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Who's got squirrel-trapping experience?
"BAC" wrote in message ... "Sacha" wrote in message ... 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? |
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