Grey squirrel pest control is legal and necessary
They look cute and fluffy and a lot of people enjoy watching them in the garden but, grey squirrels are classed legally as vermin by The Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. There are good reasons for this, including recent, physical attacks by squirrels on some Welsh villagers – ASBO squirrels!
Grey squirrels damage homes and buildings. They are strong and dexterous and can force a way inside quite easily through gaps in roofs and eaves. Squirrels get into roofs for shelter and for somewhere to nest and have babies in spring. Loud noises in the roof are often due to squirrels in the attic because they are very active and quite large animals. Squirrels are destructive inside too, tearing things apart and gnawing on wires and roof structures. We had to get rid of grey squirrels in the attic with grey squirrel control in Perth after they dismantled part of a dormer window roof – we caught a whole family of them, one by one. Squirrels chewed through security system cables and kept setting the alarms off at a works unit and this needed squirrel pest control in Dundee.
Grey squirrels damage trees by gnawing at the bark and this will stop or restrict the tree growth. This is a problem for both large-scale and small-scale tree plantings. Several young beech trees were being attacked like this at Cupar but our grey squirrel control in Fife stopped this problem and saved the trees. Grey squirrels also bother gardeners by digging up flower bulbs and wasting the time and money that customers put into their gardens. We’ve been successful in getting rid of grey squirrels in Fife several times to stop this particular problem.
Anyone who feeds the birds will know that grey squirrels feast on bird food. They are very greedy, tear down the feeders and scare away the small birds, leaving them to go hungry. This is bad enough in itself, but it makes the squirrels very attracted to that particular garden and also to the buildings next to the garden. This increases the chances of squirrels getting into the buildings for shelter and to have babies in, which can cause a lot of squirrel problems and damage. We often get rid of grey squirrels in Perth and Dundee gardens and suburbs and use grey squirrel control in Kirkcaldy because they cause a nuisance like this.
Grey squirrels have a negative impact on other wildlife as well. They steal eggs from bird nests, giving songbirds more of a struggle to survive. They harm our native red squirrels too because grey squirrels carry a Parapoxvirus disease, which does not seem to hurt the greys but often kills the reds. They are more likely to eat green acorns, using up this food source before they ripen, so there are not enough left for the red squirrels to eat. The red squirrels, when they are put under pressure like this, do not breed as often…..and so the problem gets worse.
There are several, national grey squirrel control strategies to help protect red squirrels. Individuals can do their bit too though. For example, we had a great outcome using grey squirrel pest control in Kinross to get rid of grey squirrels at Kinross in the grounds of the house. Greys had scared off the reds and attacked the baby red squirrels but the reds returned once we had cleared the greys.
Grey squirrel control can be an emotive subject, especially as it is illegal to release a caught grey squirrel alive, but it must be done to protect property, plantings and wildlife. Now is a good time to get rid of squirrels because natural food is scarce in winter, making it easier to catch them. We provide professional grey squirrel pest control and get rid of grey squirrels humanely and legally using several squirrel control methods. We can look for squirrel entry points and do squirrel proofing too.
