Once you've spotted the hole squirrels are using to get into your Hungerford roof, the instinct is often to seal it up straight away and be done with the problem. It's an understandable reaction, but blocking the hole before you know exactly what's on the other side can turn a manageable issue into a far more unpleasant one — the key question isn't whether the hole should eventually be sealed (it should) but whether it's safe to do so right now.
The Risk of Trapping Squirrels Inside
If an adult squirrel, or worse, a nest of young, is still inside the roof space when the entry point is sealed, the consequences can be significant. A trapped animal will often cause considerably more damage trying to gnaw or claw its way back out than it did getting in, and if it can't escape, you're left with the distressing and unpleasant reality of an animal dying in the roof space — which brings its own smell and cleanup problems, sometimes requiring parts of a ceiling to be opened up to resolve.
Confirming the Space Is Empty First
- Watching the entry point over a period of time to check for squirrels leaving and not returning
- Listening for ongoing activity, particularly during the day, which suggests the space is still occupied
- Checking for young squirrels, since a female with a litter won't simply move on and leave them behind
- Using appropriate monitoring methods to confirm activity has genuinely stopped before any hole is sealed
One-Way Exclusion Methods
The safer and more reliable approach is a one-way exclusion, which allows any squirrels present to leave the roof space to feed as normal but prevents them getting back in. Once it's confirmed that the loft is clear — including any young that may have been present — the exclusion device is removed and the hole is permanently and properly sealed.
When Permanent Proofing Should Happen
Permanent sealing should only happen once you're confident the roof space is genuinely empty, and it's worth doing properly at that point — not just patching the one hole that was found, but checking the rest of the roofline for other weak spots that could be exploited next.
If you've found a squirrel hole in your roof and aren't sure whether it's safe to block, don't take the risk of sealing it blind. Pest Services Berkshire can assess activity properly and carry out exclusion and proofing in the right order, so nothing gets trapped inside.
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