Allotments 4 All

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?

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 â€" but have had no reply since.

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  ???

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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.

 ;D Bring back the "Reds" ;D

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?

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

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

Ours is certainly an intellegent blighter. Not content with picking the peanuts out of the feeder like the birds do, hes started nawing at the botton of the feeder. In the hope no doubt of breaking the bottom off and emptying the nuts onto the ground!

Did anyone see in the national newspapers yesterday of the squirrel that managed to penetrate a so-called squirrel proof feeder, then ate so much it couldnt get out again?

It had to be sedated and cut out. Only to be released to cause more havoc later on no doubt!  ::)

The other day, REDCLANGER wrote:

QuoteWhat happened to the theory of distributing food laced with hormones ("immunocontraception")

The plan has apparently been shelved for the present. More info from:

http://www.charteredforesters.org/news_archive2002/news_nov.html  ... which says:

QuoteResearch into the feasibility of using contraception to control the impact of grey squirrels is to be discontinued after trials in the wild proved inconclusive, the Forestry Commission and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) announced. …

a partial explanation followed:

“we would have to find a way of persuading enough squirrels to eat enough of the treated bait. When natural food is plentiful, it's difficult to interest them in artificial baits, and the hungriest time of year for them might not be the optimum time to treat them with a vaccine.”

Right, its going to have to be trap and chop their b*lls off then.   :-X

So we are agreed then. We HATE grey squirrels. However, how can we deter them from coming into our semi-detached suburban gardens, nicking our bird food and causing havoc to the metal feeders, the trees, and electrical cables.

Hmm interesting poll results. I'd expected something like the 14 who voted 'Hate the b****rs'. What surprises me more is that 4 of you actualy love them!

Now come on then. lets have some (sensible) ideas for detering them or getting them out the garden.

Cats!! My neighbours cat gets a sadistic pleasure out of chasing them and occasionally catching them, but then that takes us right back to "How do I keep cats off my garden" thread.... ::) ::) ::) Lottie  ;D

I hate them. They ruin my garden by digging up freshly planted plants in the front border, and that's the only part that my disabled mum can really cope with doing, and so gets upset that her flowers are ruined.   :'(

They eat holes in the feeders and break them, ruin the trees, eat food put out for the birds and have nibbled holes in several bins and containers and also one of those big plastic storage sheds!  >:(

My elderly whippet bit the tail off one a while back, and that's either died or been deterred, but from having one visiting 4 years ago we now have around a dozen of the pests.


Interesting point, it's actually illegal (as far as I'm aware) to release a grey squirrel once captured so I think the twit who released the one back into the wild after it got trapped should be prosecuted!  8)

Maybe this should be cross referenced to the recipe page but there is a very enterprising pub in the New Forest that features  "Tree Rabbit" on their menu.  It is really delicious and it doesn't "taste like chicken".
In the Southern USA, Squirrel is a very popular dish but on the other hand, they do eat something called Grits which resembles lumpy wall paper paste but not as tasty ;D

Quote from: undercarriage plan on August 15, 2005, 08:34:13
Cats!! My neighbours cat gets a sadistic pleasure out of chasing them and occasionally catching them, but then that takes us right back to "How do I keep cats off my garden" thread.... ::) ::) ::) Lottie  ;D

Simple: get one of your own. It will keep other cats at bay and (hopefully) chase the tree rats (sorry grey squirels!) away as well.

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I have a cat, GC, well, I call him a cat very loosely, think it thinks it's 5th child!! Scared of all other cats, scared of squirrels, drinks from the toilet  ::) ::) ::) and has never caught a mouse in it's life!!! Lottie  ;D

Grey squirrels have been eradicated on Anglesey, specifically the Newborough Warren Forest (Forestry Commission) where red squirrels have been re-introduced.
Hurray I say and praise to whoever did it.

Can whoever did it do it everywhere else as well please?

There's a great website at:

http://www.redsquirrels.info/toughnuttocrack.html

This gives a lot of info about the red versus grey squirrel in Britain (including the case of Anglesey). It does seem though that even the Red Squirrel has been blamed for killing trees in the past, and was apparently culled in certain parts of the country as far back as the 1890s. I'll still settle for having the indigenous red back than the grey all the same.

I can't see that the grey squirrel has any part to play in this country and I deal with them accordingly. ::)

I have to agree - even as a militant vegetarian and animal libber I reserve judgement on non-native animals that are invasive and harm our native flora or fauna.  These have to be dealt with as humanely as possible but eradication has to be the priority.  I do not include rabbits or hares in this as they have been here far too long and I now regard them as native.  Luckily, otters seem to be dealing with mink.

I also believe that every rhodedendrum and pointy tall light blocking conifers (for the life of me cannot remember what they are called at the moment) should be ripped up and burned without mercy.  I am strong believer in immigration but not of plants and animals when I turn into a bit of a fascist  ;D

Redclanger said:

QuoteI also believe that every ... pointy tall light blocking conifer (for the life of me cannot remember what they are called at the moment) should be ripped up and burned without mercy.

Do you mean the "Sitka Spruce". There are now millions of these trees throughout the country.

Meant leylandii but those too.  ;)

Rhododendron is not only no good for anything but on the few occasions when UK bees visit the flowers it produces poisonous honey. It's rare here - there have been odd cases of people being made ill - but it's well known in the Caucasus. Xenophon describes how an ancient Greek army on the retreat left poisonous honey out for the enemy, and it made them so ill they were able to get away safely.