Hi,

Not a post for the lovers of fluffy animals. Our garden is getting
rather over-run with grey squirrels. I've already changed the bird
feeder for the type with the tube inside a cage, which has defeated
them. But now I've found that they've taken to digging up plants as
part of their foraging, and in particular bulbs which they eat
(they've cleared one whole bed in two days). Seems that they also eat
songbird eggs and fledglings, and I'm getting worried that they'll get
into the roofspace of the house.

I've just been doing some research into the use of spring traps
(particularly the Fenn mk 4) within a suitably constructed artificial
tunnel with a constricted entrance to keep other species out (there
are no red squirrels around to be careful of). Does anyone have any
tips about this? I did look into live-capture cage traps, but on the
whole I think it's probably more stressful for the animal than a quick
clean kill, and in fact as pests it's illegal to release them
elsewhere anyway.

Cheers!

Martin

Another alternative is a Border terrier. Very effective!

I would not go for live trapping - I feel like you that it is stressful and leaves you with a problem of what to do with the trapped vermin. Do you have a friendly gamekeeper around to ask about the effectiveness of the trap?

Hi Martin,

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Not a post for the lovers of fluffy animals. Our garden is getting
rather over-run with grey squirrels. I've already changed the bird
feeder for the type with the tube inside a cage, which has defeated
them. But now I've found that they've taken to digging up plants as
part of their foraging, and in particular bulbs which they eat
(they've cleared one whole bed in two days). Seems that they also eat
songbird eggs and fledglings, and I'm getting worried that they'll get
into the roofspace of the house.

I've just been doing some research into the use of spring traps
(particularly the Fenn mk 4) within a suitably constructed artificial
tunnel with a constricted entrance to keep other species out (there
are no red squirrels around to be careful of). Does anyone have any
tips about this? I did look into live-capture cage traps, but on the
whole I think it's probably more stressful for the animal than a quick
clean kill, and in fact as pests it's illegal to release them
elsewhere anyway.

Cheers!

Martin

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've "taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

On 25 Apr, 08:41, "Clive in Kent"
wrote:

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've "taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

Hi Clive,

I had seriously considered this, but I've never used any type of
firearms, and I'd probably end up injuring them rather than killing.
Can I ask what sort of air rifle you use? Is it difficult?

Martin

On 2008-04-25 08:41:44 +0100, "Clive in Kent"
said:

Hi Martin,

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Not a post for the lovers of fluffy animals. Our garden is getting
rather over-run with grey squirrels. I've already changed the bird
feeder for the type with the tube inside a cage, which has defeated
them. But now I've found that they've taken to digging up plants as
part of their foraging, and in particular bulbs which they eat
(they've cleared one whole bed in two days). Seems that they also eat
songbird eggs and fledglings, and I'm getting worried that they'll get
into the roofspace of the house.

I've just been doing some research into the use of spring traps
(particularly the Fenn mk 4) within a suitably constructed artificial
tunnel with a constricted entrance to keep other species out (there
are no red squirrels around to be careful of). Does anyone have any
tips about this? I did look into live-capture cage traps, but on the
whole I think it's probably more stressful for the animal than a quick
clean kill, and in fact as pests it's illegal to release them
elsewhere anyway.

Cheers!

Martin

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've "taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

Buy a Deerhound. (or any other kind of sighthound for that matter). No
more rabbits, squirrels or foxes. I think the ones that are left in the
area are too terrified to come anywhere near the garden now! 50Kg of
teeth and fur coming at you like an exocet missile does that.

The squirrels tend to get away as they can go vertical, but the rabbits
almost never do.

Hi Martin

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
On 25 Apr, 08:41, "Clive in Kent"
wrote:

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've
"taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

Hi Clive,

I had seriously considered this, but I've never used any type of
firearms, and I'd probably end up injuring them rather than killing.
Can I ask what sort of air rifle you use? Is it difficult?

Martin

I use a .22 with telescopic sights and pointed pellets. Aim for the head /
neck area - instant kill! You can pick these up fairly reasonable on the
internet and you don't need a license

Clive in Kent

"Clive in Kent @hotmail.com" cliverholdenremove wrote in message
. ..
Hi Martin

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
On 25 Apr, 08:41, "Clive in Kent"
wrote:

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've
"taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

Hi Clive,

I had seriously considered this, but I've never used any type of
firearms, and I'd probably end up injuring them rather than killing.
Can I ask what sort of air rifle you use? Is it difficult?

Martin

I use a .22 with telescopic sights and pointed pellets. Aim for the head /
neck area - instant kill! You can pick these up fairly reasonable on the
internet and you don't need a license


Is our resident anti-squirrel nutter unwell? I'm surprised he's not been
promoting the purchase of traps from Mole Valley Farmers, as usual.

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Clive in Kent @hotmail.com" cliverholdenremove wrote in message
. ..
Hi Martin

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
On 25 Apr, 08:41, "Clive in Kent"
wrote:

I find a well aimed air rifle can have the desired effect. I've
"taken-out"
about 6 from my garden this year with this method! Just wish the bloody
rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have the same success!!

Clive in Kent

Hi Clive,

I had seriously considered this, but I've never used any type of
firearms, and I'd probably end up injuring them rather than killing.
Can I ask what sort of air rifle you use? Is it difficult?

Martin

I use a .22 with telescopic sights and pointed pellets. Aim for the head
/ neck area - instant kill! You can pick these up fairly reasonable on
the internet and you don't need a license


Is our resident anti-squirrel nutter unwell? I'm surprised he's not been
promoting the purchase of traps from Mole Valley Farmers, as usual.

