Squirrels in
Loft - Squirrels in Attic
Lovely to
look at but devastating
in your
home - Squirrel traps are the solution
We deal with squirrel
infestations in Manchester, Lancashire, Trafford, Merseyside &
Cheshire
Unless
you have
dealt with the horror of a squirrel infestation you have no idea of the
damage, devastation & mayhem that these creatures can wreak.
Cute
and entertaining to watch in the garden, they can become creatures from
hell when they move into your loft or attic. Squirrels in loft or
squirrels in attic means big trouble!
Early
last year I was called out to a local home,
a pleasant modern detached house on a popular local development.
The
owners had been away for a week’s holiday and
whilst they were away little Mrs Nutkin had decided to build her nest
(a
squirrel’s nest is called a dray) in the loft of the
property. Being a squirrel
she was awfully good at chewing things and one of the things she
decided to
chew was the water supply pipe to the header tank in the loft.
The
young couple returned home to find the
ceiling brought down, the house flooded and carpets and furniture
ruined.
A
nasty shock but at least they had insurance
cover, they were always careful to ensure their cover was
adequate……or so they
thought!
Bad
news was in store!
The
vast majority of household insurance policies
have a clause excluding damage by vermin, and as soon as they mentioned
’squirrel’ to their insurance company they
immediately invalidated their claim
leaving them pick up the cost of thousands of pounds worth of damage.
I wish
I could say that this was a rare, isolated
case but it isn’t.
As a
point of interest here in the U.K. The law
regarding squirrels is a little complicated.
Although
the grey squirrel (Sciurus
carolinensis) is now
endemic throughout
virtually the whole U.K., it is still
regarded in law as an illegal immigrant. It was imported from the
United States
and Canada in the 19th century and has gradually
established itself
throughout Britain.
However, despite the fact that
they are common, it is still
a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1984 to
release a
grey squirrel in the British Isles, so pest controllers trapping
squirrels are
not allowed in law to relocate them.
Unfortunately the grey squirrel
is a carrier of Squirrelpox
virus to which they themselves appear to be immune but the effect has
been to
devastate our native population of red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris), the ‘Squirrel
Nutkin’ of
fame, whose numbers are now down to a few isolated populations.
Squirrels are rodents, the word
itself comes from the Latin
“rodere
"to gnaw,
eat away” and this they
do very well indeed, especially electrical wiring and water pipes when
they
enter your home.
If you
have squirrels in the garden be afraid, be
very afraid!
Typical
costs on request, site survey will be needed.
Squirrels in
Loft - Squirrels in Attic
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Squirrels in
Loft - Squirrels in Attic
Fascinating grey squirrel facts
- Their
scientific name is Sciurus
carolinensis.
- They
were introduced from USA
/Canada to approximately 30 sites in England, Scotland and Wales from
1876–1930.
- Grey
squirrels eat seeds, buds,
flowers, shoots, nuts, berries and fruit from many trees and shrubs.
They also eat fungi and insects, and occasionally
birds’ eggs and fledglings.
- They
store nuts in the ground
in the autumn, but do not remember where they store them. They rely on
scent to find them.
- They
can be right or
left-handed!
- Squirrels
moult their coat
twice a year, once after winter and then in the late summer before the
weather gets colder again.
- They
do not have ear tufts.
- They
can live to 5-7 years of
age.
- They
have four fingers and five
toes.
- The
upper fur is mainly grey
with mid-brown along the upper back, and chestnut over the flanks,
limbs and feet. Their underside is white. The tail hairs are grey,
banded with brown and black and a white fringe.
- They
weigh 450-650g.
- Their
body is 24–26cm
long and their tail is 19-24cm in length.
- Squirrels
live high in trees in
a nest made from twigs, leaves and moss. This is called a dray.
- The
dray may be in a hole in
the tree or set against the trunk and branches.
- Pregnancy
lasts 44 days and
their young are called kittens.
- Kittens
are born with their
eyes closed, without teeth and with no hair. After about seven weeks
they look just like small versions of their parents and are ready to
leave the dray.
- There
are generally 2 litters a
year (rarely 3), with 3–7 kittens in each litter.
- Average
densities in broadleaf
areas are approximately 8-18 grey squirrels per hectare, and 0.1-1 per
hectare in coniferous areas.
- They
do not hibernate over
winter, but may be less active when weather conditions are bad.
- They
can hang upside down!
- They
can swim!
- Grey
squirrels do not appear to
be susceptible to Squirrelpox virus, but may carry and transmit it.
Please do not attempt a squirrel treatment without seeking professional
advice as you could fall foul of the law.
Squirrels in
Loft - Squirrels in Attic
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