Do I evict the squirrel?

[Dean Heighington]

He's been living in the loft space of my workshop's pitched roof for about

2 years and has made a nest and chomped his way through about a metre of lighting circuit insulation leaving 3 bare cores right where his nest is- quite amazing really- the RCD saved his life :)

Apart from that he's not been too much trouble - so far!

He got in through the open soffits which I have now covered on one side and am about to do the other, but I'm slightly reluctant to turf him out, not really sure why, I'm not a bunny hugger, but...

Is this not a good time of year to do it? Will he be able to relocate? Should I check to see if he has a family first?

Shit! I do sound like a bunny hugger! Is there a housing association for squirrels? Oh Christ, should I just shoot the bugger...

Deano

[Robin]

If it's grey see

("The ultimate ethical meal: a grey squirrel").

I mean, if the Guardianistas think you can eat them then the tree-rats PR must have gone wrong at last :)

[Dean Heighington]

Lol- we were only watching Kevin Viner on tv with the hairy bikers the other night and my 10 year old did download their recipe to make pasties so.... Here squidgy squidgy... :)

[Dave Liquorice]

Just as well you have the RCD or you might not have your workshop...

You don't say if this is a red or grey squirrel, if it's a grey evict the the little beggar with the aid of some some high speed lead. If it's a red protect your wiring better...

[Invisible Man]

If it is a grey squirrel:

Get rid.

Note that if you catch it you have to keep it or kill it. It is illegal to release such a foreign invader in the UK.

[Theo Markettos]

Depends what it's been eating... at the house of a friend it had been chomping on asbestos soffit. Not sure I'd want that for Sunday lunch...

Theo

[Tabby]

best of both worlds option: fit a kennel/box made from somthing hard like fibre cement.

NT

[Andrew Gabriel]

Certainly take some cooking... ;-)

[Owain]

Put it on with the sprouts and it'll be ready for Xmas.

Owain

[rbel]

As a non squirrel eating Guardianista long associated with environmental/conservation bodies I bring you glad tidings. Whilst the red squirrel is protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, the grey is not. So you can exclude your lodger. It would be wise to check to see if there are still young in the drey if possible, however I would have thought that they would be active by now and frequently venturing outside.

rbel

[Adrian C]

Make a larger hamster wheel, a "squirel cage" in fact, and encorage the blighter to run. Apparenty (according to the Wikipedia page for the 'Hamster Wheel) rodents will do this naturally, "hamsters are highly motivated to run in wheels; it is not uncommon to record distances of 9 km (6 miles) being run in one night. Other 24-h records include 43 km (26 miles) for rats, 31 km (18.5 miles) for wild mice, 19 km (11.5 miles) for lemmings, 16 km (9.5 miles) for laboratory mice, and 8 km (5 miles) for gerbils."

Connect the shaft to a generator and there's some electricity generated. You may be able to apply to the government for some crazy grant to do this, and turn your back garden into a farm of generating hamster wheels all running 24/7.

There, I've solved the energy crisis. We simply feed rodents our rubbish and we get back nice clean electricity....

:-)

[damduck-egg]

A Nutty Idea.

G.Harman

[Paul - xxx]

It's just a kernel, needs fleshing out ..

[Gareth]

Squirrels cause thousands of pounds of damage to timber in loft spaces and especially so in timber frame houses. They're a big problem here and in the US where, I read, that a significant proportion of all non human error house fires are caused by them. I guess a RCD won't provide protection against all scenarios.

Although it is unlawful to release a captured grey squirrel I would capture the squirrel and consider releasing it in to a nearby forest or wood. That said they do cause a lot of ecosystem damage in terms of eating birds eggs, damaging trees and so on. Not everyone is cut out for killing an animal and it is also a more serious offence to botch the kill than to release the animal:

's no easy way out but chances are it will try to eat itself back in if you simply try to block it coming back in. The pest control advice is to capture the squirrels before you block the entry points.

Of course if it's a red squirrel you must release it.

[Bob Martin]

About 20 years ago I chased a grey squirrel out of my loft and blocked the access holes. For the next few weeks it was in my face whenever I looked out of the landing window or went into the garden. The next time I went up to the loft I found the remains of 3 baby squirrels. I have felt bad about it ever since.

[fred]

rote:

e access holes.

Be careful of squirrels they can be vicious agressive little bastards if they feel cornered. We have a beech type shrub in a hedge and if he sees you near it in the Autumn when the nuts are ripe he descends and hisses and threatens in an attempt to scare you away from away from HIS nuts.

My problem is with birds nesting in the soffitt. The can find their way into the workshop and crap all over everything.

And then there was the cat who left a new born kitten. It found its way into the compressor area of the deep freeze (looking for heat I suppose) I thought the place was haunted for a day or two. I could hear the mewing but pulling out the deep freeze didn't expose it as it was inside the support frame work. By the time I found it it was well nigh dead. I t wasn't old enough to feed itself with the warm milk soaked bread I offered it and I'm not that fond of cats that I was going to start feeding it via a baby's bottle. I left it and the food outside hoping the mother would return it but in the finish the 9 yr old grand son gave it a Christian burial.

Paul Mc Cann

[fred]

In article , Bob Martin writes

Would you have felt so bad if they had been baby rats? Same thing, just more fluffy.

[Frank Erskine]

_I_ would.

[Jules Richardson]

Get some chavvy squirrels to move in right next door to him and thusly make his life so intolerable that he moves all by himself? Then shoot the chavvy squirrels for the low-life waster scum that they are, and feel good that you've done the squirrel world a favour.

cheers

Jules

[Dean Heighington]

Heh heh... On a bit of a low ebb at the moment... Maybe cos I turned 40 last week, but some of the responses to this thread have given me reason to have a good chuckle - much to the wife's disdain, during what should be a sombre period in our lives!

She's giving me that "what do I have to laugh about look"