When you hear it tells you almost everything. Daylight means squirrel; after dark means rodent; and in a semi, it may not even be your half of the roof.
When you hear it is the strongest clue. Squirrels are active in daylight, loudest around dawn and dusk. Rats and mice are nocturnal.
Weight is the second clue. A squirrel sounds heavy and purposeful; a mouse is light and skittering; a rat is between the two, with gnawing.
| When | Sound | Most likely |
|---|---|---|
| Dawn and early morning | Heavy scampering, thumping | Squirrel |
| Through the day | Rolling, dragging, running | Squirrel |
| Dusk | Heavy movement, then quiet | Squirrel returning |
| Just after dark | Scratching, gnawing, scuffling | Rat |
| Through the night | Light, fast, high-pitched skittering | Mouse |
| Early morning at the eaves | Fluttering, chirping, scratching | Birds |
| Constant, summer, buzzing | A steady hum or rustle | Wasp nest |
If it wakes you at six and sounds like someone dropped a shoe upstairs, it is a squirrel.
£280 for the trapping programme, including the proofing survey.
View Squirrel Control Rayners Lane →| Evidence | Squirrel | Rat | Mouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Droppings | Larger, rounded, scattered | Dark, tapered, 12–18mm | Tiny, 3–6mm, numerous |
| Gnawing | Timber, cables, tanks | Timber, cables | Light, on packaging |
| Nest | Shredded insulation, bulky | Shredded material | Small, in insulation |
| Food stores | Nuts, bulbs, stones | Rarely | Rarely |
| Smell | Musty, urine on ceilings | Strong, distinctive | Faint, ammonia-like |
| Entry | Roofline, fascia, tiles | Drains, walls, roofline | Any 6mm gap |
Rat and mouse control in a flat is £190. Proofing works are quoted separately in each case, after the programme is complete.
Possible, and bats and their roosts are legally protected. If you suspect bats, nothing should be done to the roost and specialist advice is needed.
Timbers creak with temperature changes. A pattern tied to time of day rather than temperature suggests an animal.
Often close. The inspection confirms it.
If it hums rather than moves, it is a wasp nest — £90 fixed in Rayners Lane, guaranteed for 30 days.
Timing is the strongest clue. Squirrels are active in daylight and loudest around dawn and dusk; rats and mice are nocturnal.
Heavy, deliberate scampering with pauses, plus rolling or dragging sounds as it moves nesting material or food. Nothing else in a loft does that.
In a 1930s semi, yes. The roof void may be open across the party wall, so an animal that entered next door can be above your bedroom.
Squirrel droppings are larger and rounded, rat droppings dark and tapered at 12 to 18mm, mouse droppings tiny at 3 to 6mm and numerous.
Possibly, and bats and their roosts are legally protected. Nothing should be done to a roost, and specialist advice is needed.
Timbers creak with temperature changes. A pattern tied to time of day rather than temperature suggests an animal.
Do not block anything, do not put down poison before identifying the species, do not use glue traps, and do not ignore gnawed cabling.
Squirrel control £280, rat or mouse control £240 for a house and £190 for a flat, wasp nest £90.
Tell us the time of day and how heavy it sounds. That usually identifies it before anyone visits.
Prefer to talk? Call 0203 151 6640 or WhatsApp us.
