Hi Sally&Harry welcome 2 GOY :) i love Wildlife & try 2 encorage every thing into my garden & id love Squirrels 2 visit me :) Some People Hate Them & Others Love them ? i think itl be down 2 your own wants @ end of the Day :) I hope sum members will tell u their storys of haveing them Visit that way ul get a Chance to see the side Of 2 Storys :)

well hear is my story, I encouraged the grey in to my garden, and loved to see how adgile they were they used to tease the cats allthough quick they were made to look as if they were moving in slow moten comperd with the squirrels,then they liked it so much they moved in with me in to the loft that is, they could run up the walls chase eachother across the walls, then ran about all over my loft all night I swer they had clogs on ,they scraped my insurlation up in to a large dray , and after paying to get rid of them the whole house had to be re wired.because they thort it fun to chew my cables, could have burnt the house down, they do not belong in this country ,they grab all the food leaving little or nothing for our red, and they carrie a desise that they are imune too but kills our reds , bie an air gun and teach the lad to shoot them, I belive they tast like chicken, .Ill bet you think I don't like them , you are right.

You could encourage them into the garden - but they'll dig up and eat your crocus bulbs as fast you plant them, and they'll bury horse chestnuts and acorns all over the garden too. You do not want them anywhere near the house, and most certainly not inside the roof space. They are very cute and endearing, but they are classed as vermin, like rats.

At the nursery, there is a walnut tree and they every single and im not exagerating, pot over the last month has had the plant dug up, tossed out and a walnut planted. They have even got into one of the main greenhouses and dug out every primrose seedling etc and everyday we have to clear up the mess and rescue the seedlings. We have blocked the hole up, but they just push blockage out!

I personnally hate this one, and although shooting it would work, another would soon fills its space.
Reds are better.

If you enjoy watching and feeding the birds don't encourage grey squirrels. The are a pest and will make it almost impossible for the birds to feed unless you use special feeders, even then they will do their best to wreck them!

As Cliffo says they care disease which is killing off our native brown squirrels and where I live great efforts are being made to try to keep the grey squirrels at bay. As Bamboo says they are vermin and should be treated as such.

I cringe when I see parents encouraging their children to hand feed squirrels in the parks - if that squirrel bit their child there would be a big fuss from child and parent. Child would need to see a doctor and have an anti tetanus inject and possibly stitches. There teeth are horribly sharp, as I know to my cost.

I don't mind seeing them in my garden, but the year before last I planted about 30 red and yellow tulips in a container and Syrel the Squirrel dug up all but two and replanted them in other containers! Actually, we found it very entertaining seeing where all these bulbs actually ended up popping up!! I've never personally known them to be a problem in any other way, but they will destroy bird feeders to get at peanuts.

there are a few that come into my work, the groundsmen hate them and call them rats with tails.... but I like them, and feed them nuts, to the groundsmens disgust..lol

Bear in mind they are all riddled with fleas too! Don't know what's wrong with your cats, Cliffo - my little Misty had a fight to the death with one a few years ago and two years ago killed 8 youngsters in 13 days. We don't see so many now I'm glad to say. I do have to be thorough about flea treatment with her because of them.

i wasnt aware that they were disease carriers just that they are more adaptable than the native reds. they were introduced in the mid 19th century and have a wider range of foods that they can digest compared to the red. so they are able to out compete the reds.

I have a family that live in the next door garden. they do dig up bulbs etc which is annoying. they also have learnt to unscrew the top on the squirrel proof [haha] feeders so it falls apart and spills the seeds allover.
having said that i do like watching them scamper up and around the beech tree.

I would miss watching their antcs but not the damage they can cause. I have to put wire mesh over choice bulbs to stop them nibbling.

so its up to you but once you have them they will be hard to get rid of.

Squirrel pox virus, Seaburngirl - the grey is a carrier and infects the reds which die.

I hate to say it again but... they are vermin! Pus they are destroying our native brown squirrel population. If these were grey rats rather than grey squirrels everyone would have the pest exterminator out!

I was going to answer the point you anserd wagger so I will content myself with answering you, I am not disputing that your cat did what you say but were I used to live they would sit by a parked car while a cat storked then at the last second move just out of range and dair the cat to try agine I saw this a number of times and I saw one jump on and off a cat that was trying to stalk it in the garden. they feared nothing and would not move for dog or cat untill the had too. mind you it was a tuf nabourhood lol

I watched a squirrel knock one of my cats flying at the last minute, after she'd been stalking it a while, having first given her a good telling off. They're certainly not scared of cats, don't know about dogs.

