Squirrel control › Needham Market
Warmth and shelter are the obvious explanations. There is a third that gets far less attention and does a great deal of the work: a roof space is safe.
For an animal that spends its life being hunted, that is not a minor consideration.
What a squirrel is avoiding
Grey squirrels are prey. In this part of the country the list includes birds of prey from above, foxes and domestic cats at ground level, and mustelids that can follow them into tree cavities. Predation pressure falls hardest on the young and on animals in exposed sites.
A drey in a tree fork is exposed on every side, visible from the air, and reachable by anything that climbs. It is the least safe option available and it is what most squirrels have to use.
Why the entrance matters more than the space
The single feature that makes a roof space secure is not its size. It is the doorway: one small opening, usually around 45mm, at height, on a vertical or overhanging face, with nothing to perch on outside.
- Nothing airborne can follow. The approach is wrong and the opening is too small
- Nothing on the ground can reach it. It is at roof height on a sheer face
- It can be watched. One entrance means one thing to keep an eye on
- It is unlit and enclosed. Nothing can see in
This is the reason a squirrel will fight to keep a roof space. It is not merely more comfortable than the alternatives. It is the safest place that animal is ever likely to find.
Weather, which is the other threat
Exposure kills more squirrels in an average east-of-England winter than predators do, particularly among young animals in their first year. Wind-driven rain through a drey, a sustained cold snap, or a site that fails in a gale are all real risks.
A roof space removes all of them at once. It does not leak, it does not move in wind, and it does not need rebuilding after weather. Combined with the temperature difference, it takes the two largest causes of winter mortality off the table.
What follows
Two things worth knowing. The first is that disturbance alone rarely moves an animal on — noise from below, banging on the ceiling, a radio in the loft — because what it is being asked to give up is considerable and the alternatives are genuinely dangerous.
The second is that a roof which offers this will be found again. Closing the entrance is what removes the property from the list, which is why proofing at £180 is the part that decides whether the same conversation happens next year.
Questions
Will a radio or a light in the loft move them out?
Not dependably. What the site offers is worth a great deal of tolerated disturbance, and habituation is quick.
Does a cat in the house help?
It may be noticed, and it makes no difference at roof level, which is where the animal is and where it entered.
Why do they defend the entry point?
Because a single small doorway is what makes the site safe. It is the most valuable feature they have.
Squirrel Control Needham Market
Squirrel control in Needham Market 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 Needham Market, call 01502 630 122, or read the Needham Market squirrel control page.