The first question after the work is always the same: how do you know it has worked.
The answer is straightforward, and the important part is knowing which evidence to trust.
Judge it on mornings
Early daylight is when activity would show, so that is the test. A quiet afternoon proves very little; three quiet dawns in a row is meaningful. Give it several mornings before concluding anything in either direction, and note them the way you noted the noisy ones.
What is normal in the first days
- Some settling noise. A roof space that has been occupied and disturbed does not always go silent instantly, and material can shift
- A single odd sound. Especially in wind. One noise in a windy week is not a return
- Nothing at all. The commonest outcome, and the one people sometimes distrust because it seems too easy
The other evidence
Noise is the main test and there are three supporting ones, all of which work better if you clear the slate first.
- Clear the debris below the roof edge, on windowsills, on a conservatory roof, and in the gutter if you can see it. Anything that appears afterwards is unambiguous
- Photograph the roof line now, so there is a comparison later
- Look from the hatch after a couple of weeks: fresh droppings on clean insulation would be the tell
The clean test is the most useful thing on this page. Old evidence sits there indefinitely and tells you nothing about now. Clearing it converts a question about history into a question about this week.
What would count as it not having worked
- Daylight noise, on several mornings, over a week or more
- Fresh debris appearing after you cleared it
- New droppings on clean insulation
- Fresh pale gnawing at a roof-edge detail
- Something seen using the roof in daylight
Any of those is worth reporting, with two details: when it started, and whether it is the same part of the roof as before. Those two facts point at quite different explanations — a second opening on one hand, a shared roof space or a new animal on the other.
Say something rather than waiting
The £280 is a fixed figure for the job rather than a charge per visit, which is precisely so that a household does not weigh up whether it is worth mentioning. If it is not right, saying so early is better for everybody than discovering it in six weeks.
Questions
How long before I can relax?
A month of quiet mornings is a good sign. The following autumn is the real test, because that is when the pressure returns.
It went quiet then started again after a week. What does that mean?
Usually a second opening on the same roof. Worth reporting with the date it restarted.
Should I keep the noise diary going?
A few lines a week for a month is plenty, and it is what turns 'it seems quieter' into something you can actually rely on.
Squirrel Control Soham
Squirrel control in Soham 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 Soham, call 01502 630 122, or read the Soham squirrel control page.