Squirrel damage in a roof space builds up gradually and is often discovered by accident — a homeowner in Windsor goes up into the loft to store something or check for a leak, and finds evidence that squirrels have been living there, sometimes for weeks. Knowing what to look for makes it much easier to catch the problem early, before the damage extends to timber, insulation and wiring.
Signs to look for inside the loft
- Gnaw marks on roof timbers, joists or the underside of the roof felt — usually fresh, pale wood chips visible around the marks
- Displaced or compacted insulation, particularly in one area where a nest has been built
- Droppings, which are typically oval, dark, and roughly the size of a raisin, often clustered in one corner
- A nest (drey) made from shredded loft insulation, leaves, twigs and any soft material the squirrel could find
- Chewed cabling or damaged pipe lagging, which should always be treated as a priority given the fire risk
- A distinct musky odour, especially where activity has been ongoing for some time
Signs to look for outside the property
Outside, check the roofline for gnawed or splintered timber around soffits, fascias and bargeboards, especially where the wood looks lighter or freshly exposed compared to surrounding areas. Grease marks — dark, slightly greasy smudges — can build up around entry points where squirrels repeatedly brush past the same edge. Missing or dislodged roof tiles, particularly near valleys or where a tree branch overhangs, are also worth checking, since a displaced tile is often how squirrels first got a foothold.
Don't confuse squirrel damage with other roof space problems
It's easy to mistake squirrel damage for other issues, but the details matter. Rat and mouse droppings are considerably smaller than squirrel droppings. Bird nests tend to be more tightly woven from twigs and grass rather than shredded insulation. Bats leave droppings that crumble to dust and don't gnaw structural timber at all. If you're not certain what you're looking at, it's worth having it properly assessed, since the wrong assumption can mean the wrong treatment approach.
If you've found any of these signs in your Windsor loft, don't wait for the damage to get worse — an established squirrel presence tends to cause more structural and electrical damage the longer it goes unchecked. Pest Services Berkshire carries out thorough loft inspections across Windsor to confirm what's causing the damage and recommend the right next steps.
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