Squirrel Trapping in Cambridgeshire

People often picture squirrel trapping as one visit: someone arrives, sets a trap, and leaves with a squirrel. The reality is slower and more careful than that, and the reasons are partly practical and partly legal.

Here is how a programme runs from start to finish, and what you will notice at each stage.

Before Anything Is Set: The Survey

The first visit is about reading the building. We confirm it is squirrels rather than rats, birds or bats, look for how many animals are likely to be involved, and find the access points from outside as well as in the loft.

We also think about the season. If there could be dependent young, that changes what is done and when. Taking an adult and leaving young behind is not acceptable, and sealing a roof over them is worse.

If the evidence suggests bats, everything stops. Bats and their roosts are protected, and nothing is trapped, blocked or treated until that has been settled. Active wild birds' nests at the eaves are protected as well.

The Law, in Plain Terms

Releasing a trapped grey squirrel is an offence. That applies to us and to you. So a grey squirrel caught in a trap is humanely dispatched; it is not taken to a wood or a park and let go.

Traps themselves must also be lawful. Spring traps have to be of a type approved for use on grey squirrels and set in the way the approval requires, typically inside a tunnel with a restricted entrance so that cats, birds and other animals cannot reach them. Live-capture traps must be checked at least once a day.

Placing the Traps

Where a trap goes matters more than which trap it is. Squirrels use regular routes across the joists, along wall plates and in and out of the entry point. A trap on the route is visited; a trap two metres away may be ignored for days.

Traps are placed in the loft, at the entry area or both, depending on what the survey shows. Sometimes they are baited but left unset for a short time so the squirrels get used to them, which makes the eventual catch quicker.

What we ask you to do

• Keep out of the loft between visits unless we have agreed otherwise
• Do not move, spring or bait the traps yourself
• Keep children and pets out of the loft, and follow any other instructions we give you on the day
• Let us know if the noise changes, stops or moves to a different part of the house
• Do not block any gaps yet, however tempting

The Checking Visits

This is the bulk of the work. Each check means someone coming to the property, going into the loft, seeing what has happened and resetting or moving traps if needed. It is also why a programme costs more than a rodent treatment: attendance, not equipment, is what you are paying for.

How long it runs is decided by the squirrels. Some are caught quickly; others are cautious and take longer. We will not pretend to know the date in advance, but we will tell you honestly how it is going at each visit.

A squirrel does not enter a trap on a timetable. The programme runs until the loft is quiet and the evidence agrees.

Ending the Programme

The programme ends when there has been no fresh activity: no new chewing, no disturbed bait, no noise reported. At that point the traps are removed and the loft is treated as clear.

Then comes the part that decides whether you need us again. We show you the gaps we found and what they need closing with; our squirrel proofing guide explains the materials and who should do the work.

Price and Booking

Our squirrel control service covers Cambridgeshire and the surrounding towns, and squirrel trapping is £280 fixed cost wherever you are. There is no call-out fee and the price is confirmed before anything is booked. The squirrel trapping cost guide covers what the figure includes, and our Peterborough squirrel price guide walks through a job from the day of booking.

Every treatment is guaranteed: if the problem comes back within 14 days of treatment, we return and re-treat free of charge. If you are still not sure what is in the roof, read our guide to squirrels in the loft first, or call 01223 902388 and describe what you are hearing.