Grey squirrel damage to Lapa

Discussion in 'Pests, Diseases and Cures' started by whis4ey, Aug 5, 2013.

  1. whis4ey

    whis4ey Head Gardener

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    Any suggestions as to how to rid myself of these little blighters? IMG_1701B.jpg IMG_1702B.jpg IMG_1703B.jpg IMG_1704B.jpg
     
  2. mowgley

    mowgley Total Gardener

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    Hi @whis4ey

    Sorry to see the damage to your lapa.
    Grey Squirells are a nuisance in my area too. They were nesting in the loft!
    I got one of these
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/STV-STV076-Squirrel-Cage-Trap/dp/B001O4ZJYI/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url
    And baited it with a snickers chocolate bar and a digestive biscuit with peanut butter on top!
    Caught 4 in all.
    But when you catch it you will have to kill it because I believe it's against the law to release them.
    But if you can't bring yourself to kill them you have to take them 5 miles away from your house or they will come back,(so I've read somewhere!)
     
  3. Sheal

    Sheal Total Gardener

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    Grey squirrels are classed as vermin so should be destroyed. Have you actually caught them in the act Whis4ey? My brother has had problems with squirrels and he invested in a rifle, they rarely bother him now! Have you got a friend or neighbour that might have a fire-arm and would help you out? Or would you prefer the more humane route?

    Squirrels can destroy just about anything and were in the process of wrecking my brothers loft area, even chewing through cables.
     
  4. whis4ey

    whis4ey Head Gardener

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    Thanks Mowgley .... I have ordered one :)
     
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    • whis4ey

      whis4ey Head Gardener

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      We only spy the little bu&&ers now and again, so a rifle would mean a lot of time spent looking out into the back garden :)
      I have ordered a trap and will drown the culprits. It is going to be expensive and difficult to repair the damage they are causing :(
       
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      • Sheal

        Sheal Total Gardener

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        I know it's not cheap to thatch a roof Whis4ey let alone the mess they are making, the sooner they're gone the better for you. :)

        Squirrels are one problem we don't have here!
         
      • hans

        hans Gardener

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        I'm afraid I agree with Sheal. I shoot every single one I see, and so do my neighbours, vermin indeed. Tree rats.
        Remember the Red, we used to have loads when I was a schoolboy. Memory still good..now where did I put the newspaper.
         
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        • "M"

          "M" Total Gardener

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        • Sheal

          Sheal Total Gardener

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          I don't understand that "M" :scratch: These laws are ridiculous! You can't bludgeon a squirrel to death but you can hit it on the back of the head......what if it moves, are you then considered to be bludgeoning because you failed the first time? Drowning would be a lot kinder and probably quicker.
           
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          • "M"

            "M" Total Gardener

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            I didn't write the rules, Sheal ;) and the laws appear to be so contradictory and confusing :dunno:

            If you can't drown a squirrel, why is it permissible to drown slugs in beer traps? :scratch:
             
          • whis4ey

            whis4ey Head Gardener

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            I don't think there are any legal repercussions to killing vermin humanely :)
            Like everything else these days, one has to listen to total nonsense from so called 'experts'
             
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            • Sheal

              Sheal Total Gardener

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              Sorry, I wasn't blaming you "M". :) The laws in this country are becoming ridiculous and trying to define what is right or wrong even more so!
               
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              • "M"

                "M" Total Gardener

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                Don't cross your fingers, Sam ... you need them to do a search for the regs in NI :dbgrtmb: Better to be safe than sorry.

                Sheal, I know you weren't :heehee:
                 
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                • Jiffy

                  Jiffy The Match is on Fire

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                  So we can poison a rat which will take a few days to die,not drown a squirel 3 to 4 minutes, hit a squirel over the back of his head:scratch: with the teeth and claws on a squirel no chance
                   
                • whis4ey

                  whis4ey Head Gardener

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                  hehehe
                  I firstly typed a reply to your comment off the top of my head, as it quite simply seemed to be too ridiculous for words. Then, with the benefit of good old Google, I found out what you were talking about and couldn't believe my eyes. I then did exactly what you suggest, and found that similar legislation exists over here ... read it, found it to be totally obscure and vague to the extreme, with no real indications regarding the eradication of vermine etc (copied almost word for word from the English Statute without (obviously) any thought whatsoever having been put into it.) Jiffy's comments (above) regarding the poisoning of rats rings very true. I think we need some clarification in regard to vermine ... I have no difficulty with the need to stop the unnecessary suffering of animals per se :)
                   
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