Foxes, Squirrels & Other Mammals

Fox Control

Foxes can be found in urban and suburban areas across Britain, though the densities of their population in specific locations will alternate depending on available resources within their habitat. They tend to be highly active at night, as the presence of people and other potential threats are lower. Day activity can occur on occasions, though they usually conceal themselves within their dens or amongst vegetation until night falls.

On the lower scale of being a pest, foxes are considered to be a nuisance pest, disrupting/damaging earth and soil beds to make dens while also fouling, wailing, destroying vegetation, and disrupting refuse sacks.

On the larger scale, they are associated with parasitic diseases, including mange, roundworm, and others which can be fatal to humans and other animals if left untreated. They may also pose a physical threat if a vixen (female fox) feels its cubs are in danger, meaning their prevention or eradication is of a high priority.

Personal Preventative Measures

A fox infestation can be frustrating to control due to their persistent presence, which can result in damage, disease, and physical harm. Unless foxes are drawn to your premises for apparent reasons, self-prevention can be challenging, and the best course of action would be to contact Steel Guard Pest Control to take advantage of our fox removal service.

Alternatively, several preventative measures can be carried out by occupants to reduce their activity, such as:

  • Avoid feeding wildlife or pets within the external areas of your premises, as both offer a food source which can encourage foxes to take up residence.
  • Ensure waste management is carried out effectively, keeping all waste secured and that your external grounds are kept free of any food waste.
  • Keep external grounds neat and tidy (i.e. no significant areas of loose soils are slabbed over, uprooted tree stumps are removed, subsidence with large holes levelled off and filled in, damaged fences are repaired etc.). Proofing work is key. 
  • Instal an underground parameter (approximately two- to three-foot deep) made of wire mesh with openings of three inches or less around your pasture or garden area to prevent the possibility of burrowing/tunnelling.
  • Audio/Frequency repellers are also an option as a deterrent, though their effectiveness depends on the quality and capability of the products.

Squirrel Control

Grey squirrels are classified as rodents and mainly reside in woodlands, though they are found in or near copses and hedgerows. Within an urban environment, they commonly live in parks, gardens, or anywhere there may be trees with an abundant food source. They are a pest due to their frequent intrusions to properties with chimneys, loft spaces, or cavities with the intentions of breeding and rearing their young if not to hibernate over winter periods becoming active once it passes.

While in premises, they disrupt occupants with excessive rampant activity and are capable of causing severe damage to both internal and external structural materials. They are capable of birthing a medium-sized litter in just six to seven weeks, resulting in excessively disruptive behaviour. They are also carriers of fleas and ticks, which themselves are capable of transmitting disease. They are also likely to cause dangerous amounts of damage to building materials, and could potentially cause house fires due to cable gnawing.

Personal Preventative Measures

A squirrel infestation can leave occupants frustrated, as their activity can be loud and continuous, as they manoeuvre in walls or loft cavities, and even more so if a squirrel dies within a hole, causing a horrendous smell. There are a range of preventative measures that can reduce their activity, if not prevent them from entering your external surroundings. These include:

  • Ensure to remove fruits, acorns, pine cones, conkers, or anything that has fallen from surrounding trees which squirrels may find edible.
  • Do not feed any wildlife within the external surroundings of your premise. 
  • Remove bird feeders or birdbaths, as these encourage a squirrel presence.
  • An external inspection should be made regularly, and any property damage, holes/gaps and missing/damaged drainage materials should be repaired or replaced immediately to secure possible ingress points.

If their presence persists, or squirrels manage to gain access to your premises, and the following steps have been taken, immediately contact Steel Guard Pest Control. Our professional team will carry out a safe, effective squirrel pest control service.

Mole Control

Moles are abundant throughout Britain, though they are commonly found in domestic or commercial rural environments and occasionally grassed suburban settings. They can be found wherever the soil is suitable for borrowing tunnels, which includes several grassland areas owned by people or business, and predominantly feed on earthworms and other earth-related insects.

Moles are considered a pest due to the damage they cause to occupant-owned grasslands, destroying pastures and lawns considered to be the pride and joy of your home due to their traversing.

The soils/earth they manoeuver through can also contaminate livestock feed, resulting in fatalities of livestock and third-party contamination to humans. Their presence can also result in damage to equipment and significant financial loss if you depend on the grassland or livestock to generate income.

Given their destructive behaviour, moles are a severe threat to fields and gardens and need to be dealt with immediately before considerable damage, and financial loss occurs.

Personal Preventative Measures

A mole infestation can be tough to deal with yourself due to their ability to borrow and tunnel beneath the ground. Unfortunately, moles are a unique pest in terms of habitual behaviour, and the likeliness of self-resolve is pretty low, which means the best course of action would be to contact Steel Guard Pest Control for a survey and preventative programme.

Alternatively, there is a preventative measure that can help you get rid of ground moles and reduce their activity:

  • Instal an underground parameter (approximately two- to three-foot deep) made of wire mesh with openings of one inch or less around your pasture or garden area to prevent the possibility of burrowing/tunnelling.

Our Fox, Squirrel, and Mole Control Services

Steel Guard Pest Control are experts in land inspection, fox control, squirrel control, and mole control, trapping treatments, prevention methods and techniques. We can also provide specialist advice and recommendations to prevent a recurring infestation. We aim to resolve infestations as swiftly and efficiently as possible.