Manchester Pest Solutions removes grey squirrels from Didsbury lofts, from Didsbury East semis to the shared roofs of West Didsbury conversions. We survey first, trap inside the loft without poison, then seal the gaps with chew-proof mesh. Homeowners, renters and landlords can call or message us, and we'll offer the earliest slot we have, often the same day.
Why do grey squirrels move into Didsbury lofts?
Greys need trees to live in, and in Didsbury the trees are close to the houses. On the river side, Fletcher Moss Botanical Garden backs onto Stenner Woods, a partly flooded wood filling an old oxbow of the Mersey. Within the residential streets there are Marie Louise Gardens and Didsbury Park, and, in the north of the suburb, the large public park at Fog Lane.
The houses do the rest. Semis dominate the Didsbury East ward, home to more than half of its households, and each pair shares one roof, with long runs of fascia and soffit and corners where the gutters turn. Once a timber board softens, a squirrel will chew a small gap into a doorway. In West Didsbury, the 2021 Census put more than half of households in flats or in converted and shared houses. The loft over the top floor of a conversion is a big, quiet space that hardly anyone visits, which suits a squirrel very well.
Autumn is when a lot of people first hear them, as greys stash food and look for a dry den for the winter. The other busy spells are late winter and summer, when pregnant females want a secure place to have their young.
What do we tend to find?
On a semi, the way in is usually where the gutter meets the fascia, along a gable-end bargeboard or through a split soffit, and the nest sits in the insulation near the eaves, above the room where the noise is loudest. Bigger roofs, conversions included, often have several weak points around dormers, chimneys and valleys. We check cables, wiring and any uncovered cold water tank early, because that’s where the serious damage happens, and we look for climbing plants or branches that give squirrels a ladder to the gutter.
What does the job involve in a Didsbury loft?
Let us know what time of day you hear the noises, which rooms they’re over and whether you’re in a house or a flat. We’ll check who’s at home, including children and pets, then offer the earliest slot we have, often the same day.
We survey from the street, the garden and the loft. Nothing gets sealed until we’ve looked for bats and for birds nesting in the roof, both protected by law, and for any sign of young squirrels. Traps then go on the squirrels’ runs inside the loft, and we check them every day. The law doesn’t allow a trapped grey to be released, so anything caught is humanely dispatched straight away, and there’s no poison at any stage.
For a family, that means nothing within reach: the traps sit behind a closed hatch and there’s no bait in the house. In a flat, the traps go in the shared loft, so we’ll agree access to the communal hatch with whoever manages the building. When the loft is quiet, we close every gap with galvanised mesh or sheet metal, clear the nest where we can reach it and take all our equipment away. Most jobs run over a week or two from survey to proofing, and a pair of semis or a big conversion roof can take longer.
Who sorts it if you rent or own a flat?
Private renting is widespread in Didsbury: at the 2021 Census, 43.7% of West Didsbury households and just over a quarter in Didsbury East rented privately. In most lets the landlord has to keep the roof in repair under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, so sealing the entry points is normally their job. Put it to them in writing the moment you hear scratching. If you own a flat, your lease will usually leave the roof with the freeholder or management company, so they need to agree to the proofing.
What we tend to find in Didsbury
- Grey squirrels have woodland by the Mersey at Stenner Woods and Fletcher Moss, and parks within the housing at Fog Lane Park, Didsbury Park and Marie Louise Gardens, so there are trees to live in close to Didsbury homes.
- In the Didsbury East ward 57% of households live in a semi, and each pair shares one roof, so we check both halves of the roofline, not just yours.
- With most West Didsbury households living in flats or in converted and shared houses, the loft above the top floor is often shared space that the freeholder or managing agent controls.
- Among the 66 listed buildings in M20 are houses on Stenner Lane, Millgate Lane, The Grove and Wilmslow Road. Proofing a listed house calls for a discreet finish, and changes to its character normally need listed building consent.
