When I am out and about doing my valuations I am so used to seeing squirrels running along garden fences, or doing ‘aerial stunts’ and tree acrobatics from branch to branch. There is something about the cheeky little chappies that has always fascinated me… in fact until recently I quite liked them. 

Our long-term relationship came to an abrupt end a few weeks ago when I was valuing a ground floor converted flat in Wood Green. I was standing in the garden taking notes, as I do, when I sensed some beady eyes looking at me, it was a clear sunny day and the only sound was that of the birds singing a chirpy little number that I had heard once or twice before.

As I turned and looked up towards the roof there was a squirrel perched on the open window, not the window sill, the actual window! It was definitely watching me because it jumped inside the flat when I looked at it.  All the banging and crashing about sounded just like an old Tom and Jerry cartoon, you know… the bit where Tom used to chase the little fella through the house and everything would go flying!

At least in Tom and Jerry the ‘big lady’ would shuffle along in her slippers and scream ‘Thomasss’.  I found it quite difficult to believe that this was going on, my ‘potential vendor’, in her well presented garden flat, wasn’t too impressed either!

Suddenly, I saw another one poke his head out of a hole in the roof, just above the guttering, then I noticed two more sitting on the guttering itself. This was obviously a serious infestation, not helped by the over friendly person in the upper flat… At least in Tom and Jerry the ‘big lady’ would shuffle along in her slippers and scream ‘Thomasss’.  I found it quite difficult to believe that this was going on, my ‘potential vendor’, in her well presented garden flat, wasn’t too impressed either!

I left after first suggesting they contact Haringey council’s pest control team. It got me thinking about the potential damage squirrels can cause, so I had a ‘Note to Self’ moment and googled it at the first chance I got.

Here are a few facts that may shock you:

Fact – Like rats, squirrels must constantly chew in order to keep their incisors from growing too long. So that’s why they are often called tree rats… they are rodents.  Squirrels will chew through pretty much anything:  joists, rafters (structural wood), some metals, electrical wires, insulation.  Soffits and vents are also favourite external targets. 

Fact – Squirrels will build nests in attics, chimneys, vents, roofs and cavity walls. They will use a wide variety of nesting material which they often find by pulling parts of your property about… commonly found nesting materials are roof insulation, wood, drywall and paper.

Fact – Squirrels attract ticks and fleas, especially in warmer weather. If the squirrels leave the nest for an extended period, these ticks and fleas will look for new hosts (i.e. people and pets).

Fact - Although generally frightened of people, a mother squirrel can be quite aggressive if she is separated from her young and perceives danger. Squirrels are lightning fast and can move or attack quickly if threatened.

Fact – Squirrels make large nests with dry materials and when combined with their wire chewing they can be a serious fire hazard.

Fact – Grey squirrels can fit through a tennis ball sized hole, red squirrels can fit through a golf ball sized hole. It is worth remembering that any sized hole can easily be made bigger by these characters that like to chew!

So… There you have it.  To be honest I was pretty shocked at what google threw back at me (and all from several reliable pest control experts), so I thought it worth passing on this information.

Best advice has to be… if you hear scurrying noises in your loft, call in a pest control firm immediately because one female squirrel has two litters per year, with up to 5/6 pups each time.