Squirrels?

swanseamale47

swanseamale47

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wayne clarke
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Anybody know if theres a problem with grey squirrles? I've got trees in my garden and trees more or less all around me. They used to raid the bird feeders and I'd see them around all the time, now though I'm not seeing any. Haven't seen one for months, I know we lost a few trees in the big storm a little while ago, but theres loads left.
I was taking to a dog walker and see said the same thing.
 
Not seen anything, numbers are normal here (too many).
Depending on your location it may be that there's a group controlling their numbers.
 
Could be many things, maybe being controlled, as they are non native pests, could be disease or predation.

I'm not sure how far advanced it is by now but a few years ago, there were considerations to chemically neuter greys via feed. If this had been employed or not, I'm not sure and whether the effects of this are showing through yet, I don't know.
 
@swanseamale47 if you're still in the Swansea area, I see up to four squirrels a day in my garden, I find them annoying recking my bird feeders. I back onto woodland here in Parc-Gwern- Fadog.
 
Definitely fewer squirrels around our area.

We live close to a significant stand of trees along the nearby road and many of the squirrel visitors used to come from that direction.

Bird numbers too have declined (both numbers & species) over the past 5-6 years. :(
 
It could be that recently in your area, there is groups taxed with controlling grey squirrels, trying to re-establish reds and grow their numbers.
It has been happening in my area with great success, the red population is thriving and spreading further a field.
 
Some interesting replies. I hadn't thought of them being pests, so the council or whoever could be cutting numbers back (there were a lot) Be nice to see a red squirrel, never seen one around here.
Thanks everybody (y)
 
swanseamale47 said:
Some interesting replies. I hadn't thought of them being pests, so the council or whoever could be cutting numbers back (there were a lot) Be nice to see a red squirrel, never seen one around here.
Thanks everybody (y)
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It is interesting that some wildlife are cute, some are pests !
As for my garden I have wanted to re turf, however those naughty squirrels after a while will dig davit, holes burying their winter food.
So why bother, because if I did I could then consider squirrels pest just because I want a lovely lawn !
 
Tysonator said:
It is interesting that some wildlife are cute, some are pests !
As for my garden I have wanted to re turf, however those naughty squirrels after a while will dig davit, holes burying their winter food.
So why bother, because if I did I could then consider squirrels pest just because I want a lovely lawn !
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Greys are non native, reds are native. Greys have affected red numbers very significantly over the years, wiping them out in many areas, mainly through disease (squirrel pox), competition for habitat/ food etc.

Out of interest, it is illegal to release a trapped grey into the wild.

Reds do indeed rule.

:)
 
A mate of mine does some control work and leaves the carcases for the foxes having removed the "acute poison". There are some mustelids on the same site so he can't use traps since they'd catch the natives too!
 
Nod said:
A mate of mine does some control work and leaves the carcases for the foxes having removed the "acute poison". There are some mustelids on the same site so he can't use traps since they'd catch the natives too!
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I have a friend that does control work and they're only allowed to live capture, identify and then despatch them. They can't use poison, neutering or air rifles.
It's incredibly time consuming, checking live traps daily, but it's working.
 
I know there was some research / talk that pine martins would go after grey squirrels, but not reds. Maybe, it's been a good year for pine martins in the area.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Anybody know if theres a problem with grey squirrles? I've got trees in my garden and trees more or less all around me. They used to raid the bird feeders and I'd see them around all the time, now though I'm not seeing any. Haven't seen one for months, I know we lost a few trees in the big storm a little while ago, but theres loads left.
I was taking to a dog walker and see said the same thing.
Click to expand...
Still too many of them, the fewer greys the better.
 
swanseamale47 said:
Anybody know if theres a problem with grey squirrles? I've got trees in my garden and trees more or less all around me. They used to raid the bird feeders and I'd see them around all the time, now though I'm not seeing any. Haven't seen one for months, I know we lost a few trees in the big storm a little while ago, but theres loads left.
I was taking to a dog walker and see said the same thing.
Click to expand...
Sorry to say this but I couldn't care less about the American Grey Squirrel that's wiping out our native Reds. I wish the government and every nature body in the UK would do more to say we can hunt and eat them. So we can try and control the population and have the Reds a fighting chance (obviously getting rid/burning the ones that are infected).
 
Being cute and a pest are not mutually exclusive.

The fewer grey squirrels we have in the country the better....they aggressively out compete our native reds.
 
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