My parents are driven mad by them eating all the fruit they grow. They used to be able to grow msny apples, plums, strawberries, etc, etc, in their large garden but with the increase in squirrel numbers it is just a waste of time. They strip every fruit and every berry. Even attempts to net fruit trees, or build chickenwire cages around the berry bushes have been a waste of time, they are always clever enough to get in.

We have no compunction about keeping rats and pigeons off our property, by destructive means where appropriate, why not grey squirrels? Granity says squirrel is tasty, I don't know, but woodpigeon is certainly very tasty.

Round where I live, introduced squirrels are less of a problem, but introduced rabbits and introduced fat dormice (Glis glis) are both problems. Rabbits eat my veg and certain flowers unless I protect them. Even been known to take bamboo shoots. We have no compunction about shooting rabbits to eat them, or as pests. Apparently in Spain, where they are native, they now have a shortage of rabbits because of deliberately introduced diseases, and this is the main cause of the reduction of the Iberian lynx, now the rarest wild cat, because the Iberian lynx is a rabbit specialist. Perhaps we should introduce the iberian lynx to Britain. We used to have lynx, and many people think the Iberian lynx is just a sub-species. A rabbit eating specialist lynx shouldn't be too much of a problem here. The eagle owl appears to have reintroduced itself here, whether by escape or flying here isn't clear, and is not proving a problem precisely becaues it is a rabbit specialist. Unfortunately not too many rocky cliffs for them to nest on in Buckinghamshire.

The situation concerning fat dormice is curious. They are a problem in the house rather than the garden. Because they are classified by the EU as endangered (which they are in their native habitat), you can't just trap them (even though they aren't native or endangered here). And if you use live traps, because they are non-native you can't just release them back into the wild. Bizarrely, this latter restriction doesn't attach to rabbits, even though they are just as non-native. So you have to get the council around to catch them who then take them away. I used to think the council must have a large shed full of dormice waiting for them to die of old age, but I now konw that they "humanely destroy" them. Quite why they are allowed to "humanely destroy" when I'm not allowed to destructively trap them for myself is utterly bizarre. Actually because they are rather cute, I'd rather like to see one, but I never have, even though they are supposed to be locally very common. Also odd that they don't seem to spread very much.

There really is no answer to this one. I love seeing the introduced parakeets we now have in much of the south-east, although they haven't got to our area yet. Maybe we'll be seeing them as a nuisance in a few more decades.

"echinosum" wrote in message
...

UkJay;758711 Wrote:
snip

A rabbit eating specialist lynx
shouldn't be too much of a problem here. The eagle owl appears to have
reintroduced itself here, whether by escape or flying here isn't clear,
and is not proving a problem precisely becaues it is a rabbit
specialist. Unfortunately not too many rocky cliffs for them to nest on
in Buckinghamshire.


The Eagle Owl is not a 'rabbit specialist', although, obviously, it will
take them if available. Eagle Owls on the continent have even been known to
take buzzards, which prey extensively on rabbits.

There are probably plenty of artificial cliffs (tall buildings, churches,
etc.) in Buckinghamshire :-)

On Nov 9, 7:47 am, echinosum
wrote:
UkJay;758711 Wrote: I love grey squirrels, even if they do drive me mad

My parents are driven mad by them eating all the fruit they grow. They
used to be able to grow msny apples, plums, strawberries, etc, etc, in
their large garden but with the increase in squirrel numbers it is just
a waste of time. They strip every fruit and every berry. Even attempts
to net fruit trees, or build chickenwire cages around the berry bushes
have been a waste of time, they are always clever enough to get in.

We have no compunction about keeping rats and pigeons off our property,
by destructive means where appropriate, why not grey squirrels? Granity
says squirrel is tasty, I don't know, but woodpigeon is certainly very
tasty.

Round where I live, introduced squirrels are less of a problem, but
introduced rabbits and introduced fat dormice (Glis glis) are both
problems. Rabbits eat my veg and certain flowers unless I protect them.
Even been known to take bamboo shoots. We have no compunction about
shooting rabbits to eat them, or as pests. Apparently in Spain, where
they are native, they now have a shortage of rabbits because of
deliberately introduced diseases, and this is the main cause of the
reduction of the Iberian lynx, now the rarest wild cat, because the
Iberian lynx is a rabbit specialist. Perhaps we should introduce the
iberian lynx to Britain. We used to have lynx, and many people think
the Iberian lynx is just a sub-species. A rabbit eating specialist lynx
shouldn't be too much of a problem here. The eagle owl appears to have
reintroduced itself here, whether by escape or flying here isn't clear,
and is not proving a problem precisely becaues it is a rabbit
specialist. Unfortunately not too many rocky cliffs for them to nest on
in Buckinghamshire.

The situation concerning fat dormice is curious. They are a problem in
the house rather than the garden. Because they are classified by the EU
as endangered (which they are in their native habitat), you can't just
trap them (even though they aren't native or endangered here). And if
you use live traps, because they are non-native you can't just release
them back into the wild. Bizarrely, this latter restriction doesn't
attach to rabbits, even though they are just as non-native. So you have
to get the council around to catch them who then take them away. I used
to think the council must have a large shed full of dormice waiting for
them to die of old age, but I now konw that they "humanely destroy"
them. Quite why they are allowed to "humanely destroy" when I'm not
allowed to destructively trap them for myself is utterly bizarre.
Actually because they are rather cute, I'd rather like to see one, but
I never have, even though they are supposed to be locally very common.
Also odd that they don't seem to spread very much.

There really is no answer to this one. I love seeing the introduced
parakeets we now have in much of the south-east, although they haven't
got to our area yet. Maybe we'll be seeing them as a nuisance in a few
more decades.

