Four possibilities, three different prices, and one very good reason to get it right before anyone starts work.
Timing and weight tell you most of it. Daytime and heavy is a squirrel. Night-time and scurrying is a rat. Night-time and light is a mouse. Dawn chirping in spring is birds.
The prices differ: squirrel £280, rat or mouse £190 flat / £240 house. Birds and bats are a different matter entirely.
| Squirrel | Rat | Mouse | Birds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| When | Daytime, dawn, dusk | After dark | After dark | Dawn, spring |
| Weight | Heavy | Medium | Very light | Light |
| Sound | Thumping, rolling, dragging | Scurrying, gnawing | Fast light scratching | Chirping, fluttering |
| Droppings | Rounded, 8–10mm | Tapered, 12–18mm | Grain-sized, 3–6mm | Splashes below |
| Insulation | Torn up into a drey | Runs and tunnels | Small shredded nest | Untouched |
| Entry | Roof level | Any level | Any level | Eaves |
| Price | £280 | £240 house | £240 house | Varies |
The most useful single indicator, and it costs nothing to notice.
See our full squirrel control service, the £280 fixed price and what the trapping programme covers.
View Squirrel Control Kenton →If it sounds like something is rolling a marble across your bedroom ceiling, it is very probably a squirrel.
If you can get into the loft safely with a torch, this settles it.
| What you find | What it is |
|---|---|
| Rounded, barrel-shaped, ~8–10mm | Squirrel |
| Tapered, spindle-shaped, 12–18mm | Rat |
| Grain-of-rice sized, 3–6mm, blunt | Mouse |
| Small, dark, crumbling to a glittery powder | Bats — stop, take specialist advice |
| White splashes at the eaves | Birds |
Do not handle droppings. Photograph them and send the picture with your enquiry — it is the fastest way to an answer.
Read nextSquirrels in the Loft in Kenton – What Should You Do? →Rodent bait put down for what turns out to be a squirrel achieves nothing except a two-week delay while the cabling keeps getting gnawed.
A week of notes tells us more than a five-minute inspection, and it costs nothing.
The loft is above the bedrooms in most Kenton houses, which is why this is usually noticed at bedtime.
| Animal | Flat | House |
|---|---|---|
| Rats | £190 | £240 |
| Mice | £190 | £240 |
| Squirrel | £280 | £280 |
Squirrel work is a single price because it is a programme of visits rather than a treatment. Rodent pricing differs by property type because a house has more to cover.
Yes, and it is not unusual. A squirrel entry point at roof level is also a route for rats.
Yes, including if it turns out to be birds. You are charged for the job that is actually needed.
Squirrels and rats both gnaw cabling. It is not something to leave for a month.
Buzzing rather than scratching? A wasp nest is £90 fixed cost in Kenton, guaranteed.
Squirrels are active in daylight and sound heavy — thumping, rolling, dragging. Rats are nocturnal and sound like scurrying.
Almost certainly a squirrel. They cache nuts, and nuts roll.
Squirrel droppings are rounded and barrel-shaped at 8–10mm; rat droppings tapered and 12–18mm; mouse droppings grain-of-rice sized at 3–6mm.
Rustling or squeaking around dusk, and droppings that crumble to a glittery powder. All UK bats and their roosts are protected — stop and take specialist advice.
Squirrels are trapped, rodents are baited and proofed, and birds and bats may be legally protected. The wrong approach wastes a fortnight.
Squirrel £280 for the programme; rats or mice £190 in a flat and £240 in a house.
No. But keep children out of the loft, and a child unable to sleep is a fair reason to treat it as urgent.
Yes. A squirrel entry point at roof level is also a route for rats.
Tell us the time of day and how heavy it sounds — and send a photo of any droppings.
Prefer to talk? Call 0203 151 6640 or WhatsApp us.
