Help! Squirrel in the house

[Feckoffsquirrel]

It is in the loft and sometimes it patters about in the floor boards. I am sitting in the kitchen and I can hear it running around the ceiling. I would normally bash the ceiling with a broom but the bedroom is above the kitchen and DH has gone to bed/sleep.

I tried Rentakill but they want me to show them some droppings before they will come out. I’ve read that this is a fire risk as squirrels can chimp through wires.

What can I do? Who can I call?

And don’t say SquirrelBusters

My mum had one, exactly like this, between ceiling. Fairly sure council came out (or possibly a pest controller) and they actually trapped it, then filled in the hole.

You will need to get a proper exterminator in to place traps. Once caught they will remove the body, and continue to monitor for a while to make sure it was just one and only then can you get the entrance hole(s) repaired.

(Not me but very close relative)

Thanks joanie - did your mum have to prove it was a squirrel and it a rat? I think you have to trap squirrels and release them (for them to come back in, the fckrs) rather than kill them.

Ah, ok - so why wouldn’t rentakill come out to do an exploratory survey? Sorry, I’m tired and irritable and I want to aim a flamethrower at the bastard thing.

I made dh cut a hole in the wall. To put a trap in there (we could hear the scritching). He cut it in the wrong section so he had to cut another one. At the point he pulled the section of drywall out he slammed it back in and started yelling ‘fuck fuck it’s in there, get me a box or something’. So I got leather gloves and a bag and a box but as I got back in the room he peeked and it ran up his arm and over his shoulder. He’s screaming fuck fuck there’s another one, I am dancing around the bedroom because there is a fucking squirrel running around, and trying to open the door to the deck to chase it outside. There are actually two running around the bedroom sweating at us. Dh still can’t move because he knows there’s another one and he’s holding the wall shut. Puts the leather glove on and goes in. One in his hand (that is REALLY pissed) and he let two more of them out into the bedroom. I’ve closed the door to block off the rest of the house and stop the curious labradors from joining in the running round in circles, dh has literally lobbed the handheld version out into the forest (where it is now half way up a tree trunk staring at us and spitting bricks) and we then spend twenty minutes trying to find the others and chase them out (‘under the fucking cushion!!!!’)
Absolute bastards. I recommend a flamethrower. Never ever believe there is just one.

Omfg I just read your last comment. We are totally on the same page. The flamethrower really is the only option.

And let this be a warning to you. One came back. At Halloween.
I was sitting supervising smallish children emptying bags of sweeties and sharing them out equally-ish when the nearest witch made a silent ‘the scream’ face and pointed wordlessly over my shoulder. Being extremely sensible I moved rapidly away from whatever she was pointing at before I turned round to see what it was.
Bastard bastard squirrel just sitting in the back of the fucking armchair as though it owned the place. With two useless labradors sleeping a foot away.
Cue more running around in circles swearing. AND it shit on the armchair.
Flamethrowers. Honestly.

Well I suppose burning the house down is one way of getting rid of them...

It’s the Only Way.

Had a nightmare with this, no one wanted to know, one guy suggested I buy traps from Amazon which was massively unhelpful. In the end a whole load of wire mesh was put up there once they were out and so far so good. A huge tree is their playground and what they used to jump on roof with ease so that is coming down as really too big anyway.

Wouldn’t usually cut a tree down but it was so stressful I need to do everything possible to deter them.

If you do trap one then it will have to be killed. It’s illegal to release grey squirrels
Apart from freaking you out is it causing a problem?

No advice, just dropping in to post This American Life's epic Squirrel Cop story:

It’s not great knowing they might eat your electrics ...

Can't you get another private pest controller to come and deal with it?(not rentokil or the council).
It cost us about £90 to get a local company out recently to deal with mice.

Squirrel Cop part II: https//youtu.be/g7aqnckMQbs

I expect it's a rat. I know that's not what you want to hear, especially as it's active at night.

A rat would be easier to deal with. I assume it’s a squirrel as our NDN told us that he previous owners had problems with a squirrel.

Good, I’ll tell the council that it’s a rat and then feign surprise at the fluffy tail.

Good plan😉

Yep, had this problem when I lived at home, the little fucker chewed through my TV aerial cable.

Really, who is going to know if you release it ? Trap, release, then block up the entry hole or trim the branches allowing access.

This is an excellent thread. nanchthexe's story and the Squirrel Cop have cheered me right up. Sorry OP!

I can tame it

We called the council about rats and they got their preferred contractor (Rentokil) to come out at our cost and put down a poison trap. These were outside though, so no worry about rotting corpses on the floorboards.