It's a common pattern reported by homeowners across Windsor: quiet all evening and through the night, then scratching, scampering or thumping directly overhead just as it's getting light. This isn't a coincidence — it comes down to squirrel behaviour, and understanding the pattern is actually one of the more reliable ways to identify what's causing the noise before anyone has even been up into the loft.
Squirrels are most active at dawn and dusk
Grey squirrels are crepuscular, meaning they're most active in the low light around sunrise and sunset, rather than during full daylight or overnight. A squirrel that's spent the night resting in a loft nest will typically become active as it starts to get light, moving around, foraging, and often leaving the roof space for the day shortly after — which is exactly the pattern of noise many Windsor residents describe: a burst of activity early morning, then quiet again once the squirrel has left for the day.
Telling squirrel noise apart from other pests
- Squirrels — active at dawn and dusk, noise often includes distinct scampering or running along joists, and can sound surprisingly heavy for the animal's size
- Rats and mice — more active overnight, with lighter, more continuous scratching and gnawing sounds
- Birds — active during full daylight hours, with softer rustling and occasional calling rather than running or thumping
- Bats — active at dusk as they leave to feed, but produce very little audible noise beyond faint scratching near entry points
Why the timing is a useful clue, not a diagnosis
Noise timing narrows things down but doesn't confirm what's in the loft — a definitive answer needs an inspection, since squirrel and rat activity can occasionally overlap in timing, and more than one type of animal can be present in the same roof space at once, particularly in an older Windsor property with several possible entry points.
If early morning noise in your loft has become a regular occurrence, it's worth having it checked rather than waiting to see if it stops on its own — squirrel activity tends to increase over time as gnawing widens entry points and nesting material builds up. Pest Services Berkshire carries out loft inspections across Windsor to confirm exactly what's causing the noise and how best to deal with it.
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