PS I have mentioned it befor ''for you people that have squirrels braking in to bird feaders or indeed taking the food you put out for the birds, if you put some tind dog meet on the floor near the feeders the squirrels will go for the dog food and ignor the bird feeders.

Well I have half a dozen or so that come into the garden from nearby woods , Yes they do dig up some bulbs , but the joy from seeing them close up overrides any feelings of annoyance that I feel ,it dont seem to be a popular view....but me . .. I like em!

I agree my cat had a nasty bite on his tail from a squirrel (so the vet thought) one hospital were I worked asked patients not to feed them as they considered them a disease risk. They wear hob nail boots in the loft space and yes they dig up crocus -- I would say you have been warned by most of us LOL

I think one of the worst aspects of the grey squirrels behaviour that we have observed is that they can get virtually anywhere in a tree that a bird can and have a fine old time scoffing the eggs throughout the nesting season. If I could be sure of killing it rather than injuring it, my air rifle would be put to good use!

Yes there is that aspect too Bernard... cats get the blame for killing birds - with squirrels they don;t even get to hatch or fledge!

OH thats finished me off B & MG that has made me really anti grey squirrel. I love to see the fledglings when they are ready to leave their nest coming to feed.

I can only endorse everything said above! I, too, have had the b*****s in my loft causing damage and seen a grey stealing eggs from the nest of the blackbird who was nesting in my Constance Spry climbing rose. OK they loook cute ... so do rats and mice!! Avoid them like the plague!

Cliffo, I can only say Misty was a particular terror when she was young.

Cliffo and Nariz - just be glad you don't live in the Chilterns. I've had the dreaded Glis Glis in the loft and they cause far more damage than squirrels. If you find one it just stares you on the face, completely fearless - you don't have a chance of catching it without a proper trap and if you do catch it, it's illegal to release it but it's protected so you can't kill it without a licence. Which means you have to pay pest controllers vast amounts of money.

~ I have an open bird table which I have had to put 50mm mesh on three sides to deter the rooks and have robins blackbirds starlings etc who visit daily.
I put out a selection of peanut bits,suet pellets sunflower seeds and a good quality mix for those who wont go, and are too big for the feeders~ I must have been out about 20 times this morning to chase this damned grey who has moved in and sits there eating everything all day if given the chance. I am tearing my hair out here! it's all yours anytime you want it! just have to catch it first!
You have been warned!

Oh Wagger what a pain - again folk say ah sweet little door mouse never realizing the damage they can cause.

Arlene good luck with your challenge.

I don't know why we can't go back to eating them like the Romansdid, Mg. LOL

update ~birdlover versus greysquirrel Round 21!
I saw him making his way to the bird table again and shot outside at a rapid rate of knots almost trapping him inside!
He leapt onto my plastic greenhouse against the back of the house and ran vertically up the render where he stopped and sat there squeaking away and thrashing his tail in anger~ would have taken chunks out of me if he had been cornered I think!I have never seen anything like it!
I could hear him squeaking in high annoyance as he ran along the fence and proceeded to sit on the apex of my neighbours garage roof giving vent to his fury.
in my defence i will not harm him if I do catch him but he will be relocated into the woods where there are an abundance of hazel,beechnuts and berries ! hopefully he will get the message and go~ but I doubt it!
Anyway all this running about is keeping me fit!

Me neither Wagger but would you actually fancy eating one?

Keep it up Arlene and the grey menace may just go away of its own accord... As you say, all that running is good for the figure lol

It's just occurred to me to wonder why you've not seen grey squirrels in your garden anyway, Sally and Harry - the problem is not usually attracting them, but keeping them out. If you have no planting, or not much, and no trees around and about the area, and you do not put out bird food, then they wouldn't come to the garden. If you have planting and trees, they come in anyway, as does all wildllife, including birds, etc.

Bamboo we have plenty of planting, feed the birds year round but our little brown squirrel is never seen in the garden - nor has anyone in the village ever said they have a squirrel visiting, I wonder if this is a difference between the grey and the brown.

Yes it is, most definitely - the red squirrel is much shyer than the grey and prefers to keep well away from humanity.

