Squirrels

Common Grey Squirrel (Scuirus carolinensis)

The grey or American squirrel is a major pest and is required to be controlled due to the risks of disease and damage to the fabric of the building.  West Lothian Council provide a trapping service for Grey Squirrels within houses as they can cause a lot of damage and may put the health of occupiers at risk.

Please note: that we will only carry out squirrel trapping within the loft / attic space of a domestic dwelling and not in outbuildings, open ground or gardens due to the danger of trapping other animals or birds. Requests relating to trapping squirrels in commercial / non-domestic buildings will be considered on a case by case basis and charged accordingly.

Red Squirrel (Scuirus vulgaris)

The red squirrel is native to the UK and is fully protracted under law and any queries about red squirrels should be addressed to Scottish Natural Heritage (opens new window).

Legal Status

The council does not have a legal duty to provide a pest control service to control grey squirrels.

What does it cost?

For a single/pair of squirrels the cost of one weeks trapping is currently £214.72 (Incl VAT) 

Legally, we will require to have access to your property at least once every day but preferably twice (AM and PM).  The traps have to be checked once and preferably twice a day legally.  This should be discussed with the pest control officer on their first visit.  We cannot leave traps set over the weekend for this reason.

Squirrel trapping for non-domestic premises will be charged at £71.94 (Excl VAT) per hour.

How quickly will we attend?

We aim to attend calls within 5 working days.  We set the traps on the following Monday morning to your call and therefore a weeks trapping will consist of visits throughout that week to check traps and dispose of any trapped animals.  The trap would then be removed on the afternoon of the Friday of the same week.  This would then constitute one weeks trapping.

Do I have to do anything before the officer comes out?

There is no preparatory work required by householders or tenants prior to the initial visit.

What are our working hours?

For squirrel treatments, the initial call will be early Monday am with revisits organised with yourself directly.  However, bear in mind, we are legally required to visit once per day (preferably twice)

How long does a treatment take?

Squirrels are normally trapped within the first week however, re-infestation or trap shyness may have an effect on the overall length of time it requires to remove the problem.

Do you carry out any works to stop future infestations?

Advice will be given as to access points and how to help reduce the probability of squirrels getting into your property in future.  The pest control officer who attends will be able to advise, and in some circumstances, seal the entry at an additional agreed cost.