FabSwingers.com forum: Grey squirrel pest

By *oo hot OP Couple
over a year ago

North West

Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yes shoot the little bastards dead.!!

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By *iamondsmiles.Woman
over a year ago

little house on the praire

Call the police

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By *andy_tomMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

Send it my way and i will add it to the other 157 little pests that have been disposed of .

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By *oo hot OP Couple
over a year ago

North West

"Call the police

Maybe the OP on the other thread got enough stick about that

Just saying be careful if you get a trap, there is nothing worse than finding a strangled hedgehog in it.

A good air rifle sorts out the squirrel pest. I shot more than 50 in the summer of 2011 after I found two of them in the kitchen. There are still a few around, but no longer the plague it once was.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin."

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

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By *andy_tomMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

I shoot on a permission , and in the last 2 years have disposed of 157 , in a small wood ,

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By *oo hot OP Couple
over a year ago

North West

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else."

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

Grey squirrels are at least partially responsible for the decimation of hedgerow nesting birdlife in this country. Squirrels eat the eggs of the Thrush species and the observant amongst us will have noticed that Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush have almost disappeared from our gardens.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else."

Grey squirrels aren't part of British nature though they're a vermin brought here that has done damage to our own natural animals.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Often see Grey Squirrels about in my garden. Can't say they have ever caused me beef and if I accidently caught one somehow I would not be able to kill it. I just couldn't do it. Shame as the nesting birds in the bordering hedgerows of the garden have enough problems with a dick of a magpie who comes along and robs the nests.

I got an expensive air rifle with the sole purpose of shooting it but could not do it in the end.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

So, my paintball gun would be ineffective?

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By *ricerMan
over a year ago

Stockton-on-Tees

Squirrel poo stinks - it smells like babe sick!! Used to get dripped on by squirrel poo when it rained when I lived in Doncaster!! Not a nice experience, though I wouldn't shoot or kill them either!!

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By *bbandflowCouple
over a year ago

South Devon

What I find baffling about the Squirrel threads is the demonising.

That they can marginally impinge on our environment is well documented, and I have no problem with the fact that they should be dealt with accordingly.

It's the notion they are somehow deliberately waging a destructive war against humans with malice and hate.

They are animals simply trying to survive, and do so by whatever means they can like any other wild animal

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"What I find baffling about the Squirrel threads is the demonising.

That they can marginally impinge on our environment is well documented, and I have no problem with the fact that they should be dealt with accordingly.

It's the notion they are somehow deliberately waging a destructive war against humans with malice and hate.

They are animals simply trying to survive, and do so by whatever means they can like any other wild animal

The red ones are tiny and cute though.

Oh btw Google "black squirrel eat dog"

New mutation of grey squirrels is vastly more aggressive and spreading across eastern Europe and has been seen in the south east.

Gotta hand it to a pack of squirrels that csn bring down a dog though.

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By *bbandflowCouple
over a year ago

South Devon

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I suggest you go to the RSPB site and read their take on the decline of Thrush numbers

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By *oo hot OP Couple
over a year ago

North West

"What I find baffling about the Squirrel threads is the demonising.

That they can marginally impinge on our environment is well documented, and I have no problem with the fact that they should be dealt with accordingly.

It's the notion they are somehow deliberately waging a destructive war against humans with malice and hate.

They are animals simply trying to survive, and do so by whatever means they can like any other wild animal

No animal wages a conscious war against humans but occasionally we do have to intervene to protect other species.

The native red squirrel has all but died out across most of the UK as it is vulnerable to squirrel pox. This disease is carried by the grey squirrel and the grey squirrel is immune to it.

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By *randmrsminxyCouple
over a year ago

Gloucester

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else."

Ah interesting , would not bother with the cage around the feeder as soon you wont have any birds to feed . Squirrels love to eat the chicks or destroy the nest as they see them at competition for food . Lets remember they are not native to uk but from Canada and put here by us .

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

Human beings have caused more damage to the world than any other species, we have wiped out many other species and dozens of others are at the brink of extinction at our hands

Just a though

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By *bbandflowCouple
over a year ago

South Devon

"What I find baffling about the Squirrel threads is the demonising.

That they can marginally impinge on our environment is well documented, and I have no problem with the fact that they should be dealt with accordingly.

It's the notion they are somehow deliberately waging a destructive war against humans with malice and hate.

They are animals simply trying to survive, and do so by whatever means they can like any other wild animal

No animal wages a conscious war against humans but occasionally we do have to intervene to protect other species.

The native red squirrel has all but died out across most of the UK as it is vulnerable to squirrel pox. This disease is carried by the grey squirrel and the grey squirrel is immune to it."

Don't have a problem with that, my point being is the perception of Grey's as somehow deliberately causing pox amongst the Red Squirrel population. Let's hope the reds can develop immunity before their population drops below a tipping point.