~did you see Autumnwatch from the Lakedistrict a couple of weeks ago?
~they had film of a red squirrel coming down to the same spot for hazelnuts ~absolutely lovely!~do you put hazel nuts out MG?
I also have seen film taken in Northumberland where they have these special feeders which will only take the weight of a red but will allow the heavier grey to fall without getting any food~

I did see that, lovely to watch. I always think the grey squirrel is like a feral pigeon, and the red is more like a wood pigeon, in terms of behaviour.

I can't understand why my Sophie chases every squirrel she sees in the park, but the two regulars in the garden (who I have decided to call John and Edward) she ignores completely and allows them to dig up whatever they like.

~ Oh Ginellie~ because they are absolutely hopeless?

Because they are cheeky and irritating and they just won't go!

~ Ah! very appropriate then!

This is what I love about Goy! one question we all feel strongly about and off we go. If squirrels could read Goy we would'nt see them ever again.

I hope you enjoy reading all this, Sally and Harry;-)) I'd still like to know what you've got in your garden that means squirrels aren't visiting anyway.

wow...I see I have 'some' replies - I never imagined such a response!

Thankyou all for posting your experiences. I take it the general consensus is that I will live to regret any efforts to encourage the squirrels! I think I will give it a miss and stick to visiting the local country park!

With regards to Bamboo's question...I have a large beach tree in my back garden and two Fir trees in the front, in addition my neighbours have many large trees. I know squirrels live in the area as have seem them 'knocking about' occasionally but I was hoping to entice them down from the trees to potter about my garden so that we could enjoy watching them...

Thankyou all very much.

I haven't read all the replies Sally, so sorry if this has been said. They are great to watch but goodness they can do damage if they get into your home. A neighbour of my had them in his loft and they caused many hundreds of pounds of damage! And they were extremely difficult to get rid of. THey tried blocking them in so they could catch them in traps but that meant the Squirrels panicked and caused more damage trying to get out of the loft space>(Knocing out concrete and roof tiles.
So, yes, probably best to watch from a distance or in the park.

I would think you can have still have a lot of enjoyment by putting out bird feeders as there is nothing like watching Goldfinches,Nuthatches Robins, Blackbirds etc feeding in your garden, you can take credit for helping get them through the winter and they won't destroy your loft!
Best of luck! Arlene

I think that I have worked why we are not botherd by squirrel's and rabbits don't bother us , allthough we live in the country with plenty of trees 'we have a couple of busards that can be seen flying around most days, they aee a lovly sight and when there are youngs ones just geting there expearance they will land on the roofs, by the way the law is if you relese squirrel's you must relese at least five miles from were they were caught, but who wants them?

Afraid you just can't release them, Cliffo.

"An RSPCA spokeswoman said it was not illegal to catch grey squirrels but that it was illegal to release them into the wild. She said: 'It is against the Wildlife and Country Act 1981 to release non-native species into the wild because there are problems they may cause to British wildlife such as red squirrels. Even the RSPCA could not re-release a grey squirrel."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-389976/Gardener-facing-prosecution--releasing-squirrels-wood.html#ixzz0WeKu76RD

Yeah but who'd know.................

Yes Wagger, that's exactly what the RSPCA chap said to myu neighbours, because they are classed as vermin. I must admit I didn't agree with their solution. They shot them which rather shocked me. But they say that the RSPCA chap said I shouldn't really say this but the only real way to rid yourselves of them is to shoot them!!!!!!!!! Needless to say , I've not seen Squirrels in my garden since.

Shoot em, chop em up and feed em to the Kites - they love em. Do you think Sallyandharry have lost the will to live yet?

If they've got any sense, they pressed the STOP FOLLOWING option some time ago....;-))

LOL - you're probably right, oh wise one.

You taking the mick, Wagger;-)))

Hoooooo meeeeeeeeee? (I'm practicing my owl impersonations)

Oh, okay then, I'll accept the new title you have bestowed upon me! lol

:-)))

Okay folks... I think this one needs to die now :-)

My whippet, Linus, catches and kills grey squirrels in the woods, which I really hate, but that's his nature. I try to avoid this by keeping him on a lead, but he has to have a run or 6 a day. His presence hasn't deterred Dr. Dre, our regular visitor, who takes what I leave for him, but has never attacked our bird feeders. Equally Dr. Dre's presence hasn't deterred the birds in the garden. He is polite enough. He has made one store under a conifer with a turf lid and he is guarded when our cat is about. I am very lucky to have one of those cats that doesn't bother with anything but flies and spiders. She chatters at the birds, I assume, to lull them into flying into her mouth, but she never tries to catch them. She's the bird whisperer. There's a place for every creature....even murderous whippets.