Kitchen Garden Forum

We seem to be having a sudden influx of grey squirrels or 'tree rats', presumably young families. I am the warden of our village nature reserve and am worried about the birds' nests. Also, some neighbours have had them coming into the house through open windows and I really think the time has come to take some action. Is it possible to remove grey squirrels humanely but for good? I understand that pest officers cannot act unless they are a nuisance in the house but I don't want to catch them and release them somewhere else because I don't want to foist them onto somebody else. Any solutions?

Hi Monika

Defra says trap and kill by shooting or dislocating their necks or by bashing them on the head.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/openg ... irrels.pdf

It is illegal to trap and release grey squirrels elsewhere - as is also the case with foxes. I wish I could catch our foxes and dispatch them - and I'll put up with our one squirrel.

Alan

If its allowed get yourself an air rifle,they taste good too when marinated in olive oil and thyme or done on the bbq coated with four seasons jamaican jerk sauce.

We have at least seven of them thundering around my garden; we've never had more than 3 before.

Do they steal chicken eggs as well as bird eggs? They've just cleaned out the blackbird's nest, again.

Many thanks for all your replies. I have looked at the Defra site and hope I can persuade somebody in the village to have a go in trapping and killing them. I don't really fancy the eating bit, though, darrenc!
I have once read that they do take chicken eggs but I have no experience of it.

Chantal wrote:We have at least seven of them thundering around my garden; we've never had more than 3 before.

Do they steal chicken eggs as well as bird eggs? They've just cleaned out the blackbird's nest, again.

My previous neighbour swore they took her hens' eggs. She said she'd seen them running along our fence on their hind legs with an egg in their front paws!

Monika

Traditional recipe for squirrels is Brunswick Stew:

http://southernfood.about.com/library/w ... 980111.htm


Alan

Hi Alan,
The local Butcher sells Squirrels and in this area one of the pubs has a Squirrel stew night as part of their calendar.
JB.

I think the early warm spring has meant that more youngsters have survived, and we've seen more of them in our garden too. I know that sooner or later the numbers will become a nuisance although they haven't reached that level for us yet. Can I please however, claim a culling exemption for Baldrick (our squirrel with a bald patch on his back) who comes and knocks on our patio window two or three times a day for his allocation of nuts in shell. He won't come in, even if the patio door is open, but just sits on the ledge and waits for me to hand them over. Thankfully none of his friends have adopted the same practice.

I am inundated with the varmints! Having bought 2 traps, I set them up as prescribed with bird food. The seeds disappeared but no squirrels in the cage. Then I put monkey nuts in, along with a trail to the trap, into the trap, below the trap, etc. Not only did the grey fur wonders remove all bait, they also moved one of the the traps to get to some nuts below ground!

I don't know what to do next. They have stripped all the new growth of spinach, carrots, parsnips and others, along with digging up Jerusalem Articokes - even those with a top growth of over 4 feet.

We've tried - and failed - to shoot them.

What about using rat poison?

I left a container of chicken feed in the garden on Friday, for collection by my neighbour. It was a heavy weight plastic container, with a lid that he struggled to remove it was so tight. You couldn't easily see the contents through the opaque plastic.

Within 10 minutes of me parking it by the gate, a squirrel had the top off and was sitting with his head inside the tub, scoffing as fast as his little jaws could move.

On the farm they are shot on sight,no "if`s or buts".
We find them devastating to wildbirds nests,and game bird nests.Since adopting this attitude the increase in gamebird survival,and much more wildlife about the farm and fields was abundantly clear.
Make "very,very,sure"a grey squirrel is DEAD,before you handle one,- they are extremely vicious if cornered,or handled.
If culling with an air rifle - only use head shots.
We use shotguns only on these.
Be determined or they "will" takeover,andyour wild bird population will be devastated.
Only Grey Squirrels can be shot,- never ever the native "red squirrel".
Regards.