Squirrel Trapping in March
£280 Fixed Cost
The service page for March — what we do, what it costs and what to expect.
See the service →Squirrel Trapping — March
Squirrel or Rat in the Loft? How March Homeowners Can Tell the Difference
This is the part of the comparison nobody expects, and it is the part with consequences beyond a wasted visit.
Squirrel Trapping in March — £280 fixed cost. See the March service page →
Most of the differences between these two animals are practical. One of them is not, and it catches out people who buy a live-catch trap intending to do the kind thing.
The Grey Squirrel Position
BPCA set it out plainly. Because grey squirrels are an invasive pest species, it is against the law to re-release a grey squirrel if it has been caught alive, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019.
The consequence follows directly: any person who catches a grey squirrel alive is legally obliged to humanely dispatch it. That obligation lands on whoever caught it — a pest controller, a builder, or a homeowner.
Which is why this belongs in a comparison article. People buy a live-catch trap because they do not want to kill anything, intending to drive the animal to a wood and release it. That is an offence, and it puts them in a position they did not know they were choosing. If you would not be willing to dispatch what you catch, do not set the trap.
The Rat Position
There is no equivalent restriction. Rats may be controlled, and there is no legal obligation attaching to catching one alive in the way there is with a grey squirrel.
What does apply to both is general animal welfare law: anything used has to be used humanely, traps have to be checked, and an animal must not be left to suffer. That is a real requirement rather than a formality, and it is one of the practical reasons DIY trapping of either species goes wrong.
What Is Not a Licence to Trap on Sight
The legal obligation attaches to catching a grey squirrel alive. It is not a requirement to remove every squirrel you see, and BPCA's own guidance is that a pest professional should assess whether lethal control is necessary at all.
A squirrel in a garden, on a fence or on a bird feeder is not a pest control problem, and we will say so rather than sell you a trapping programme for it. A squirrel inside a roof space usually is, because of what it does to the building once it is there.
And the Other Species in a Roof Space
- Red squirrels are native and protected, and are not a pest control subject. Identification comes before any action, which is not a formality
- All bat species are legally protected. If bats are present, nothing gets treated, blocked or cleared until it has been properly advised on
- Birds are protected while nesting, so an entry point with an active nest behind it is not something to seal
The Practical Upshot
Identify before you act. Not because it is tidy, but because in a roof space several of the possible answers carry legal obligations that differ completely, and acting on the wrong one is a serious matter rather than an embarrassing one.
A pest inspection and survey is a fixed cost and identifies what is present before anything happens.
Common Questions
Can I catch a squirrel and release it in the woods?
No. It is against the law to re-release a grey squirrel caught alive, and anyone who catches one is legally obliged to dispatch it humanely. That applies to homeowners as well as to us.
Is the law the same for rats?
No. There is no equivalent restriction for rats. General animal welfare law applies to both — anything used must be used humanely and traps must be checked.
Does that mean every squirrel has to be trapped?
No. BPCA's guidance is that a professional should assess whether lethal control is necessary at all, and a squirrel in a garden is not a pest control problem.
What if it is a red squirrel, or bats?
Red squirrels are native and protected and are not a pest control subject. Bats are protected outright, and nothing gets treated, blocked or cleared where they are present.
Squirrel Trapping in March
Tell us what you have found and where. We confirm the treatment and the price before anything is booked.
More on Squirrel Trapping in March
The service page for March, the other advice for this area, and every price we charge.
Is That Noise in the Loft a Grey Squirrel? A March Identification Guide
If you are going to go up and look, do it properly. Loft accidents are more common than squirrel bites, and both are avoidable.
Read the guide →Where Are Squirrels Getting Into the Roof of My March Home?
In a terrace, the roof void frequently runs the length of the block. The animal you can hear may have come in four doors along.
Read the guide →How Are Grey Squirrels Removed From Loft Spaces in March?
For a good part of the year the adult in your roof space may not be the only animal in it, and that changes everything about how the job is done.
Read the guide →How Much Does Squirrel Trapping Cost in Cambridge?
£280 Fixed Cost
Every price we charge, what it covers and what happens on the day.
Read the price guide →Squirrel Trapping Across Cambridgeshire
The main Squirrel Control Cambridge page covers the service in full.
Squirrel Trapping in March
Tell us what you have seen and where, and we will give you the treatment and the price before anything is booked.