Squirrel Control

Squirrels look harmless. And indeed they are. At least, they’re mostly harmless. They can be extremely annoying however, and can even do some real damage if they get in your loft space. They can also do a lot of damage in your garden, not only from digging holes to store food in your lawn, but by stripping back trees for their nests, resulting in the trees dying. There are a number of techniques to deal with squirrels, most of them preventative rather than aggressive. If you wish however, Brian Parker Services can be called to provide squirrel control in Wokingham by trapping the squirrels and then taking them away.

Red vs Grey

There are two types of squirrel in the UK, grey and red. You’ll be lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) to see a red squirrel however. They are very rare, and consequently are now a protected species. They can be deterred in the same way that grey squirrels can be deterred, but they cannot be killed. This is why it is a bad idea to put out squirrel traps yourself to get grey squirrels, as you might end up getting a red squirrel instead and be in legal trouble.

Squirrel Damage

Children often enjoy watching squirrels running along branches, chewing on nuts, leaping here and there. Some adults do as well. Others, however, see them more like rats in fur coats, and can’t stand them. Whatever the case, there are certain situations in which squirrels can be a real pain. For instance, while they might be okay to watch from a distance, you definitely wouldn’t want one in your attic. They will likely form a nest out of plasterboard, woodwork and insulation from around electrical wiring. This can cause serious problems of course. If you hear noises in your loft therefore, it is best to call in pest control experts as soon as possible. Even if it isn’t a squirrel, it will probably be something else you’d rather not have in your home, like a mouse or a rat.

Squirrel Control

So assuming you do have a problem with squirrels, what can be done about it?

Well, if the problem is in the garden, they may well be getting their food from a bird table or nut feeder. Therefore, to get them to leave and not come back, either takes these things away, or else put up guards against squirrels. If the squirrels are getting into your loft it will require a bit more work. There must be a gap that they are getting through. Perhaps a tile which needs to be replaced. Other sorts of entry points can be shut with wire mesh, of course this is generally carried out after the squirrels are no longer there. As a last resort, we can lay down kill traps which are quick & humane.

The law forbids them being released back into the wild once trapped, so we don’t use these live traps.