East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service



“Squirrel are very intelligent animals and every time a wild animal or bird gets the better of us humans we call it “vermin” and have it killed,” said Trevor Weeks, Rescue Co-ordinator for East Sussex WRAS, “it is time we started taking some of the blame and started to live in harmony with the wildlife around us. We are extremely lucky in this country not to have the many poisonous and dangerous animals, birds and reptiles which other continents have like Australia , South America and South Africa .”

1	Foreigner
2	Myths and persecution
3	Garden and loft squirrel problems
4	Humane ways to deal with squirrels
5	Further information and advice

Foreigner

Most members of the public think of the grey squirrel as being a “foreigner” and the smaller red squirrel as our “native” squirrel. Surprisingly, they are both “foreigners”. Our red squirrels are the descendants of those brought over from Scandinavia and other parts of Europe.

Myths and persecution

It is a myth that grey squirrels chase out or kill the red squirrels, the same as it is a myth that the greys are responsible for their decline! You may be surprised to know that one of the biggest factors in their decline was the establishment of “Squirrel Clubs” in the late 1800s. One such club killed over 80,000 red squirrels in there first 30 years. Reds were killed up until as recently as the mid-1920s in the New Forest! The other key cause of the decline in the reds is down to the destruction of our native woodlands over the last hundred years. Another myth is that greys pass on disease to reds. Squirrels can catch a disease called parapox virus that is similar to myxomatosis in rabbits. However the disease affected the reds in areas before any grey squirrels had arrived. Both red and grey squirrels cause damage to trees, This is usually by peeling the bark in strips down the tree. This rarely kills the tree but is used as one of the key reason for mans persecution of the greys. Squirrels will on occasions take birds eggs and even young chicks, this is minor in comparison with that caused by our domestic cat population. There is no evidence to show that greys have a detrimental effect on bird populations.

Garden and loft squirrel problems

The most common problem people have with squirrels is them taking bird food from holders and feeding tables. However there are metal and plastic skirts for bird table posts which can prevent squirrels from climbing up and changing the location of the table or hanger, so that it is at least 3 metres away from any trees or the buildings, can help. Feeders tied up by string or thin wire are regularly lost to squirrels as their teeth are strong enough to break these materials. By using a thick wire and an approved squirrel proof feeder you can stop them. Squirrels dislike the taste of capsicum pepper which can add vitamin A to your birds diet too! However, excessive and all year round feeding of birds can lead to an unwanted and locally increased population. The other more serious problem is squirrels gaining access into our homes. Our lofts prove ideal and warm homes for them to nest and bring up their young - insulation material is useful for making nests! Apart from being noisy they can cause serious damage to electric cables and start gnawing at joists. Most people respond to squirrels by calling in a pest control company that will put down poison or a trap. Poison is a slow and painful death that should not be wished on any living animal. Trapping usually means they will be shot or euthanased by injection. However, this does not solve the problem in the long term as other squirrels will try moving in – you need to stop them from getting inside in the first place. It is fairly easy to scare squirrels out of a loft as they do not like disturbance, but they will come back if all goes quiet and there is nothing to stop them.

Humane ways to deal with squirrels

Those who are more humane and do not wish destruction on any living creatures, can evict squirrels and then prevent them from re-entering. East Sussex WRAS can help advise and undertake some consultation work. Alternatively advice and consultation can be obtained from wildlife deterrence expert John Bryant who runs Humane Urban Wildlife Deterrence, based in London . East Sussex WRAS is urging people to check their lofts now and to take action to ensure squirrels have not started nesting. If they have started nesting then you should contact John Bryant or East Sussex WRAS for further humane advice.

Further information and advice

John has written a book called Living with Urban Wildlife, of which many of the above facts have come from. It looks at humane and non-destructive methods of dealing with problems which us humans have with wildlife, including squirrels, seagulls, foxes, moles, rats, mice, deer, bats, and other wild creatures. It is published by Centaur Press ISBN: 0 900001 49 6 priced £9.95.

John Bryant, Human Urban Wildlife Deterrence can be contacted by

Telephone	0208 316 7852

E-mail	enquiries@jbryant.co.uk

Website	www.jbryant.co.uk

There is also a premium rate "Problems with squirrels" recorded advice line with useful information.

Telephone

0906 272 4477

Or you can contact the East Sussex WRAS for advice on

Telephone

07815 078234

Press contacts

Trevor Weeks	East Sussex WRAS	07815 078234
John Byrant	Human Urban Wildlife Deterrence	0208 316 7852