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By *riskynriskyCouple
over a year ago

Essex.

At our children's school one child has been bite by a squirrel and our daughter was harassed by one in the woods.

She had been feeding them, when she ran out of food we started to walk away. The biggest ran in front of her so she stopped. It then walked up to her. It stopped with its front paws on her shoe.

She moved so it backed off. It then ran a few feet stopped in front of her and approached again. It did this three or 4 times before giving up...

That was a few years ago. Now we don't feed them and would happily shoot the ones that strip the nuts off our walnut tree. Unfortunately they use the top of the fence to get to and from the tree...

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By *oo hot OP Couple
over a year ago

North West

from wildlife dot co dot uk

"As an invasive species these squirrels, although cute and cuddly, are causing many problems to other animals, trees, birds and humans! The three greatest impacts of the grey squirrel to UK wildlife are to native red squirrels, trees, and many of our woodland birds.

Grey squirrels seem much stronger and more adaptable than our native red squirrels and have taken over many of its former territories. This is partly because grey squirrels carry the squirrelpox virus, to which they are immune, but which affects red squirrels. Also, their larger size makes them the obvious winners in any physical confrontation with red squirrels.

Foresters, gamekeepers, park keepers and many conservationists regard grey squirrels as pests, mainly because they damage trees. Young saplings (sometimes rare species) are destroyed and they gnaw the bark of hardwood trees, such as beech and sycamore, to get at the nutritious sapwood below. The raw scar left on the trunk encourages fungal attack and may lead to distorted growth.

There is growing evidence that grey squirrels are effecting native woodland bird populations. It is thought that these foreigners are affecting birds in three ways. Firstly by eating eggs and baby birds from the open nests of birds such as thrushes and finches and discouraging birds from using nest boxes. Secondly, squirrels use ideal nesting spots that would usually be occupied by birds such as the tawny owl, kestrel, jackdaw, stock dove and starling. In some areas it has been reported that squirrels can halt the breeding of tawny owls altogether by taking up these useful nesting sites. Thirdly, they eat the same food! Squirrels have been seen taking a bird's store of winter foods and their diet means that they are in direct competition with other birds such as the nuthatch, hawfinch and bullfinch."

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Just be careful when using an air weapon as you aren't allowed to shoot beyond your boundaries or in a public place. It has to be within your garden perimeter or on private land with the owners permission.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"So, my paintball gun would be ineffective?"

Not unless you want blue/green squirrels

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By *illwill69uMan
over a year ago

moston

Do squirrels make as good eating as rabbits?

If so I will add them to my list of targets...

Wood pigeon tastes mighty fine!

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By *andy_tomMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

People do eat them , i just dispose of the little bxxxards.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

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By *bbandflowCouple
over a year ago

South Devon

"from wildlife dot co dot uk

It would be ridiculous to say they have no impact on flora and fauna, but as I have posted, the RSPB identifies far more major causes for the decline in some bird species that the advent of the grey squirrel.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Live and let live I say !!! Vote ukip and save the squirrel

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

Who are we?

We are currently the dominant species on the planet, numero uno, top of the food chain...

We are God's.

Mhwahaha Mhwahaha Mhwahaha

That's until the cat's rise up and take over.

Like judgment day in the terminator movies.

But with fluffy kittens and catnip.

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By *andy_tomMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

I have seen them fetching young chicks out of the nests as well as steel there eggs , so there on my hit list ,

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By *L RogueMan
over a year ago

London

Loving all this squirrel hating when humans are nature's number one enemy worldwide.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

Who are we?

We are currently the dominant species on the planet, numero uno, top of the food chain...

We are God's.

Mhwahaha Mhwahaha Mhwahaha

That's until the cat's rise up and take over.

Like judgment day in the terminator movies.

But with fluffy kittens and catnip. "

Haha I think my cats already started the take over

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By *riskynriskyCouple
over a year ago

Essex.

Apparently squirrels make good eating but hard to skin...

Someone said we shouldn't interfere with nature. It's a bit late for that. Rabbits and squirrels are invasive species introduced into this country by humans...

We should add cats to the invasive species list...

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

We're the ones who brought them here?

And given how limited we've made certain eco systems now we have to be incredibly careful what we bring where now as a new species can decimate areas

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"At our children's school one child has been bite by a squirrel and our daughter was harassed by one in the woods.

She had been feeding them, when she ran out of food we started to walk away. The biggest ran in front of her so she stopped. It then walked up to her. It stopped with its front paws on her shoe.

She moved so it backed off. It then ran a few feet stopped in front of her and approached again. It did this three or 4 times before giving up...

That was a few years ago. Now we don't feed them and would happily shoot the ones that strip the nuts off our walnut tree. Unfortunately they use the top of the fence to get to and from the tree..."

