Our garden backs onto a strip of municipal woodland. We have a metal
support for hanging cage-type bird feeders, and attract a good number
and variety of small birds.

We also attract many pigeons, which can't properly cope with the cage
around the feeders, but also three or four grey squirrels which pay a
visit several times a day.

They don't tend to go for the bird seed feeder, but go instead for the
peanut feeder, having learnt to clamber inside the cage part and feed
upside-down on the peanuts in an inner, small-meshed cage. A pack of
peanuts costs me 99p, and one, thanks almost entirely to the squirrels,
lasts a day at the most.

Spraying the metal pole with WD-40 stops the squirrels as they slither
around and can't climb it, but this lasts only a couple of days, and
costs more than the peanuts if I kept refreshing the WD-40. I suspect
that someting other than WD-40, such as soap or an oil, would no last
much longer before the little critters are able to shin up the pole
again. (The pole etc is not near a tree of fence, but the squirrels
cross the lawn to it and race up it - amusing the first few times, but
now infuriating!

Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to prefer
peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

"Bill Smith" wrote in message news:suilven- Can
anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to prefer
peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful endangered
red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

"Ophelia" wrote in message
...
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

Indeed, it's a meat I'd like to try. Tree-rat. An excellent way to keep
vermin under control. Shoot and eat.

wafflycat wrote:
"Ophelia" wrote in message
...
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will
not harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

Indeed, it's a meat I'd like to try. Tree-rat. An excellent way to
keep vermin under control. Shoot and eat.

Treat it like rabbit but it is not as strong. I usually casserole them with
garlic, onions, red wine etc

If they start to breed you should have some more soon. That way you could casserole some and leave the others to rob your bird feeders. Maybe the original ones, if you can identify them, can be left and you will have met the part where you do not want them harmed. Mind you, I still like the idea of a little bit of lead in one ear and a charcoal barbeque.

On May 7, 9:40*am, "Ophelia" wrote:
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) *Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. *You need *a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

Judith

Judith in France wrote:
On May 7, 9:40 am, "Ophelia" wrote:
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will
not harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

I have indeed eaten squirrel. David shoots and if what he kills is at all
edible, I cook it . Well, it tastes like...er... squirrel Milder than
rabbit if you have eaten that.

I have a few recipes for squirrel if you are interested, but as I have said
elsewhere, I usually go down the garlic, onion, red wine type road. I a the
similar one for rabbit too.

On May 7, 4:46*pm, "Ophelia" wrote:
Judith in France wrote:
On May 7, 9:40 am, "Ophelia" wrote:
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will
not harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. *My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. *Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

I have indeed eaten squirrel. *David shoots and if what he kills is at all
edible, I cook it . *Well, it tastes like...er... squirrel *Milder than
rabbit if you have eaten that.

I have a few recipes for squirrel if you are interested, but as I have said
elsewhere, I usually go down the garlic, onion, red wine type road. *I a the
similar one for rabbit too.

Thanks, I don't like rabbit, probably because my father used to shoot
and fish and we ate a lot of rabbit and salmon when we were kids, now
my sisters and I only eat rabbit if we were served it at a friend's;
out of politeness. I, too, go down the garlic, onion and red wine
road for most types of red meat. Today, I have beef with a marrow
bone and I will do that as a stew with the above garlic etc; posh
people call it pot au feu but it's just a stew :-)

Judith

"Judith in France" wrote in message
...
On May 7, 9:40 am, "Ophelia" wrote:
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

Do they have grey squirrels in your part of France, or has your neighbour
perhaps been eating red squirrels? Red squirrels used to be eaten in the UK,
before they became rare and protected, and loads of grey squirrels are eaten
in their native USA, as well as quite a few now in the UK.

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"Judith in France" wrote in message
...
On May 7, 9:40 am, "Ophelia" wrote:
Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

Do they have grey squirrels in your part of France, or has your neighbour
perhaps been eating red squirrels? Red squirrels used to be eaten in the
UK, before they became rare and protected, and loads of grey squirrels are
eaten in their native USA, as well as quite a few now in the UK.

We should have greys on the menu in the UK. They are classed as vermin
(rightly so), have played havoc with our native reds and will take bird eggs
from the nest. They are tree rats with good PR. We should also be eating
more venizon as the deer population in the UK is going through the roof - in
my bit of the UK they are often visible in the day just wandering through
fields & gardens.. eating crops, damaging rare ancient woodland habitats..
As much as I don't like guns, if I could shoot accurately I'd have no
hesitation about shooting for food.

On May 7, 6:35*pm, "BAC" wrote:
"Judith in France" wrote in ...
On May 7, 9:40 am, "Ophelia" wrote:

Sheila wrote:
"Bill Smith" wrote in message
news:suilven- Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent which will not
harm the
squirrels but would allow the other birds (Most of which seem to
prefer peanuts to wild bird seed) to feed on the peanuts?

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Bill.

Hold me back! (speaking from Formby, one home of the beautiful
endangered red squirrel....) Fetch ma gun!!

Heh, nothing wrong with squirrel casserole. You need a few though

I had heard, on this ng many years ago about eating squirrel but I was
never sure if it was a joke or not. *My neighbour tells me she has
eaten squirrel. *Seriously, have you eaten squirrel and what does it
taste like if you have?

Do they have grey squirrels in your part of France, or has your neighbour
perhaps been eating red squirrels? Red squirrels used to be eaten in the UK,
before they became rare and protected, and loads of grey squirrels are eaten
in their native USA, as well as quite a few now in the UK.

I have seen red squirrels but rarely, plenty of grey. I often listen
to the stories of my very elderly farmer neighbour; they would eat
anything, just to survive, nothing was wasted. She recalls that
during the last War, they would have starved in the Auvergne without
the help of the British who dropped food, by air, into remote areas.
It would appear that any and all food was commandeered by the
Germans. Today she won't even speak to anyone living in Vichy which
is not too far North from here. Sorry, I digressed, one thing lead to
another; as it does!

Judith

Judith

On Wed, 06 May 2009 23:27:24 +0000, Bill Smith wrote:



Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent

12-bore cartridges are less than £150 a thousand.

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 06 May 2009 23:27:24 +0000, Bill Smith wrote:



Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent

12-bore cartridges are less than £150 a thousand.

I suspect this method doesn't meet the original brief of not harming the
squirrels.

mark

mark wrote:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 06 May 2009 23:27:24 +0000, Bill Smith wrote:



Can anyone suggest a low-cost deterrent

12-bore cartridges are less than £150 a thousand.

I suspect this method doesn't meet the original brief of not harming
the squirrels.

mark

Ahh. you do have a point there