It’s been a crazy few weeks since Christmas. The phones are ringing off the hook and we are booked to the max! This is normally expected in the summer, but not usually this time of year.

One of the most unusual calls this week was from a lady who told me she had a squirrel in the loft. This is not uncommon in the country, but pretty rare in the middle of a housing estate in Reading! I always take things on face value and go into the inspection with no pre-conceived thoughts as to what I might find, however on this occasion, it was pretty clear when I lifted the loft hatch.

Now rats make a right old mess, but squirrels are different. They don’t poo everywhere like rats, but boy oh boy do they kick it up a bit! Having a squirrel in your loft is like coming home to a teenage party gone wrong…they just trash the place. They are so curious, they have to open every box and bag, chew anything that looks edible, then discard it for the next trinket.

Then, not only have they trashed your nice tidy loft, they make a huge nest out of all the insulation materials they can find!

So how are they getting in to this loft? Well the house owner has a large Eucalyptus tree close by, and when the wind blows, the branches come within leaping distance – these guys can really jump, 10 – 15 ft is not too hard. Once on the roof, they managed to pull up the ridge tile at the gutter and crawl in. It all seem a lot of effort, but with little to no cover for them it is all they have – as I say this is right in the middle of a housing estate and the house was quite small too, but no trees could be seen to nest in.

Easiest way to get rid of a squirrel is to live catch them. They are so nosey they just have to check a cage trap out – especially when baited with nuts and raisins. Within 24 hours, our little furry friend was well and truly caught, and not very happy about it either. Unfortunately, whilst cute etc., they are a pest and cannot be released in the wild (it’s illegal to release them by the way), so they have to be humanely culled.

The final job is to block the hole and recommend a good tree surgeon to take off the branches that are causing the problem in the first place.

So if you suspect you have a squirrel in your loft or out building, it is important to deal with it before they get too established – just call Rapid Pest Control and we can sort it for you