Squirrels In The Loft

[jackg 7]

Two houses merged into one with 5 loft hatches.

Sounds heard early morning. The daughter bangs on the ceiling to move them along.

 

Had a look, two sort of nests but nothing compellingly nest like.

One area where storage materials has been chewed.

The insulation is fibreglass type stuff and so loose to move around. some of it is flattened but there are no destroyed areas to form a nest.

So it seems to me that the squirrels have not made a proper home, yet.

Chewed electric cable and overflow pipe for one water tank in one of the loft areas.

Saw two sets of droppings, smaller and rounder than rats and lighter in colour.

Checked on the outside and found two holes with a few more gaps near one of the holes.

 

Owners wife does not like killing creatures so he asked me as the first step to fill the holes and gaps to see if that works.

 

Expanding foam or chicken wire is the question, foam is easier to apply up a ladder but would they chew through it?

[DIDO.1 22,851]

Once they find a way into a place they will not be kept out simply. You are setting the homeowner up for even more damage.....or even a house next door. How would you feel if that house or next doors has a serious fire or flood caused by squirrels at a later date.

 

Tell them that they and you have a moral duty to remove the serious health and safety problem in the loft. Tell them of the risks that come with squirrels chewing wires and pipes and that it is not acceptable to spend time educating squirrels with proofing and interference and that their next question ie. catch and release is also illegal and immoral.

[Matt 160]

Expanding foam on it's own would be a waste of time. Personally, I'd 'ball up' some chicken wire and ram it into the holes and then apply some expanding foam to prevent any air flow.

 

A Kania in the right location would probably produce a quick and humane result, but I suspect that people like that would prefer live catch, although you'd have to make it 100% clear from the start that dispatch would be the ultimate fate of the squirrels as required by law.

 

I would avoid trapping in the loft in this situation; people of a more 'sensitive' disposition are more likely to interfere with the traps and/or phone you at all hours when they suspect you've caught something.

[The one 8,522]

You dont want to kill them but what happens if you block one in ?, a body gripper in a cubby so they can see a bit of bait goodnight squirrel

[EDDIE B 3,168]

What about live cage traps in the garden rather than the loft! Take them away and dispatch, and tell them your relocating!

 

Everybody's happy!

[j j m 6,566]

Murder when you get these things in the loft

[jackg 7]

Thanks for all your comments. I am going there tomorrow with chicken wire and foam and the traps to see if I can persuade him to let me put some traps in the garden and a bodygrip in the loft with some peanut butter on it.

I have trapped some in gardens etc but not in an attic before, and they are a pain generally.

Access into some parts of the loft is very constricted, and the insulation fibres get down your throat.

Edited November 13, 2014 by jackg

[The one 8,522]

If they cause a fire in the loft space killing them will be the least of there worry,s mate

[WhiteN 15]

Live trap , remove to relocate and then seal up ?? In the mean time could you not seal the hole temporarily with something the squirrel will remove, that way you can judge if there's any activity inside??

[nod 285]

cant live trap to relocate, if i was to live trap to despatch i would put a board under the cage to stop them messing the insulation up or even the ceiling, squirrels are pretty easy to get, fenn trap and peanut butter job done

[ratattack 111]

Do not try blocking them out, I promise you will not win!!

The only option is to trap and kill. Peanut butter on a fenn mk4 and jobs done!

[jackg 7]

Yesterday I put a body grip in the loft with peanuts and Coop peanut butter and put three cage traps outside. But no wire or foam.

Got a call today that one was in a cage trap by the bird feeder.

So went to have a look and went in the loft as well.

One was in the bodygrip.

Reset the traps and left.

See how many more are in the loft. They said they'd seen two or three.

SunPat Extra crunchy peanut butter was recommended as the smelliest by the council pestie but i could only find Crunchy.

Got some Nutella as well just in case.

Squirrel pie anyone?

Edited November 15, 2014 by jackg

[nod 285]

13 was the most I have had from a loft

[jonno1968 5]

agree that its a real struggle to keep them out no matter what you do. If they end up in the house in an attempt to get back into the loft or simply come from the loft down.......everything will be shredded. Once that happens your house owner will be asking you where to buy a gun and all moralistic animal saving traits will be gone!!

[Deker 3,478]

Live traps baited, peanut butter is almost always a winner.

 

Get the owners to check daily and then collect and permanently remove squirrels.

 

Fill/repair access areas afterwards.

 

Simple.