Squirrel Control

[Wendelspanswick]

I've realised this year how badly my woodland is infested with grey squirrels, I must have spotted 50 on my 10 minute walk this morning, 8 alone on one beech tree.

The dog loves it but it's dawned on me that apart from crows and robins I haven't seen much birdlife this year in the woodland, I guess that's because the crows are too vicious for the squirrels and the robins nest in the scrub.

Best humane way to control squirrels please.  I'd rather not bother with the hassle of getting a fire arms certificate.

[sime42]

Fenn Trap, mark 4 model. Effective and supposedly humane, but not very pleasant.

 

Pine Martins are apparently very good predators of grey squirrels. They have them in Scotland I know but I don't think they are as far south as Somerset. It would be great if they could be re-introduced in the south of the UK as well. Grey squirrels are a huge problem all over the country.

 

 

[Paul in the woods]

Any trap needs to be suitably covered to stop by-catch. I've found the Bodygrip trap and Fineran box worked ok, see here for them and other options: https://www.fourteenacre.co.uk/shop/product-category/traps-trapping/squirrel-traps/

 

I found I could bait an area first, then set a trap and start catching within an hour.

 

You could also bait an area on the ground for a few weeks and then try your luck with an air rifle at a suitable range.

[Dbikeguy]

Air rifle, no license needed.
or i shoot some land under the owners permission for pest control with a shotgun and air gun.
leave it to someone like me who will do it foc and should have PL insurance ( costs me £25 a year)
find a local gun club or ask farmer friends if they have anyone they trust.
traps need lots of checking so can be very time intensive
where are you based?

[saintsman54]

Air rifle is a good option, you can set up bait stations with a simple feeder and hide to allow for accurate shooting and therefore humane death. 

 

If you don't want to be "hands-on", there is a trap coming out in the next few months called the Goodnature A18 which is self resetting, so all you have to do is replace the little co2 canister when it is empty, no need for checking every 24 hours http://collinsnets.co.uk/new-products/goodnature-a18-squirrel-trap?doing_wp_cron=1539696726.0229489803314208984375 

[Wendelspanswick]

In Somerset but part of my problem is that I have National Trust woodland adjoining two of my boundries so I guess as fast as I cull them they will migrate in. ☹️

[SimpleSimon]

You need a combined approach for best results.

Fenn traps, get a few and check them regularly. Place inside a "tunnel" to avoid trapping birds, etc.

Shooting. A sub-legal-limit air rifle is plenty to kill a squirrel humanely, although it will need some practice. Bait stations with a shooting position a known distance away will help, as air rifles can have quite a "loopy" trajectory. Otherwise, as somebody suggested, get somebody to visit regularly and do it for you, people will line up to do it for free! 

Destroy their drays. This is done most easily with a shotgun and some reasonably heavy loads. Get the same shooter as above to do it. 

 

You will get them coming in from outside your patch, of course, but ongoing control is better than nothing. 

[westphalian]

it's a never ending problem so get some fun out of it. I shoot mine with a sub 12 air rifle on a bait station and also use a couple of Kannia 2000 traps whish are lethal.

I see Roe deer eating the corn from the bait station as well as pheasants. squirrels are lovely in a stew as well

[Mark Bolam]

What about setting up a sound system playing Kanye West on a loop?

[saintsman54]

2 hours ago, Wendelspanswick said:

In Somerset but part of my problem is that I have National Trust woodland adjoining two of my boundries so I guess as fast as I cull them they will migrate in. ☹️

Have you spoken to them about it? As its National Trust woodland, they are likely to have a Woodland Management Plan and it should include the squirrel as a pest. They may be more keen to undertake control knowing there will be a combined effort?