Squirrels

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Discussion

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

190 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
Someone in my locality took to feeding squirrels last autumn. They have now made the whole area 'their manor'. They dug up and ate loads of bulbs during the winter; today I noticed that they have been digging up and eating bedding plants put in at the weekend (and having a go at more established plants too).

Short of a



which would mean I have to stay at home all day waiting for the critters, any more realistic ways of making my garden a less pleasant place for squirrels?

shirt

22,641 posts

202 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
V8mate said:
Someone in my locality took to feeding squirrels last autumn. They have now made the whole area 'their manor'. They dug up and ate loads of bulbs during the winter; today I noticed that they have been digging up and eating bedding plants put in at the weekend (and having a go at more established plants too).

Short of a



which would mean I have to stay at home all day waiting for the critters, any more realistic ways of making my garden a less pleasant place for squirrels?
leave em be! my parents have a trio living in the garden and its great just sitting watching them tit about and playfight. they dig up the occasional plant but mum doesn't care, she'd rather have the squirrels.

i love squirrels, they are my second favourite animals after sloths.


yup, been to the pub

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

190 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
shirt said:
V8mate said:
Someone in my locality took to feeding squirrels last autumn. They have now made the whole area 'their manor'. They dug up and ate loads of bulbs during the winter; today I noticed that they have been digging up and eating bedding plants put in at the weekend (and having a go at more established plants too).

Short of a



which would mean I have to stay at home all day waiting for the critters, any more realistic ways of making my garden a less pleasant place for squirrels?
leave em be! my parents have a trio living in the garden and its great just sitting watching them tit about and playfight. they dig up the occasional plant but mum doesn't care, she'd rather have the squirrels.

i love squirrels, they are my second favourite animals after sloths.


yup, been to the pub
Wrong answer. V8 calls gunsmith

mickk

28,933 posts

243 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
Leave em alone there friendly chaps.



Sam_68

9,939 posts

246 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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Air rifle.

I've got a constant running battle with the little bds, since I live in a thatched cottage (which squirrel nutkins seems to think is there to supply him with nesting material) and back onto several hundred acres of woodland.

I typically manage to terminate about half a dozen per weekend in the summer months.

V8mate

Original Poster:

45,899 posts

190 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
Sam_68 said:
Air rifle.

I've got a constant running battle with the little bds, since I live in a thatched cottage (which squirrel nutkins seems to think is there to supply him with nesting material) and back onto several hundred acres of woodland.

I typically manage to terminate about half a dozen per weekend in the summer months.
It did occur to me, but unfortunately my garden is bordered on every side by other people's properties and I couldn't guarantee that stray pellets wouldn't leave my borders.

I was wondering if there was some 'smell' that they didn't like; a bit like cats and pepper.

eldar

21,819 posts

197 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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mickk said:
Leave em alone there friendly chaps.


Reds are.

The grey ones are verminous and diseased little fkers. Round here we make a point of killing the little bds as quickly as possible to preserve the red ones which die as the greys appear.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

249 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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We feed the ones round here, we get practically no damage at all (an odd clump of grass lifted, that's all).

It would appear that if you feed them, they leave you alone, because the people across the road didn't, and got the family nesting in their roof. A new couple moved in, put up a feeder, Squirrels moved into the big tree at the bottom of the garden.

Simpo Two

85,618 posts

266 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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No squirrels in my area - but most people round here have cats so I guess they keep them away.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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mrs envy's cat and the squirrel that lives at the bottom of her garden have been at war for the last 18 months

you see the cat chasing the squirrel one morning and the next the squirrel is chasing the cat

cats are useless at this stuff

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
swerni said:
We also have rabbits which decimated all my sweet corn last year
they must have been nicely fed

did you have to buy bigger stock pots?

snowy slopes

38,842 posts

188 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
My folks have the occasional grey(and black for that matter) squirrel terrorise their garden. Me dad gets out the supersoaker and lets em have it, the little feckers! Squirrels are like the al-qeada of the animal world!

Davi

17,153 posts

221 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
quotequote all
snowy slopes said:
My folks have the occasional grey(and black for that matter) squirrel terrorise their garden. Me dad gets out the supersoaker and lets em have it, the little feckers! Squirrels are like the al-qeada of the animal world!
yes I've often seen one with Semtex strapped around it's chest running toward a large group of rabbits in the vegetable patch, moments later a fresh stew is created.

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

190 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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Squirrels are annoying little pests & if it wasn't for the fluffy tail they would be light grey rats. We had them in the loft & they were making a right mess - chewing roof lining, insulation, aerial cable etc. Short of setting the house on fire (remember Caddyshackbiggrin) or blasting holes in the roof with a shotgun, I bought a humane squirrel trap. A pest bloke told me to use chopped up Snicker bar as bait & it worked. I caught all 3 in about 12 hours. The trap would work outside as well. If you want a pic of what it looks like let me know.

fastfreddy

8,577 posts

238 months

Tuesday 7th April 2009
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Got some "squirrel repellent" recently, to try and deter them from nicking the food we put out for the birds.

They actually tried to eat the repellent.

Although I don't condone violence...


Davi

17,153 posts

221 months

Wednesday 8th April 2009
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fastfreddy said:
: sharp intake of breath through teeth :

naughty naughty - pulling the trigger there could see the pellet leave your borders nono You want to lean over the fence and point the gun back in towards your property wink

Ali_D

1,115 posts

285 months

Wednesday 8th April 2009
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sleep envy said:
mrs envy's cat and the squirrel that lives at the bottom of her garden have been at war for the last 18 months

you see the cat chasing the squirrel one morning and the next the squirrel is chasing the cat

cats are useless at this stuff
Top tip - don't feed the cat as often.

Our cat brought us a squirrel last year - and when we didn't really want it she sat on the patio and ate it herself. Unfortunately after breaking her leg last year she prefers to stay inside more now and nutkins is making a return.

sleep envy

62,260 posts

250 months

Wednesday 8th April 2009
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he moans when he doesn't get fed

shirt

22,641 posts

202 months

Wednesday 8th April 2009
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put some nuts/berries in a solution of diazepam, whack em in a box and DHL them up to me. i've got a massive garden but no squirrels, they can do what they like out there.

i really don't know what people have against them.

Sam_68

9,939 posts

246 months

Wednesday 8th April 2009
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shirt said:
i really don't know what people have against them.
They're destructive little bds, that's what.