Identifying a dropping tells you the species. Noting where they are tells you how the roof space is being used, which is the more useful of the two.
Squirrels scatter; rodents run
Rats and mice are creatures of habit that use defined routes, so their droppings accumulate along those routes and in corners. Squirrels do not work that way. They deposit where they happen to be — around resting places, feeding spots and where they pause — so the distribution is scattered rather than linear.
That difference is itself diagnostic, and it is visible from the hatch without identifying a single dropping close up.
What each pattern means
- A concentration in one area — a resting or nesting site. Usually accompanied by disturbed insulation, and normally the part of the roof the noise comes from
- A loose trail along a joist — a travel route. Follow it in both directions: one end goes to the nest, the other towards the entry
- A cluster near the eaves — close to the entry point. The single most useful finding at the hatch
- Scattered around one spot with shell fragments — a feeding or caching place
- Droppings across the whole space — either sustained activity over a long period, or more than one animal
- Droppings by the hatch itself — worth noting, because it means activity right where people go in and out
The eaves cluster is the one to look for. A concentration at one point along the roof edge, on one elevation, points at the entry from the inside — which is the hardest thing to find from the outside.
How to map it without going in
From the hatch with a good torch, sweeping the beam low across the insulation rather than pointing it straight down. Raking light shows droppings, tracks and hollows far better than direct light does.
Then note, roughly: which direction from the hatch, how far, and which outside wall it is nearest. A rough sketch on a phone note is worth a great deal more than a general impression, and it can be matched against the noise and against the elevation you suspect from outside.
Matching the map to the noise
Three pieces of evidence, and when they agree the answer is usually settled: the room the noise is above, the part of the loft the droppings are in, and the elevation that looks wrong from the ground. Where they disagree, that is worth reporting too — in a terrace or an extended property it often means a shared or connected roof space.
Look, do not enter. Everything on this page is visible from the hatch. Roof-space droppings should not be handled or swept, and the dust from dried material is worth avoiding.
Questions
How many droppings should I expect?
It varies enormously. Distribution is far more informative than quantity.
There are none but I can hear it. Is that possible?
Yes — they may be in a part of the loft you cannot see, or under the surface of deep insulation.
Should I clear them?
Not yet, and not by sweeping. Photograph them, leave them, and deal with the clearing after the activity has been dealt with.
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.