Grey Squirrels

[John H]

A number of years ago our dog Meghan managed to eat some rat poison left out by one of our neighbours here in Essex. We think it must of been mixed with some meat otherwise she would not have been interested in it. I rushed her straight to the vets where she stayed in intensive care for 3 days. She survived and is now the grand old age of 13.

[Rod Taylor]

Using Fenn traps which solve the problem of dealing with a live trapped, angry, wriggling, set of teeth. Not tried eating any but donate them to the local wildlife for recycling and they soon disappear witout a trace.

Not had too much trouble with deer damagage although there are always fresh tracks around and untill coppicing an acre last winter used to see them often.

Purchased the wood in sussex over three years ago and there was a lot of old damage to countless Birch trees on purchase. Two years ago there was quite a bit of Hornbeam stripped but not bad enough to ring bark and kill the trees, then last year the blitz on Oak Hornbeam and Chestnut. So far this year it only seems to be Birch on the menu but time will tell, as last year the damage continued well into October.

One thought on the escalation of damage is that apparently the previous owner allowed a local shoot access to the wood in exchange for having the main rides maintained. Perhaps the unchecked population growth since then has led to the current problems and is a good example of the need to keep the numbers under control.

Not keen on the idea of poison either so will keep using the Fenn traps and hopefully get the numbers down to a point were any damage is minimal.

[Rod Taylor]

In the woods again today and noticed several Hornbeam with stripped areas that were not touched yesterday. It seems as though their tastes have changed although it is a diferent part of the wood so could be different families. One less pair of teeth from todays trapping but obviously still not thinning them out fast enough.

[Darren]

Hi Rod any chance of seeing a picture of how you set up your fenn traps?

[Rod Taylor]

Dont have any photo's but I can take some pic's next time and try to get them on line, or Tracy may still have shots taken at a SWOG pest control meeting held in a wood near Northiam in January this year.

[jillybean]

Just taken delivery of 5 new fenn traps. being a novice to this they seem pretty scary, Ive been looking at the video on you tube of the guy setting one. thats even more unsettling.id hate to be that plastic bottle. Im sure ill get used to them. Does one put them up a tree for squirrels? I know they have to be in a tunnel or pipe, but surley a hedgehog could get in there too. and any recommendations as to bait? I was going to use peanut butter, organic of course.

[tracy]

You can read more about our squirrel meeting here:

http://www.swog.org.uk/events/grey-squirrel-control-workshop/

[Darren]

What size does the tunnel have to be?

[jillybean]

well, it has to be big enough to let the trap go off without it snagging on the roof, and small enough to stop Passing Hedgehogs getting caught. The model on tracys squirrel meeting looks about 7 inches square for a mk 4 fenn trap.

I have some pipe that may do the trick one might have to block the ends off a bit, then mount on a horizontal branch with a bit of webbing. its all trial and error isnt it?

[RichardKing]

Watched Springwatch on TV last night. Their hedgehog home looked rather similar to your trap cover.