Two very different pests are on the move across Radcliffe on Trent, Cotgrave, Keyworth, Bingham and Whatton this October, and both are easiest to deal with if you catch them early. Moles are pushing fresh earth up through lawns, greens and farmland edges, while grey squirrels are starting to look for somewhere warm and dry to spend the winter – and a loft void is exactly what they’re after.
Molehills: why they’re appearing now
October is prime mole-activity season. As the ground cools and surface insects move deeper, moles tunnel harder and closer to the surface chasing earthworms, throwing up the tell-tale spoil heaps as they go. Around Radcliffe on Trent this shows up on the golf course and the riverside meadows near the Trent; in Cotgrave it’s the village green and the playing fields that take the brunt; Keyworth’s lawns and allotments see the same pattern. Out toward Bingham and Whatton, where gardens back onto open arable land and paddocks, mole runs often travel in from the field boundary and surface in a dead straight line across a lawn overnight.
A single mole can turn over a lawn in a matter of days, and because moles are territorial, one molehill-covered garden usually means one determined animal rather than an infestation. The frustrating part is that DIY traps and repellents sold online have a poor success rate – moles are wary, and a trap set incorrectly just gets avoided. Professional mole control uses humane trapping placed directly in the active tunnel system, which is far more reliable than anything bought off a shelf.
Squirrels: the loft risk builds through autumn
At the same time, grey squirrels are shifting their attention from gardens to roof spaces. Around Cotgrave and Keyworth, squirrels moving in from Rushcliffe Country Park and the surrounding hedgerows will test roofline gaps, loose ridge tiles and soffit joints as the weather turns – a single squirrel can force a gap as small as 4cm. Along the Trent at Radcliffe on Trent, mature riverside trees sit close to a lot of rooflines, giving squirrels an easy route up and across. In Bingham and Whatton, it’s often the older farmhouses and barn conversions near field boundaries and the Grantham Canal that see squirrels moving from hedgerow cover straight into roof voids once the leaves thin out.
Once inside, squirrels will chew joists, strip insulation back to nesting material, and gnaw cables – which is a genuine fire risk, not just a nuisance noise in the ceiling. Scratching or thumping sounds in the loft during the day (squirrels are active by daylight, unlike rats or mice) are usually the first sign. Because squirrels are strong and persistent, proofing has to be done properly: all potential entry points sealed with materials they can’t chew through, not just the one gap you can see from the ground.
What to do if you’re seeing either
For molehills, the sooner a professional looks at an active run, the better the chance of trapping the animal before it moves on to the next lawn or extends its territory. For squirrels, catching the problem at the scratching-noise stage – before nesting material and chewed cabling pile up – makes the job quicker and cheaper to put right, and avoids a far more disruptive repair later.
NestBusters covers Radcliffe on Trent, Cotgrave, Keyworth, Bingham, Whatton and the surrounding villages, and deals with both of these on a regular basis at this time of year. If you’ve spotted fresh molehills on your lawn or green, or you’ve heard movement in the loft during the day, get in touch and we’ll come and take a proper look before either problem gets bigger.
Call NestBusters on 0742 984 9483 or visit nottinghampest.co.uk to book an inspection.
