Blasted squirrels

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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
Drowning is not allowed?

That's exactly what I was going to suggest, trap it then drop the trap in water butt or similar.
Don't be tempted to open the trap and try to grab though....although if you do make sure and get someone to film it
 

gonzo_the_great

Forager
Nov 17, 2014
210
70
Poole, Dorset. UK
It suggests that they should be shot with an air rifle or shotgun.
If you loosed off a shotgun in your back garden, the police would certainly be down on you.

RSPCA recommends taking it to a vet to have it put down, at a cost of £30!
How could anyone argue that the stress of doing that to a wild animal, was less than a quick drowning?!
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,976
7,755
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I guess the answer is, if you do not have a legally accepted way of killing them, don't trap them.
If you really want to do it get a small air pistol. You will have to hold it down (with very thick gardening gloves, they have a ferocious bite) to make sure it's a single clean shot to the head.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
I have squirrels getting into the loft at the moment, although i've sealed up the only entrance i could see. Crafty buggers are still getting in somehow.

I bought a trap similar to the below;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defenders-...&qid=1545212460&sr=8-3&keywords=squirrel+trap

Perhaps catch them then release a fair distance away?

I'm on number 4.


It might surprise you. They come back.

One of the neighbouring streets had a problem with a squirrel, and with squeamish home owners.
The same squirrel worked it's way along a row of bungalows, was trapped and released time after time, house by house, by 'demand' of the home owners. Until it entered the loft of a lady who grew up a farmer's daughter who plainly told the pest remover fellow to kill it.
End of.

They are clever, determined, and they are destructive little blighters, even if they are cute and fun to watch. Suburbia is a rich feeding ground for them.
Bit like rats really :sigh: and I'd happily quickly drown the occasional rat that tries to set up home in my compost bin instead of the slow poisoning with bait.

M
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
Good vegetarian here though.
Ah, I'm just vexed because I hoped the wee birds would find the strings interesting, and indeed where the squirrels dropped bits of the string and the popcorn broke, there are little birds busy gleaning.

It's the total destruction that the squirrels cause that really irks and frustrates though. A lot of my neighbours no longer feed the birds at all because of the voracious squirrels.
Usually I just try to make things awkward for them, but in this weather there's not much fun being out there rigging up obstacle courses.

M

Squirrels are vegetarian so doesn't that make them part of a vegetarian diet, or have I got it wrong?..
 

Wayland

Hárbarðr
It might surprise you. They come back.

One of the neighbouring streets had a problem with a squirrel, and with squeamish home owners.
The same squirrel worked it's way along a row of bungalows, was trapped and released time after time, house by house, by 'demand' of the home owners. Until it entered the loft of a lady who grew up a farmer's daughter who plainly told the pest remover fellow to kill it.
End of.

They are clever, determined, and they are destructive little blighters, even if they are cute and fun to watch. Suburbia is a rich feeding ground for them.
Bit like rats really :sigh: and I'd happily quickly drown the occasional rat that tries to set up home in my compost bin instead of the slow poisoning with bait.

M

As it's illegal to release an invasive species, doesn't that apply to grey squirrels as well?
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
What happened to the Grey Squirrel cull?

Works?

Our Green Iguana cull is progressing nicely. Estimated 15% of them are now in Iguana Nirvana, eating juicy flowers...
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,937
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Nope, as we said earlier it's still illegal. You just don't get punished if you don't get caught :)

I do take your point, but would add that if more folk would quietly just do away with pests like rats and greys then we might actually start to really whittle down their numbers.
Suburbia is mostly squeamish and of the opinion that all wildlife needs protecting.
 

sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
477
derbyshire
I guess the answer is, if you do not have a legally accepted way of killing them, don't trap them.
If you really want to do it get a small air pistol. You will have to hold it down (with very thick gardening gloves, they have a ferocious bite) to make sure it's a single clean shot to the head.

Shoot them while in the cage trap or Folks will be down A&E in droves with rabies and shot off finger tips lol
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,976
7,755
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I do take your point, but would add that if more folk would quietly just do away with pests like rats and greys then we might actually start to really whittle down their numbers.
Suburbia is mostly squeamish and of the opinion that all wildlife needs protecting.

I understand the sentiment but the studies that have been carried out have concluded that without a wholescale slaughter they just fill up the vacated space from the surrounding area. I have shot quite large numbers in the past; the year later the population is just the same. We will never get reds back here in our deciduous woodland so they fill a niche (and make a nice pie :) ).
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
7,976
7,755
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk
Nature's way.
A population can take some severe culling. There are exact optimal culling numbers for many species in various countries.

Optimum culling numbers for the species to survive healthy and long lives - all we are doing by 'culling' grey squirrels is making it less stressful for the ones left :)
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Nice to spend money on research. UKP 1.1 million..

Another way is to start killing them now.

They will never be eradicated, but with a severe ongoing cull the Reds can hopefully expand their areas/
 

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