--
echinosum

For household undesirables such as rats or cockroaches one might use a
broad-band spray, or simply hook a hose to a car exhaust and flood the
(well sealed) residence with Carbon Monoxide for 20 minutes or so. If
there were any dormice... well, sorry, but they weren't supposed to be
there.

For gray squirrels (which make an excellent stew I'm told), house-
cats, unless they are overfed, will exercise their hunting skills on
gray squirrels. However if you have a large infestation it is
necessary to interrupt their ease-of-breeding: Fill/cover tree knot
holes with cement, rip down any bird boxes which squirrels have
invaded, and hire a few 12-year-olds to climb and "trim trees"
wherever squirrels have built a nest out on a branch. This is the best
time of year: as trees lose their foliage, the nests stick out like
sore thumbs: Largish "Clumps" of dead leaves about 2/3ds way out on
slender branches. Just trim those branches. (And demolish the nests
before they can be used to raise new squirrels.) When their numbers
drop below a certain minimum they will become too paranoid to spend
time on the ground. And your veggies will be safe.

"echinosum" wrote in message
...

UkJay;758711 Wrote:
I love grey squirrels, even if they do drive me mad
My parents are driven mad by them eating all the fruit they grow. They
used to be able to grow msny apples, plums, strawberries, etc, etc, in
their large garden but with the increase in squirrel numbers it is just
a waste of time. They strip every fruit and every berry. Even attempts
to net fruit trees, or build chickenwire cages around the berry bushes
have been a waste of time, they are always clever enough to get in.

We have no compunction about keeping rats and pigeons off our property,
by destructive means where appropriate, why not grey squirrels? Granity
says squirrel is tasty, I don't know, but woodpigeon is certainly very
tasty.

Stuff deleted:-

There really is no answer to this one. I love seeing the introduced
parakeets we now have in much of the south-east, although they haven't
got to our area yet. Maybe we'll be seeing them as a nuisance in a few
more decades.

The parakeets here are a bloody nuisance, they destroy my apples and make a
hell of a lot of noise, as well as damaging my vegetables, so if anyone
knows how to kill the damned things please let me know!





--
echinosum

I was going on the fact that an analysis of the droppings of the Yorkshire eagle owls showed them to be eating 99% rabbit. I suppose actually given that they are reasonably common in places like Norway, they must be able to eat things other than rabbit. Once they have eaten Yorkshire out of rabbits (some hope), then I suppose they would move on to something else. Yorkshire terriers would be good.

Buzzards and red kites are extending their range into our area, though so far I've only seen the latter in the immediate vicinity. Perhaps I don't need to hope for lynxes and eagle owls to deal with our local rabbit plague after all, though they'd be more fun.

"echinosum" wrote in message
...

BAC;759021 Wrote:
"The Eagle Owl is not a 'rabbit specialist', although, obviously, it
will take them if available. Eagle Owls on the continent have even been
known to take buzzards, which prey extensively on rabbits.

I was going on the fact that an analysis of the droppings of the
Yorkshire eagle owls showed them to be eating 99% rabbit.

It is true some studies suggest Eagle Owls prefer rabbits to any other prey,
e.g. Hume 1991. However, other studies suggest they feed extensively on
birds, e.g. Bochenski et al 1993, with Everett 1977 finding that 83% by
weight of the prey of the Eagle Owls studied was avian. I suppose it depends
on what is available. Eagle Owls are opportunistic predators which can and
will take mammals up to the size of a fox, and birds, especially birds of
prey, up to the size of buzzards. They are particularly good at preying on
other raptors, including other owls, goshawks, sparrowhawks, harriers and
peregrines, and will take them routinely.

References :-

Bochenski, Z., Tomek, T., Boev, Z. & Mitev, I. 1993. Patterns of bird bone
fragmentary in pellets of the Tawny owl (Strix aluco) and the Eagle owl
(Bubo bubo) and their taphonomic implications. Acta zool. cracov. 36,
313-328.

Erritzoe, J. & Fuller, R. 1998. Sex differences in winter distribution of
Long-eared owls (Asio otus) in Denmark and neighbouring countries.
Vogelwarte 40, 80-87.

Everett, M. 1977. A Natural History of Owls. Hamlyn, London.

Giles, J. 2006. Bird lovers keep sharp eye on owls. Nature 439, 127.

Harrison, C. J. O. 1979. Birds of the Cromer Forest Bed series of the East
Anglian Pleistocene. Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists'
Society 24, 277-286.

Harrison, C. J. O. 1987. Pleistocene and prehistoric birds of south-west
Britain. Proceedings of the University of Bristol Spelaeology Society 18,
81-104.

Hume, R. 1997. Owls of the World. Parkgate Books, London.
Stuart, A. J. 1974. Pleistocene history of the British vertebrate fauna.
Biological Reviews 49, 225-266.


I suppose
actually given that they are reasonably common in places like Norway,
they must be able to eat things other than rabbit. Once they have eaten
Yorkshire out of rabbits (some hope), then I suppose they would move on
to something else. Yorkshire terriers would be good.

Yorkshire terriers would indeed be good prey for a hungry Eagle Owl.


Buzzards and red kites are extending their range into our area, though
so far I've only seen the latter in the immediate vicinity. Perhaps I
don't need to hope for lynxes and eagle owls to deal with our local
rabbit plague after all, though they'd be more fun.



Personally, I'd not mind having lynx and eagle owls about, but you have to
bear in mind that they'd not confine themselves to eating things some people
might wish them to eat and might happily tuck in to critturs other people
are trying to conserve, too.