Tree rats

[wafflycat]

Damn squirrels!

Not had a problem with grey squirrels going for the birds' food until *now* and the cheeky blighters attack all the food put out for the birds. If I could be sure of a kill with a grey squirrel, I'd have it, cook it and eat it. Due to my lack of hunting skills I am taking a different approach. I am told that squirrels can't bear chili, yet it doesn't affect birds. So I've redone the bird feeding stations and all seeds/nuts now are mixed with chili powder, chili seeds and dried chili skins...

We shall see if that deters the vermin!

 

[mr Mag00]

good move, try chili oil too as it coats the bird food

 

[yenrod]

Damn squirrels!

Not had a problem with grey squirrels going for the birds' food until *now* and the cheeky blighters attack all the food put out for the birds. If I could be sure of a kill with a grey squirrel, I'd have it, cook it and eat it. Due to my lack of hunting skills I am taking a different approach. I am told that squirrels can't bear chili, yet it doesn't affect birds. So I've redone the bird feeding stations and all seeds/nuts now are mixed with chili powder, chili seeds and dried chili skins...

We shall see if that deters the vermin!

waffly - I always thought you were a nice person !

 

[fossyant]

My FIL does all sorts to stop squirrals... keeps him busy.

Bird feeders at the top of 8 foot poles (on top of a fence), the poles themselves covered in oil...... the buggers soon learn to do huge jumps....

 

[Mr Pig]

Why not just feed the squirrels? they're more interesting than birds.

 

[Fnaar]

Carling Black Label squirrels (video link)

 

[ianrauk]

Had a problem with the little greay bastards... climbing up the bird table pole and eating all the littles tits and sparrows dinnies.. So tried spraing wd40 on the pole.. dried too quick.. White Lightning wet lube.. that did the trick..just doesnt dry.. laughed my head off for days seeing the cute little grey hairy fecker trying to climb up the pole and sliding down again. Comedy at it's best....
ah.. but that did not stop him... oh no.. he then decided to scramble onto my conservatory roof slide down and take a jump onto the attached to the pole table... so lowered the table... that's foxed him... until whatever he thinks of next..

 

[Eat MY Dust]

A girl at work was telling me that her grandfather used to have a pet grey squirrel. She then went on to tell me that he had to beat it to death. When I asked why, she said it bit him. I did suggest that it may have been better to release it back into the wild!!

 

[wafflycat]

A girl at work was telling me that her grandfather used to have a pet grey squirrel. She then went on to tell me that he had to beat it to death. When I asked why, she said it bit him. I did suggest that it may have been better to release it back into the wild!!

Once caputured it is illegal to release them into the wild - they do look cute but are vermin and do a lot of damage. They strip bark from trees, they carry a pox virus which is fatal to our native red squirrels, they will also take eggs from birds' nests (& our native wild birds are having a tough time of it) as well as nestlings. Since the introduction of the greys into the UK, they have done a lot of damage - hence they are vermin. We should be eating them...

 

[Landslide]

Catch them live? I'm sure this could be scaled up.
How you then get the wee beggars off their mortal coil and into your casserole...?

 

[Eat MY Dust]

So are red squirrels not tree rats?

 

[wafflycat]

No, reds, out native squirrels are an entirely different animal with different behaviour, and being a smaller beastie, do less damage than the bigger grey bullies.

Grey squirrel:-

Red Squirrel: -

 

[Eat MY Dust]

I'm not sure I'd call it an "entirely different animal". I don't really think the pictures are necessary as I'm aware of the difference. I used to live in Ladybank which has one of the biggest red squirrel colonies in the UK. I was just showing amusement at the potrayal of the evil grey "tree rats" and the cutesy, wootsey, cudly red squirrels, that's all.

 

[wafflycat]

I'm not sure I'd call it an "entirely different animal". I don't really think the pictures are necessary as I'm aware of the difference. I used to live in Ladybank which has one of the biggest red squirrel colonies in the UK. I was just showing amusement at the potrayal of the evil grey "tree rats" and the cutesy, wootsey, cudly red squirrels, that's all.

Firstly, sorry, I wasn't putting the pictures in to be patronising in any way, just illustration, that's all.

 

[Fnaar]

Still have reds here in Noerthumberland, though I've noticed fewer in the last couple of years (I walk in the woods a lot). Greys are being culled too http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/apr/17/conservation.wildlife