Topic: Grey Squirrels

[Garden Manager]

I have one thats started visiting my garden and raiding the bird feeders. I tollerate this since they are not that common around our way.

But what are YOUR veiws on grey squirrels?

[Rosa_Mundi]

Unprintable. There are a lot here. Party tricks include chewing through cables in attic space, pulling out insulation and killing large sections of mature oak trees.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Nothing but tree rats. I used to live on the Cornish moors, where we had a few living on the ground just like rats.

[kelso]

Only good one's a dead one! >:(

[Icyberjunkie]

If no others then I don't mind them,  if kicking out native red squirrels then shoot them!!

[kelso]

Anybody convince me why we want them or need them and I won't kill another one. >:(

[Garden Manager]

Hmm - Interesting response. Out of 14 voters (not including mine) only 5 have replied (the rest i presume prefer to remain 'anon' - fair enough).

Like i said before we have few around here so the one visitor is, if not exacly welcome, then simply appreciated as adding variety.  Watching the acrobatics as it climbs onto the bird feeders (hung from hanging basket brackets attached to tree trunks), is entertainment in itself.

Mind you I dont think the local bird population would agree with me. Some brave souls stick around when 'Squizz' is about, but most keep their distance. Though some were observed following the squirrel through the trees at the back of our estate, as if they hoped he would lead them to food maybe.

I dont particularly begrudge the squirrel the food. what he has is nothing to the quantities the sparrows and starlings are getting through at the moment. :o

[wardy]

I have a great big fat squirrel who seems to be constantly in my garden but he does only eat off the bird table but something has been at the bark of my massive old pear tree.  I thought it was a woodpecker but that appears very rarely so I think it must be the squirrel.  I tolerate it as I do most creatures but I can understand people having strong feelings about them as regards the indigenous red squirrel population which is in serious decline as a result of the rise and rise of the grey variety

[Wickham]

The subject of Grey Squirrels is a rather sensitive one around our way. This spring squirrels began to nest in our kitchen roof, making a hell of a noise running around and pulling out sizeable tufts of loft insulation through holes they gnawed in the roof felt. I ended up netting over a sizeable area of the roof with chicken wire, which seems to have kept them out so far.

Friends of ours say that on their allotment G.Squirrels have taken to raiding their strawberry patch. This seems a “learned” technique, as they haven’t done this on ours yet.

On the last nights’ TV news was a report on G.Squirrels damaging huge quantities of trees in the Forest of Dean. Not mentioned was a less recent report I heard that the Forestry Commision were set to reintroduce Pine Martens to their woods, which I assume would be just the very predator needed to keep the squirrel numbers down. I emailed the Beeb for comments – but have had no reply since.

[wardy]

That's what I thought - no predators these days.  Why did the pine marten decline?  Anyway if they are back of the up, as I understand they are, then the grey could decline in numbers.  However, they'd kill the red ones too wouldn't they  ???

[Robert_Brenchley]

They were almost shot and trapped to extinction by gamekeepers, but they're managing a bit of a comeback now. You can't really tell how they'll affect the other wildlife till they do come back; I don't think anyone predicted that otters would kill off the mink and allow water voles to make a comeback alongside them.

[redimp]

Places where you still find pine martens are also the places where you still find red squirrels so presumably those two coexist happily.  Hopefully, the martens will find grey squirrels very tasty and will eat them all allowing the less tasty red to return.  ;D

[Wickham]

I’ve been doing some “googling” about pine martens & the G.Squirrel problem and have found that this issue is not a very simple one. I also emailed the F.Commision through their website and received a speedy reply. Below are quotes given me in the email from the F.Com’s Dean Office taken from their scientific research team:

“In general predators are not effective at 'controlling' prey species  numbers - rather the size of the predator’s population fluctuates in response to changes in their prey which are generally driven by habitat quality changes.” ...... “Gurnell has demonstrated that changes in population sizes of squirrels are driven by changes in tree seed availability - so I would expect any pine marten numbers to change relative to availability of squirrel and other prey species (also possibly woodland birds?).”

Scientific jargon can be heavy going at times, but this sounds like believing (as I did yesterday) that more predators would mop up too many squirrels was a little naive! Besides this, the Forest of Dean apparently has no plans to re-introduce Pine Martens to their woods as I'd heard. Indeed, the idea of re-introducing semi-extinct species (particularly predators) remains a very sensitive subject amongst the public, as does the suggestion that there are too many grey squirrels in the country which need severe control!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I think you'll find that most predators are well capable of spreading under their own steam. When I was a kid, otters were near-extinct across large parts of trhe country, they've now made a strong comeback and have been found within Birmingham. Buzzards were rare outside highland areas, and are now our commonest bird of prey. Red kites, ospreys and goshawks are now scarce but not rare. And so on. Give them the right conditions, they'll come back.

[dotCompost]

the blighter keeps nicking the fat balls I put out for the sparras  >:( >:( >:(

[ipt8]

I say preserve wildlife - pickle a squirrel.
I should say I am a Forester and we have thousands and thousands of damaged beech and other species of trees, many of the beech are 30 years old, have been ring barked at various heights by the squirrels and died.

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;D Bring back the "Reds" ;D

[Wickham]

I’ve researched a bit more about the “grey squirrel problem”.

Their introduction to Britain has led to the demise of the red squirrel, which some say could be extinct altogether from this country within 10-15 years. In areas such as the Forest of Dean, the greys have reached large population levels and ring-bark large numbers of broad leaved trees as already mentioned. This not only kills many of the trees but also reduces the profitability and incentive for bothering to re-plant broad-leaf saplings as replacements, and so threatens the future existence of having broad leaf woodlands at all. The grey also attack many nesting birds in woodland areas.

The grey squirrel then really does seem to present a serious problem. It seems it will be impossible to eradicate them from the country completely, and even controlling their numbers is difficult. Government controlled trapping & poisoning (with Warfarin) seems most effective, but there are many restrictions in using these methods. The Forestry Commission also fear resistance from the public who are generally perceived as liking them: “Many people enjoy the grey squirrel as a regular and approachable resident of our woodlands, parks and gardens”.

So, if I’ve got the facts in correct proportion - things about the grey are a little worrying: immanent extinction of the red squirrel & less broadleaf woodlands for future generations.  Is this all doom & gloom?

[redimp]

What happened to the theory of distributing food laced with hormones so that they would carry on living but breeding levels fall to unsustainable.

[undercarriage plan]

I know this will come as no surprise, but I had a very cross squirrel in the garden a few years back, I'm no woos (?), apart from spiders, swans and nail brushes, but the d**n thing chased me into the house, and there I stayed til it moved off!!! Still haven't had an apology, and am dab hand with 4 bore, but not allowed one for some strange reason...Lottie ;D