What happens when you call us
- 1
Tell us what you're hearing
Call or message us with when the noises start, which rooms they're above and anything you've spotted outside. We'll ask about children and pets at home, then offer the earliest slot we have, often the same day.
- 2
Roof and loft survey
We look at the eaves, fascias, soffits, ridge and gable ends from the garden, then go into the loft to find the way in, the nest and any damage to cables, pipes or the water tank. We also check for bats, nesting birds and young squirrels.
- 3
Trapping in the loft
Traps go inside the roof space, on the squirrels' runs and well away from the hatch. They're checked at least once a day, and any grey squirrel caught is humanely dispatched, because the law doesn't allow them to be released. We don't use poison.
- 4
Sealing the way in
Once the loft has gone quiet, we close every entry point with galvanised mesh or metal that squirrels can't chew, and tell you plainly about anything that needs a roofer, a joiner or your landlord.
- 5
Final check and clear-up
We take away all our traps, remove the nest and soiled insulation where we can reach it, and point out any chewed cables so you can get an electrician to look at them.
Squirrel Removal in Didsbury: your questions
We're in a Didsbury East semi and think the squirrel gets in through next door's half of the roof. What happens then?
It's common with semis. The two houses sit under one roof and the party wall in the loft doesn't always meet the tiles tightly, so a squirrel can use whichever gap is easiest. We look at the whole roofline from the street and the garden, and if the way in is on your neighbour's side we'll show you what we've found so you can talk to them. Trapping in your loft still works, but the roof is only properly sealed once every gap on both halves is closed, so it pays to sort it together.
I own a top-floor flat in a West Didsbury conversion and hear scratching overhead. Can I book you myself?
You can, but in most conversions the loft and roof belong to the freeholder or are managed for all the flats, so start with your managing agent or freeholder. They can give us access to the communal hatch and agree to the proofing, which is work on a shared roof. If you let the flat out, keep your tenant informed, since we may need to call in while the traps are down. Once access is agreed, the job runs as it would in a house: a survey, traps in the loft checked every day, then sealing every gap.
Our home is listed or in a conservation area. Can you still squirrel-proof the roof?
Many councils run a pest control service for residents, but what is covered, who can book and the charges all vary and can change, so check the council's own pest control pages before you book. If you rent from a council or housing association, report the problem to your landlord first. If you would rather book a private firm, call or message us and we'll offer the earliest slot we have.
Will Manchester City Council deal with squirrels in my Didsbury loft?
Council services and charges change, so check the council's own website for the current position, and if you rent, ask your landlord first.
How do I know if it's squirrels or rats in my loft?
Listen to when it happens. Grey squirrels are about in daylight, so the running, thumping and rolling sounds usually start around dawn and come back in the afternoon. Rats and mice are busiest at night, once the house is quiet. Squirrels also leave clues outside: a chewed hole at the corner of the fascia, wood shavings in the gutter, or a squirrel disappearing under the edge of the roof. If the noise only starts after dark and you're finding droppings in the kitchen, have a look at our mice and rat pages.
Can I catch the squirrel in a cage and let it go in the park?
No. Grey squirrels are a listed invasive species, and under the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 it's an offence to release one, whether that's at the end of your garden or in a park miles away. You can't keep one or move it around either, other than taking it to a facility with the right licence or permit. Official guidance says that, where possible, a trapped grey should be humanely killed by someone trained and equipped for the job. We'll always explain this before we start, so nobody gets a surprise.
Can't you just block the hole while they're out during the day?
It's tempting, but it often goes wrong. If one squirrel is still inside, it'll chew a new way out through the fascia, the roof timbers or even the ceiling. Worse, in late winter, spring and summer a female may have young in the loft, and sealing the hole leaves them to starve, with the smell to follow. That's why we survey first, deal with the squirrels that are using the loft, and only then close every gap with mesh or metal they can't chew.
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