read the Kesgrave squirrel control page.