Squirrels in the Attic in Stockport, Cheadle and Gatley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grey squirrel population in North West England has grown over the last 20 years to the degee that they have now become a major household pest dealt with by Squirrels in Attic Pest Control

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grey squirrels which we see in our gardens (Sciurus carolinensis) are not native to Britain, having been imported here less than two-hundred years Canada and America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like many members of the Sciuridae family, the Grey Squirrel is a scatter-hoarder; it hides food in many small caches for later recovery. Some caches are temporary, particularly those made near the site of a sudden glut of food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other caches are more permanent and are not eaten until months later. It has been observed that each squirrel makes several thousand caches each year. They have very accurate spatial memory for the locations of these hoards, and use distant and nearby landmarks to find them. Smell is used when the squirrel is within a short distance of the target.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nest of the squirrel is called a dray (or drey) and it is usual for the female to have two litters per year, with two to four babies each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They can be minor pests in the garden, digging bulbs and stealing food intended for birds but can be major pests when they enter our houses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is increasingly common for Trafford Pest Control to be called out to properties where a dray has been built in a loft or attic space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squirrels are rodents and as such have continually growing teeth; the actual word rodent derives from the Latin word rodere which means to gnaw or eat away and this they do extremely well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is rare to enter a loft space where a dray has been made and find that they have not chewed electrical wires, indeed it is estimated that up to 40 percent of fires without an obvious cause may be started by rodents chewing on the wiring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately they can also chew through water-pipes, especially with the recent trend towards plastic piping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As if that is not enough, many household insurance policies do not cover damage done by vermin so if a squirrel floods your home by going through a pipe in the attic you may find yourself without cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dealing with Squirrels in Loft needs professional help, not least in as much as the law regarding squirrels restricts your options. You cannot simply obtain a packet of rodent poison from your local hardware and deal with them that way as you would be committing a criminal offence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore you cannot catch them and relocate them some distance away, not only would removing a squirrel from the area of its food hoards probably cause it do die of starvation, it is also commintting an offence under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 under which it is illegal to release a grey squirrel in in the British Isles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That applies also to rescuing and/or rehabilitating and releasing injured squirrels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the vast majority of cases trapping is the most realistic option and this must be done in a specific manner with routine, timed inspections of the traps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trapped squirrels should be then despatched humanely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you have a problem with squirrels in Lancashire, Cheshire or Manchester phone us on 0161 930 8814