Squirrels in the Attic in Warrington, Knutsford and Lymm,.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like many members of the family Sciuridae, the Grey Squirrel is a hoarder; it hides food in many small caches for later recovery. Some caches are temporary, especially those made near the source of a sudden surfeit of food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other caches are more permanent and are not used until weeks later. It has been estimated that each squirrel makes several thousand of these caches each year. They have very good spatial memory for the locations of these hoards, and use far and near landmarks to locate them. Smell is used when the squirrel is within a few centimetres of the target.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They are minor pests in the garden, rooting bulbs and eating food intended for birds but can become major pests when they come into our houses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is increasingly common for Trafford Pest Control to call out to properties where a nest has been placed in a loft or attic space.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squirrels are true rodents and as such have teeth which never stop growing; the very word rodent coming from the Latin word rodere meaning to gnaw or eat away and this they do extremely well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is rare to visit a loft space where a dray has been found and find that they have not chewed wires, indeed it is estimated that forty percent of fires without an obviously attributable 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 push-fit piping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As if that was not enough, many household insurance policies exclude damage by vermin so if a squirrel floods your home by gnawing through a pipe in the attic you may find yourself without any insurance cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Removing Squirrels in Loft needs a professional, not least in as much as the law regarding squirrels restricts your options. You cannot simply get a packet of poison from your hardware store and deal with them that way as you would be breaking the law.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Furthermore you cannot catch them and release them some distance away, not only would removing a squirrel from the area of its food stores probably starve it to death, 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 pertains also to rescuing and/or releasing injured squirrels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the majority of cases trapping is the the only option and this must be done in a specified 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 contact us on 01925 670375