Will Squirrels nest in my home?

You might see the odd squirrel in the park or in your garden. They look cute when they’re scampering up and down trees, don’t they? But trust us, it isn’t so cute when squirrels nest in your home.

Where Do Squirrels Usually Nest?

Squirrels’ nests are called dreys. They often nest in naturally occurring holes in trees, or they build them in tree branches using twigs, dry leaves, grass, and bark.

Squirrels aren’t that fussy when it comes to the location of their nests. Their main requirements are that it’s near a food source and it’s warm. That’s why squirrels nest in your home. They don’t hibernate so in winter, a loft or inside the walls of a home are the perfect locations to keep warm.

When Do Squirrels Build Nests

Squirrels tend to build nests twice per year. The first is in June or July. This is when their young are ready to go it alone and they teach them to build nests. The second time they build nests is the start of the Autumn. This is when squirrels prepare for winter. They need a nest to shelter from the cold weather and store the food they’ve collected. It’s around this time that you may find squirrels nest in your home.

Where Do Squirrels Nest in Homes?

A favourite spot for squirrels to nest is your loft. If they get access to your roof from a nearby tree, they can find their way in through a gap or damaged roof tiles. Once squirrels are in your loft, they’ll settle in pretty fast, and they’ll cause problems.

If squirrels nest in your home, they can chew through cables and wires as well as through the insulation and the actual structure of your home.

What Are the Signs of Squirrels in My Loft?

When squirrels nest in your home, there’ll be some tell-tale signs:

You’re hearing strange noises

If you hear strange noises in your loft or walls in the early morning or evening, it could be squirrels scampering around. Squirrels are large rodents, so they can make quite a racket.

You smell unpleasant odours

If you smell an unpleasant smell in your home, it could be squirrel urine or the foul odour of a squirrel that has perished.

You notice damage

If you’re up in the loft and you see damage to wires, beams, or insulation, it could mean squirrels are nesting up there.

You see a nest

If you see a pile of insulation, leaves, and other natural debris in your loft, it could be a squirrel nest.

You see droppings

When squirrels nest in your home, you’ll see scattered droppings around their nesting area. Squirrel droppings are around 9mm long and cylinder shaped with rounded edges. They contain some nasty disease-causing pathogens like leptospirosis and salmonellosis.

I Think There are Squirrels in My Home-What Should I Do?

If you’ve seen signs of squirrels in your home, call in professional pest control. Squirrels can cause damage to your property and spread diseases, and once they nest in your home, they can be hard to get rid of.

Contego’s expert pest technicians will survey your home then recommend and carry out a humane and effective treatment.

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