Overhanging trees are the strongest single predictor of loft activity there is, and the reason is that squirrels cover far more ground in the air than most people credit.
The distances
A grey squirrel jumps a considerable distance horizontally from a standing branch, and drops very much further — falling with the tail spread, landing on a roof slope, and continuing without pause. Both figures are larger than the intuition of somebody standing in a garden looking up.
Which is why ‘nothing is actually touching the house’ is a weaker reassurance than it sounds. A branch several feet clear of the roof, and particularly one above roof level, is a perfectly usable launch point.
Which trees matter most
- Anything overhanging the roof, whatever the species. This is first and it is not close
- Anything taller than the roof within striking distance — the drop is the longer of the two capabilities
- Mature broadleaves — oak, beech, hazel, chestnut — which support a resident population as well as providing the route
- Conifers and evergreens against a wall, which give year-round cover and a continuous climb
- Large shrubs and climbers at the eaves, which are a route in their own right
How to read your own garden
- Stand at each corner of the house and look up at the roof line against the sky. What is above it, and how far away
- Look for the obvious approach. There is usually one tree that makes the whole thing easy
- Watch, at dawn. Twenty minutes tells you which route is actually used, which is not always the one that looks most likely
- Look for wear. A regularly used branch loses bark on its upper surface and is often noticeably clean of moss and lichen along the top
- Check the neighbours' trees too. They count, and they are frequently the ones that matter
The target to aim for: nothing overhanging the roof at all, and a clear gap of several feet between the nearest growth and the roof edge. That is achievable in most gardens and it removes the easy route.
When to cut
After the control work rather than before, so nothing is disturbed while the roof is still occupied. Beyond that, timing is governed by the birds: it is an offence to damage or destroy an active nest, so tree and hedge work is best kept outside the main nesting season, roughly March to August.
Check before cutting whether a tree is subject to a preservation order or sits in a conservation area, both of which require notice or consent. A neighbour's tree is theirs, and a conversation comes before a saw.
What it achieves
It lengthens the odds; it does not close the door. A determined animal with a fence line, a downpipe or a neighbour's tree will still reach the roof, which is why the opening still has to be closed. Cutting back is worth doing and it is not the answer on its own.
Questions
How far can they actually jump?
Further horizontally than most people expect, and a good deal further downwards. A branch does not need to touch the roof to be usable.
Will cutting the tree solve it?
It removes the easiest route and leaves the others. The opening is what decides the outcome.
The tree is next door. What can I do?
Speak to them first. There is a common-law position on overhanging growth, subject to preservation orders and conservation area rules.
Squirrel Control Newmarket
Squirrel control in Newmarket 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 Newmarket, call 01502 630 122, or read the Newmarket squirrel control page.