I was just about to, the traps are very effective and once dead the tree
rats do not come back, they are more reliable than trying to shot the damned
things as well, I'm not saying you should not try to shoot the bloody
things, but I doubt with my shakes I would be able to kill the things that
way.

Mole valley famers have branches around the south west of england, the one I
use is at Bridgwater.

Alan

"Clive in Kent @hotmail.com" cliverholdenremove wrote in message
...

Just wish the bloody rabbits would stand still long enough for me to have
the same success!!


Blow them a kiss (really). A squeaky drawn out kiss noise is very close to
a rabbit distress call and will freeze them for a couple of seconds while
they listen.

Tom

On 25 Apr, 23:06, "alan holmes" wrote:

I was just about to, the traps are very effective and once dead the tree
rats do not come back, they are more reliable than trying to shot the damned
things as well, I'm not saying you should not try to shoot the bloody
things, but I doubt with my shakes I would be able to kill the things that
way.

Mole valley famers have branches around the south west of england, the one I
use is at Bridgwater.

Alan

Hi Alan,

I've just checked out their website at http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/
but the link to vermin traps http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pl2_VERMIN_TRAPS.htm
gives a 404 error, very disappointing!

I was planning on ordering something like this
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=578
to go in a tunnel like this
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=580

These ones seem to have a good press, but it looks like you need to
make your own tunnel from bits a wood
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=584

I've got a touch of the DTs too which I think makes guns inadvisable,
apart from the traps being a lot cheaper and less time consuming.

When you say the tree rats don't come back, you obviously mean the
dead ones don't, but I guess the vacant territory gets taken over by
an adjacent gang, meaning squirrel trapping will become an ongoing
part of the gardening experience, oh what joy. They make nice
caseroles apparently.

Cheers!

Martin

On Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:50:23 +0100, Martin Pentreath wrote
(in article
):

On 25 Apr, 23:06, "alan holmes" wrote:

I was just about to, the traps are very effective and once dead the tree
rats do not come back, they are more reliable than trying to shot the damned
things as well, I'm not saying you should not try to shoot the bloody
things, but I doubt with my shakes I would be able to kill the things that
way.

Mole valley famers have branches around the south west of england, the one I
use is at Bridgwater.

Alan

Hi Alan,

I've just checked out their website at http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/
but the link to vermin traps
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pl2_VERMIN_TRAPS.htm
gives a 404 error, very disappointing!


I get the same on several of the links (not just vermin control), but I've
noticed it says that the site is a "Testing Development Site" so maybe you
could email them with your query?



--
Sally in Shropshire, UK
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
Give free rice to hungry people by playing a simple word game

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
On 25 Apr, 23:06, "alan holmes" wrote:

I was just about to, the traps are very effective and once dead the tree
rats do not come back, they are more reliable than trying to shot the
damned
things as well, I'm not saying you should not try to shoot the bloody
things, but I doubt with my shakes I would be able to kill the things
that
way.

Mole valley famers have branches around the south west of england, the
one I
use is at Bridgwater.

Alan

Hi Alan,

I've just checked out their website at http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/
but the link to vermin traps
http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pl2_VERMIN_TRAPS.htm
gives a 404 error, very disappointing!

I was planning on ordering something like this
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=578
to go in a tunnel like this
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=580

These ones seem to have a good press, but it looks like you need to
make your own tunnel from bits a wood
http://www.killgerm.com/product-group.php?group=584

I use a black bin bag round mine, it works quite well except the damned
things try to eat the plastic, which means you have to replace it now and
again, they will also try to claw their way out of the wood tunnel so that
would have to be replaced from time to time, not as often as the bin bags
though!(:-)


I've got a touch of the DTs too which I think makes guns inadvisable,
apart from the traps being a lot cheaper and less time consuming.

When you say the tree rats don't come back, you obviously mean the
dead ones don't, but I guess the vacant territory gets taken over by
an adjacent gang, meaning squirrel trapping will become an ongoing
part of the gardening experience, oh what joy. They make nice
caseroles apparently.

I've never found one to have enough meat on it to try to cook it!

Alan

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
Hi,

Not a post for the lovers of fluffy animals. Our garden is getting
rather over-run with grey squirrels. I've already changed the bird
feeder for the type with the tube inside a cage, which has defeated
them. But now I've found that they've taken to digging up plants as
part of their foraging, and in particular bulbs which they eat
(they've cleared one whole bed in two days). Seems that they also eat
songbird eggs and fledglings, and I'm getting worried that they'll get
into the roofspace of the house.

I've just been doing some research into the use of spring traps
(particularly the Fenn mk 4) within a suitably constructed artificial
tunnel with a constricted entrance to keep other species out (there
are no red squirrels around to be careful of). Does anyone have any
tips about this? I did look into live-capture cage traps, but on the
whole I think it's probably more stressful for the animal than a quick
clean kill, and in fact as pests it's illegal to release them
elsewhere anyway.

Cheers!

Martin

They make great eating.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._squirrel.html

In message , Mr X
writes

They make great eating.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._squirrel.html


I have seen the same exactly the same recipe but in mine the bottom line
reads:

"Finally, remove the squirrel, throw away the stock and eat the pan!"
--
Zak

I too have a lot of squirrels. I cover my veg deep beds with fine plastic netting which keeps them off [works with pigeons too!

I hang a strong bird feeder which has a perforated tube with pot top and bottom filled with peanuts just for the squirrels, it keeps them off the sunflowers feeders.

I have obserevd that when local populations grow too large something happens to make them disappear. I think the are subject to a certain desease. I never have to resort to killing. I suppose it depends what is meant by being 'overrun'. I can get up to 8 of them then, down to one or two which again builds over 2 or 3 years back up, then repeats.

OP