The squirrels are eating my bulbs - they have a penchant for tulip bulbs - and are becoming a real pest. This didn't start until someone next door started feeding the birds quite heavily.

Is there any way of dealing with them before they breed into an uncontrollable mob?

Simple answer is no short of shooting them which is probably illegal. They are very destructive creatures despite the fact that almost everybody thinks of them as cute. They eat bulbs and fling the soil from any tubs that you had planted all over the place.If you don't watch it you will have a forest of oak trees from the acorns that they hide everywhere.In case you have not guessed it I am not a squirrel fan.

They are definitely classed as vermin - the grey ones anyway.

Legal to shoot!

Some fella on Granada news, few weeks back got prosecuted for shooting a squirrel.
RSPCA said it was not killed outright but was in agony for hours.

http://www.shootinguk.co.uk/news/53...leads_guilty_over_shooting_squirrel.html

On 17 January, Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard that Mr Worthington, known locally as “the verminator”, trapped the squirrel and shot it twice at point-blank range with a .22.

He assumed it was dead, and went out shopping.

On discovering it was still alive when he returned, he shot it a further three times.

RSPCA officers turned up after a tip-off from a neighbour and took the squirrel, which was still alive but “unresponsive”



now is he a sh!t shot or was that a super squirrel

Thanks for posting up links/ further info. So, I didn't dream it! lol.

Moonstar, there have been squirrels in my area ever since I moved here 13 yrs ago. Some years, there seemed to be quite a number, and other years there were very few. There is one in my garden this winter, when there have been 3 or 4. Never knew what happened to them, but the little blighters had a feast on the tulip bulbs, lily bulbs and begonia bulbs. Every year I'd plant something different and they found them all! Gave up in the end. Sorry to be the bearer a bad tidings.. You could maybe scatter a regular supply of nuts for them as an alternative.It might work

How about laying wire mesh just under the soil with big enough holes for the plants to grow through but legally you can kill them as long as it's instant

Get a couple of cats to sit menacingly in your garden. I'll bet the squirrels won't go near your bulbs then

It will be a brave cat to take on a squirrel! Small fast hungry terrier should do the trick !!

my little dog taz is the answer. she hates squirrels cats etc

A friend of mine, with a similar problem, called Wirral Borough Council Pest Control and they came and set squirrel traps(boxes) in her garden.
They came back and took away the squirrels away and set them free away from residential property.

I would not like to get them causing damage in my house, but I felt sorry for them as the squirrels above were separated from their families.

Hi all, we used to have the same problem with them eating our bulbs and digging the soil from our pots.
Not any more, we put some mothballs out - they HATE the smell.

I don't always think it's the best to mess around with nature. Somehow, it mostly seems to sort the problems out without our interferance. Magpies were a problem here a few years ago, then came the crows both have diminished again. The fact that buzzards have been introduced back into the area by RSPB is now having it's effect on other species.
Hedgehogs are at a considerably low rate, due to gardens being fenced off, they are unable to travel, and eating slugs that have been fed slug bait kills them too. Swallows were almost nil last year in comparison to previous years but they return generally to the same area and their habitats are being destroyed.The owls, which I think improved after almost extinction in the area a number of years back, although I don't know how they are at the moment. Of course, as we all know the little birds are dwindling,no hedgerows and are they are probably being caught by the hunters.I had a number of dunnocks which came regularly for food in my garden for the previous 10 years,until about 2 years ago,I haven't seen any since. So many species are being troubled, these are just a few in a short period of time. Are you almost in tears? I hope so
Squirrels, I would let them sort themselves out at the end of the day, the garden is their home, more so than ours.

I've read that putting bread out for wild birds has no nutritional value to them. It only fills their stomachs and puts them off finding their natural foods. I don't know if this applies to squirrels though.

My friend Billy, puts traps out for them and then shoots them.

Nice company you keep!

Please be aware that if anyone releases a grey squirrel back into the wild after trapping it to get it out of their property THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW. You are NOT allowed to release them, neither are you allowed to keep them as pets. There is only one fate and that is that they are HUMANLY destroyed. Also be aware if you are reading this in an area that has Red squirrels (none on the Wirral so you can relax if you are on the Wirral) it is an offence to interfere with, trap or kill these as they are an endangered species.

Yes he is a very nice fella, Softshoes.

Hope its not this nutcase:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-21088149

Have you considered landmines?

No - but have considered making something difficult for them to reach a peanut - involving a long piece of rope.

Only one peanut, Moonstar? Must be getting mean in your old age!

i was bitten by a squirrel in ashton park west kirby last year. they are not as cute as people think!
it might sound funny but it was jumping towards my kids and luckily for them i managed to get my arm in the way.

A squirrel found it's way into our antic last winter and proceeded to have her babies there. In the middle of the night you could hear them scurrying between the walls. Some what nu-nerving! Also a bat came in through a roof vent and arrived in a bathroom fan, One of our cats was going crazy. I got a hold of it with a towel and let it out.

Well Softshoes, what else you expect to go on in your antic, apart from antics?
Destructive little creatures when they get the chance!

All Gods creatures,wait till the day of reckoning.

Grandpa you need to get out more and meet some more people
if you think Billy is a "Very nice" chap!

Its never too late!!!