Grey squirrels look cute from a distance. Fast and funny as they jump from branch to branch, dart along the grass and scamper along the fence. But what do they do when there out of sight?
How often do you go in your loft? Two, maybe three times a year, mainly to get the xmas decorations? Would you know if you had squirrels in your loft? You probably wouldn’t know until you went to get the xmas decorations from last year. That could be a whole eleven months without visiting your loft.
If this is the case, squirrels could have been visiting your loft and causing lots of damage. In Barking squirrels are most likely to cause problems when they gain access to roof spaces via faults in buildings, loose roof tiles and holes in the eaves are most common. Once they have gained access squirrels can cause damage to roof timbers, electrical wiring and plumbing not to mention those Christmas decorations. Many of the things you have in your loft can be used for nesting materials. The chewing through roof timbers and wiring is down to the need for them to gnaw at hard materials.
Problems can also be caused to gardens and allotments as grey squirrels will take the fruit and vegetables. Squirrels eat an amazing variety of food including tree bark, buds, flowers, nuts and fruit from many different types of shrubs and trees. Although the grey squirrel is a pretty, appealing and entertaining little animal, it can be a great nuisance in a garden too, especially to bird lovers as they are very bold and quickly learn how to get the food from bird tables and chew through wire of hanging feeders. It can also destroy birds nests to eat their eggs.