Every other page about sealing an entry point discusses what happens to the roof and the animal. This one is about what happens to the person on the ladder.
It is the part of this subject with the worst outcomes and it gets discussed the least.
Why this particular job is worse than most ladder work
Cleaning a gutter is a ladder job. Fixing a squirrel entry point is a ladder job with several additional factors stacked on top of it, and it is the combination rather than any single one that causes the accidents.
- It is at the eaves or the verge, which is the top of the ladder rather than a comfortable working height
- It needs both hands. Mesh, fixings and a drill or a screwdriver, while holding position
- It needs reach. The opening is rarely directly in front of you, which means leaning — and overreaching is the classic cause
- It needs force. Fixing into timber or masonry pushes you away from the ladder
- It is often at a gable, which means the highest point of the building, frequently over a hard surface
- The ground is rarely ideal. Borders, slopes, paving that is not level, and in autumn wet leaves
The heights involved
The eaves of an ordinary two-storey house is around five metres. A gable verge is higher again. Falls from that sort of height are not a broken wrist; they are life-changing, and falls from height remain one of the most common causes of serious accidental injury in and around the home.
The comparison worth making. The proofing work is £180 and is carried out with the right access equipment by somebody doing it routinely. Set that against a fall from the eaves and there is not really a decision to weigh.
What is safe to do yourself
- Everything from the ground. A phone camera at full zoom reads a roof edge perfectly well
- Looking into a gutter from an upstairs window, or with a phone on an extendable pole
- Looking into the loft from the hatch, without climbing in
- Noting the times, and photographing debris where it lands
- Cutting back planting that is reachable from the ground
And the second reason not to go up
Even set aside the ladder: the work done from it would be the wrong work. Closing a live entry before the roof space is clear is the mistake this whole set of guides is about, and a repair made one-handed at the top of a ladder in the wrong material is one that gets gnawed through within the day.
So the risk is being taken for something that does not achieve the outcome. That is the part worth holding onto.
Questions
Can I just look, not fix?
Everything worth seeing is visible from the ground at full zoom or from an upstairs window. There is no need to go up to look.
What about a scaffold tower?
Better than a ladder if you are competent with one and the ground suits. The order-of-work problem is unchanged.
Is the proofing done off a ladder?
It is done with access equipment suited to the property, by somebody who does it routinely, which is the difference that matters.
Squirrel Control Thetford
Squirrel control in Thetford 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 Thetford, call 01502 630 122, or read the Thetford squirrel control page.