GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - Who's got squirrel-trapping experience?

alan.holmes · 17-03-2009, 06:50 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"alan.holmes" wrote in message
...

"BAC" wrote in message
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"Sacha" wrote in message
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On 16/3/09 10:42, in article
net, "mark"
wrote:

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
I've got a Fenn MkIV trap but I'm not having much success in coaxing
the little bleeders into its jaws. I've dug the trap into the earth
so
that its treadle plate is pretty much level with the soil and then
covered the whole trap with bark chips to make it more or less
invisible. I bought a metal tunnel with the trap, and I've covered
the
whole set up with this. But despite scattering a few peanuts around
and inside the tunnel I've had no luck. They eat the nuts outside and
carefully avoid the tunnel. I thought perhaps they didn't like the
strange metal tunnel, so I've tried a couple of house bricks with
roof
tile on top - no success that way either.

I don't much like the idea of poison for the sake of the squirrels or
other wildlife, so plan B is an airgun, but obviously a trap would be
a lot less work (and less vulnerable to my appalling marksmanship).

I feed mine peanuts.
I quite like to watch them.

mark

They're lovely to watch but they're so destructive to birds' eggs.

Hmmn. Eating an egg or chick is 100% destructive to it, true, but how
many birds' eggs and chicks does the average squirrel consume each year,
and, more important, what effect do squirrels have on bird breeding
success? Dr Mark Avery, Director of Conservation for the RSPB wrote in a
letter to the Telegraph on 22nd October, 2007, "Grey squirrels are not
found in most other parts of Europe, yet woodland bird population is
also dropping on the continent. ... Poor woodland management, climate
change and factors affecting migrating birds are far more significant."
Wise words, IMO, and I don't believe we should rush to judgement to
scapegoat squirrels, magpies and sparrowhawks for observed declines in
bird populations.

In addition to changes in the climate and in agricultural practices at
home and abroad, there are plenty of gardeners who have been doing their
bit to destroy birds' habitats, by removing nesting sites (trees,
shrubs, holes under eaves, etc), food stuffs (weeds and seeds etc) and
paving over or decking land which used to produce invertebrate food for
birds. Wouldn't it be ironic if such people were to start killing
squirrels and magpies because they don't notice so many birds about as
there used to be?

I wonder if he would feel the same if he wanted to grow things like nuts
for his table?

You are what you eat, they say.

So, if I ate a squirrel, would I become a squirrel?

Alan