Five possibilities here rather than four, because on a green-space boundary the wood mouse is a real candidate.
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.
The prices differ: squirrel £280, rat or mouse £240 house / £190 flat. 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 |
Specific to a property near green space, and worth knowing because it explains a particular set of findings.
A neat pile of hoarded seed in the loft is the giveaway. House mice do not do that.
See our full squirrel control service, the £280 fixed price and what the trapping programme covers.
View Squirrel Control Stanmore →If it sounds like something is rolling a marble across your bedroom ceiling, it is very probably a squirrel.
| 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 Stanmore – What Should You Do? →Older properties near woodland and parkland are exactly where bat roosts occur, so this is a genuine possibility rather than a formality.
A week of notes tells us more than a five-minute inspection, and it costs nothing.
| Animal | Flat | House |
|---|---|---|
| Rats | £190 | £240 |
| Mice | £190 | £240 |
| Squirrel | £280 | £280 |
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 or bats. 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 Stanmore, guaranteed for 30 days.
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.
A mouse that lives outdoors and comes in seasonally, heading for the loft. It caches food, so a hoard of seeds or nuts is the giveaway — house mice do not do that.
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 are dry, odourless and crumble to a glittery powder. All UK bats and their roosts are protected — stop and take specialist advice.
Older properties near woodland and parkland are exactly where roosts occur, so it is a genuine possibility rather than a formality.
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 £240 in a house and £190 in a flat.
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.
