Six signs, and one of them is a fire risk. If you check nothing else in a loft you suspect has squirrels, check the cabling.
Daytime noise, gnawed cabling and timber, torn-up insulation, large rounded droppings, nest material, and daylight visible at the eaves.
Check the cabling first. Squirrel damage to electrical cable is a recognised fire risk and the single most important thing to establish.
Squirrels are diurnal. Heavy thumping, rolling and running in daylight — particularly early morning and late afternoon — is the strongest single indicator. Rodents are largely nocturnal and lighter.
The priority finding, and the reason not to leave a squirrel problem running. Squirrels gnaw continuously and electrical cable is a frequent target.
Of everything in this list, gnawed cable is the one that turns a nuisance into a hazard. Check it before you check anything else.
Squirrels tear loft insulation up in quantity — pulling it apart, compacting it and gathering it into nesting material. The scale distinguishes them from rodents, which make smaller, more discreet nests.
Damaged insulation is not only a pest issue: compacted or displaced insulation stops performing, which costs you in heating.
See our complete service, published price and treatment information.
View Squirrel Control Harrow →Wear gloves and a mask if handling anything, and do not dry-brush or vacuum droppings.
A squirrel drey in a loft is a substantial structure — leaves, twigs, shredded insulation, sometimes plastic and fabric, gathered into a bulky mass usually in a corner or between joists.
Do not disturb it. There may be young, and that changes what can be done and when. Tell us if you find one.
Only go into a loft if it is boarded and you can get up there safely. If it is not, do not — tell us instead and we will assess it.
| What you found | What to do |
|---|---|
| Gnawed cabling | Call an electrician promptly, and book trapping |
| Daytime noise and torn insulation | Book trapping — £280 |
| Droppings but no noise | Note the date, check again in a week |
| A nest | Do not disturb it. Tell us — there may be young |
| Glittery crumbly droppings | Stop. Likely bats — legally protected |
| Nothing but old damage | May be historic. Tell us what you found |
Fresh gnawing on timber shows pale, clean wood; older damage darkens. Fresh droppings are darker and moister than old ones.
Not before the animal is dealt with, and not at all if you suspect young. Also worth knowing: old nest material supports carpet beetles, so it is worth removing eventually.
Partly. The timing of the noise, the view of the roofline from outside, and any ceiling staining tell you a good deal.
Wasps use the same roof spaces — and that is £90 fixed cost across Harrow, guaranteed.
Daytime noise, gnawed cabling and timber, torn-up insulation, large rounded droppings, nest material, and daylight at the eaves.
The cabling. Squirrel damage to electrical cable is a recognised fire risk.
Larger and more rounded, often scattered rather than grouped, and frequently near nesting material.
A bulky mass of leaves, twigs and shredded insulation, usually in a corner or between joists. Do not disturb it — there may be young.
Those are likely bat droppings. All UK bats are legally protected — stop and seek specialist advice.
Fresh gnawing on timber shows pale clean wood; older damage darkens. Fresh droppings are darker and moister.
Only if it is boarded and you can get up safely. If not, tell us instead.
Not before the animal is dealt with, and not at all if you suspect young.
Tell us what you found — and if there is any cable damage, mention it first.
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