General Chat

Will you all get your little grey cells working please.I need some Help/Advice regarding 'Squirrels'.Apart from shooting them,does anybody know of a way to get rid of them?So far they have killed one tree in the garden by stripping it of all its bark,now they have started on a lovely large 'Chestnut' tree. Its time for them to go,but getting them to move out seems to be the problem. Thanks, Hal.

In coronation street they used one of those old fashioned football rattles. Dave

We have squirrels in our garden but they dont strip the trees, Try leaving one of the bird bells with nuts and seeds see what happens we leave those and fat ball hanging on the tree Linda

Our squirrels never chew the bark either? Perhaps the best way to stop them would be to put food out for them?

Thanks everyone for your suggestions,have just recieved a reply from the local environmental Officer,i/e pamplet on Grey Squirrels and their habits,the only way to get rid of them is by Shooting or Poisoning,if you trap them you have to kill them anyway because it is 'Illegal 'to release them back into the wild.Guess I will just have to put up with it,possibly make myself a powerful catapult and shoot them up the Bum with pebbles,hopefully if I do it often enough they will get the message. Hal.

My dad has a real problem too. He has four of the traps and cant bring himself to kill them,, so drives up to the local common and sets them free.(please dont tell the man from the council tho!) Jess

Don't leave the catapult lying around where the squirrel can get his paws on it - they are mean shots.

Jess thats ok as long as they are not 'homing squirrels' ! Davex

Hi Harold Don't know if this will help but I had a similar problem with cats that took a fancy to a tree as a scratching post. I fastened slightly crumpled fine chicken mesh around the trunk so that they couldn't get to the bark, you could try this with the thicker branches maybe. Maybe green netting wrapped round would work, anything that stops them getting a grip on the bark. Just keep checking that it isn't getting too tight as the tree grows. It worked for me. Mandy :-) Or maybe a sonic cat scarer would work on squirrels!

Jess - I have visions of your Dad and the squirrels leaving the house under cover of darkness, all wearing balaclavas and the squirrels huddled together on the passenger seat looking out for police patrols or council vans.

Elaine I know a pussy that likes a squirrel! Dx

Dave Re your last comment: Is it my dirty mind or does yours work the same way as mine!

probaly lol! Dx

Dave, Thanks just wanted to make sure I wasn't reading peoples comments wrong.

Hi everybody,Have tried the mesh ,it won,t work because we have lots of trees, 'Approx.40' in the garden quite close together so they jump from one to the other,we,ve got four cats,but they can,t catch the Bu***rs,they,re too fast for them.Just have to grin and bear it,any way the Children next door like seeing them around,just wish they would,nt strip the bark off and kill the trees. many thank for suggestions.Hal.( Making large Catapult)

Have just come back to this thread, hopefully for some ideas to pass on to my dad. crying with laughter, Imagining My dad in balaclava! NOOOOOooo!! just so you get an idea, in his younger days he resembled Terry Scott (Terry and June...?) and is now just over 80. If he even thinks about wearing a balaclava he'll have me to contend with!! jess

Hal I hope you're a good shot with that catapult....or you've no close neighbours with large windows LOL. Jan :-)))

Harold, some of these firms which sell cat-scarers also do them for squirrels (different wavelengths) - might be worth a try. Happy days

My husband goes out at night with a torch collecting snails that are chomping on our plants. He then takes them carefully down to the wood just down our road! I reckon they are all homing aswell as there are always just as many the next night.

Alan, try feeding them first please!!!