Dont get it! You feed a wild animal and when you run out of food you are surprised when it wants more and follows you. Does that mean after feeding the ducks in the park we should kill them as they quite often honk and follow us for more. I can see the checklist for the park now. Bread, football, picnic and baseball bat to whack the ducks and geese with when we are done.

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By *andy_tomMan
over a year ago

wolverhampton

That will be sunday dinner sorted ,

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I wasnt aware we brought them here. Still an organised removal if possible is better than us shooting the poor buggers with air rifles.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Yes I agree the grey squirrel should be dealt with accordingly but the trouble is there are that many of them that Their numbers are above what they should Be, their breeding success soon Over whelmed the red squirrel,before the First world war the magpie was not as Common as it is today and back to the Edwardian and victorian days it was even Less so, but after the first world war Many game keepers that had Signed up to go for battle never returned because they were killed in Action, and private estates where Once Magpie numbers were culled were not in The same numbers, by the second world War their numbers had grown, you can Perhaps say that about the crow too Which around 13 years ago had our only Garden nesting song thrush`s eggs in 35 years of liveing here.

So both species numbers peaked and the Overspill came into suburbia Where you Can often see crows nesting either in Tall trees or even smaller ones in peoples gardens and along with the Magpie they are a formidable pair but Both hate one anothers guts because of Competition but the magpie is a little More dareing than the crow and will often nest more close to propertys Which we have now in a large holly tree which nests there regularly about every other year we had crows once too And they reared two young ones, they once had the magpies eggs as they went Into their nest the magpies went mad some years back now, won,t be long before some fledgeling magpies are out Screeching their heads off (much prefer robins and hedge sparrows) and The like, unfortuneately blackbirds stand out like sore thumbs to predators from egg stage to squeaking Chick stage in the nest, so along with Cats and squirrels the stage is set For a tense time has it is every year, But through all this luckily "here" bird numbers have been pretty staple, Even had a pair of goldfinchs breed in the garden rearing one youngster most certainly there were others but tragically lost I expect,but luckily we don,t get the squirrels we did because of house,s being built close by, but more cats now unfortuneately, which also like my flower beds..

I won,t mention sparrowhawks because we don,t get many of them Fortuneately.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I wasnt aware we brought them here. Still an organised removal if possible is better than us shooting the poor buggers with air rifles."

That's how humans deal with everything though, we can't even Co exist with each other so a squirrel has no chance

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By *randmrsminxyCouple
over a year ago

Gloucester

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

"
now that's a interesting argument , so I take it your not worried about the starving millions in third world countries ,the change that nature is making to us . as you say let nature take it course .

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By *ath_Neil_bifunCouple
over a year ago

near cardiff

"from wildlife dot co dot uk

And despite all that they do fuck all damage compared to a new housing estate, both as it's built and after it has been inhabited by people.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"from wildlife dot co dot uk

And despite all that they do fuck all damage compared to a new housing estate, both as it's built and after it has been inhabited by people. "

But we're human we're allowed to rape the world of it's natural resources

do you know nothing of pecking order

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I wasnt aware we brought them here. Still an organised removal if possible is better than us shooting the poor buggers with air rifles."

Removal where?

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By *ouple in LancashireCouple
over a year ago

in Lancashire

Grey squirrels are at least partially responsible for the decimation of hedgerow nesting birdlife in this country. "

As is the domestic cat..

agree with not hurting hedgehogs..

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I wasnt aware we brought them here. Still an organised removal if possible is better than us shooting the poor buggers with air rifles.

Removal where?

Transportation to Australia!!!! That will teach them!

How can you organise a removal of a species that lives in trees and is nationwide thriving?

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

now that's a interesting argument , so I take it your not worried about the starving millions in third world countries ,the change that nature is making to us . as you say let nature take it course ."

We as a species should look after ourselves. Clearly my point was allowing nutters to shoot willy nilly at squirrels is not the right way of going about it.

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By *izzy RascallMan
over a year ago

Cardiff

"Following on from the "gun" thread.

If you are plagued by grey squirrels and considering buying a squirrel trap. Please don't leave the trap out at night as you may also trap hedgehogs.

A UK legal airgun with a heavy pellet is the best weapon to use against this vermin.

How about we try and live *with* nature rather than against it?

Put a cage around your bird feeders and they'll soon bugger off out of your garden to somewhere else.

Grey squirrels are a pest, recognised vermin. If you even inadvertandly catch one, you are supposed to kill it. It is illegal to release grey squirrels into the wild.

I couldn't give a flying fuck. As wasp said let nature take its course. Who are we to decide what species should thrive or not?

now that's a interesting argument , so I take it your not worried about the starving millions in third world countries ,the change that nature is making to us . as you say let nature take it course .

We as a species should look after ourselves. Clearly my point was allowing nutters to shoot willy nilly at squirrels is not the right way of going about it."

Id use pellets not dildo's

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Read cull into organised removal. Basically do the job properly instead of allowing rednecks to do their thing.