Baz wrote:

Alan wrote in
news
In message , Donnie
wrote
I
always believed that ivy choked trees but then happened to hear
on the winter edition of Springwatch that you shouldnt remove the
ivy as it provided habitats for wildlife etc.

A habitat for rats in an urban environment.


I think so too. Possibly looking for eggs to feed the festering brood.
O.K. not this time of year. Do birds roost in ivy? If they do then
the rats would certainly take a weak undernourished bird. (if that is
the correct spelling, Pete, the Perfect Prefect, Present Periodically
Pertaining to the Parsing of Permanent Precipitation. ie:canal water)
Grey squirrels too if I'm not wrong. Who would want a squirrel in
their garden? not me, but apparently if caught and released is
illegal, but make nice eating.

Thanks all, well, there are several other trees too that are ivy
"infested" mainly hawthorns, but its this particular elm im worried
about so wll keep an eye on it as spring progresses.

We've never had rats here though, nor has the one grey squirrel that
does live across the fence ever come in the garden:-)

Donnie