If there is one window worth paying attention to, it is the first couple of hours after first light. That is when a squirrel is at its loudest, most predictable and easiest to observe.
It is also, inconveniently, when most people are asleep.
What is happening at dawn
A squirrel that has spent the night in a roof space wakes with the light and leaves to forage. That means crossing the roof space to the entry, which is the noisiest thing it does all day — purposeful travel across joists rather than shuffling about in one place.
It is also concentrated. The departure happens within a fairly narrow window rather than spread across the morning, which is why the noise is so often described as a burst of activity that then stops completely.
Why it is the best window
- It is the loudest. Travel, not pottering
- It is directional. The animal is going somewhere specific, so the noise moves consistently towards the entry point
- It is predictable. Tied to first light, so it shifts through the year in a way you can anticipate
- The house is quiet. No traffic, no appliances, no television
- You can go and watch. The same window is when a squirrel can be seen leaving from outside, which is the only conclusive evidence there is
The direction of travel is the prize. Running noise that consistently goes the same way at dawn is pointing at the entry. Note which end of the house it finishes at, and you have halved the survey.
How it moves through the year
It tracks sunrise rather than the clock, so it drifts by hours across the seasons — very early in midsummer, well into breakfast time in December. Households often think the problem has changed when what has changed is the sunrise.
The clock change is worth knowing about too: an hour's shift in spring or autumn moves the noise relative to when people get up, which is a common reason a problem seems to start or stop.
Using it deliberately
- Note the time it starts, for a few mornings, and compare it with sunrise
- Note which room it is above at the start and at the end
- Then go outside on a still, dry morning, stand back far enough to see the whole elevation, and watch for twenty minutes
- Watch for the pause. They stop just short of the entry, often on the gutter or the verge, for a few seconds — that is the moment to photograph
If the dawn window is silent
Several quiet mornings in fair weather, with noise still heard at other times, is worth reporting. It can point at a shared roof space with a neighbouring property, at a different species, or at something that is not an animal at all.
Questions
What time exactly?
It follows sunrise rather than the clock, so it moves through the year. Compare what you hear with that day's first light.
Why is it louder in the morning than the evening?
The departure is a single purposeful crossing of the roof space. The evening return is usually more staggered.
I sleep through it. What can I do?
Ask whoever is up earliest, or set an alarm for a couple of mornings. Two or three data points is all that is needed.
Squirrel Control Woodbridge
Squirrel control in Woodbridge 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 Woodbridge, call 01502 630 122, or read the Woodbridge squirrel control page.