Grey squirrels do not need a large gap to get into a roof space - a gap as small as four to five centimetres is often enough. Around Caversham, where roof ages and construction styles vary widely street to street, certain points on the roofline consistently turn up as the source of entry.
Knowing where to look helps explain why squirrel problems can seem to reappear even after an obvious hole has been blocked - there is often more than one weak point.
The most common entry points
- Gaps where soffit boards meet fascias, especially where old timber has warped or rotted
- Torn or missing sections of soffit, particularly on older Caversham properties with original timber fittings
- Gable end vents, which squirrels can widen by gnawing at plastic or thin mesh
- Roof valleys and junctions where two roof sections meet, especially on extensions
- Gaps around lead flashing where it has lifted or been disturbed
- Missing or slipped roof tiles, particularly after storms
- Gaps around pipes, cables or aerials that pass through the roofline
Why extensions and loft conversions are higher risk
Many Caversham homes have had extensions or loft conversions added over the years, and the join between old and new roofline is a common weak spot. Flashing, guttering and soffit sections do not always match up perfectly, leaving small gaps that are easy to miss on a casual look from the ground but simple for a squirrel to find and enlarge.
Why a full check matters, not just the obvious hole
It is common for a homeowner to find and block one hole, only for scratching to continue because a second entry point elsewhere on the roof is still in use. Squirrels will often use more than one route in and out of the same roof space, so a proper survey needs to check the entire roofline, not just the spot where activity was first noticed.
If you can hear squirrels in your Caversham loft but cannot see an obvious way in, that is exactly the kind of job a proper roofline inspection is for. Pest Services Berkshire checks every potential access point before recommending a removal and proofing plan.
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