SQUIRRELS

Why Squirrels are a Nuisance

Problems with squirrels are increasing. You may not think of them as a pest, in the past
that may have been true, but in more recent times the need for squirrel control has risen. Because of this getting rid of squirrels has become a pest control issue and something that you may need to look at.

While red squirrels have always been a woodland species and are rare in urban areas. They are also a
protected species, so it is illegal to harm or catch one. Most of the issues we deal with are down to the
grey squirrel, which now far outnumbers the red squirrel. Grey squirrels are more likely to be ground
squirrels. They do not stick to the trees. The issues they can cause, which makes them a nuisance,
include damage to garden plants, bark gnawed away on nearby trees, small mounds in your lawn where
food has been hidden, holes in the house siding, and structural damage to property beams if they get
into your garage or loft, as well as fire risks due to damaged electrical wires from gnawing.

How to Spot a Squirrel Infestation

As with moles, squirrels are unlikely to create an infestation in large numbers, however, unlike moles,
they are more sociable and likely to hang around in smaller groups. If you have a squirrel problem in
your property, the first signs are likely to be sound. This is usually down to them gnawing on wooden
beams in the loft or garage.

It is likely that you will notice an increase in sightings in the garden and around the property. You may
even notice damage to the siding on the house. Damage to plants, nearby trees, and your lawn are not
uncommon with a squirrel problem as well. You might even see their nests in nearby trees.

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DEALING WITH SQUIRRELS

What you can do

You need to be very careful when dealing with squirrels and we strongly recommend getting
professionals in. We mentioned earlier that it is illegal to catch or harm red squirrels. It is not illegal to
catch grey squirrels; however, it is illegal to release them into the wild again. This is because they are an
invasive non-native species.

There are not too many repellents for squirrels, so prevention and deterrents are certainly the way to
go. If you notice entry points in the property, then you want to get these covered. The difficulty here is
knowing if the pest is in the property or not when you cover it. To deter squirrels, you will want to
reduce or remove food sources, unfortunately for avid bird watchers, this can mean the bird feeder in
your garden has to go for a while. There are several devices such as ultrasonic deterrents that might be
worth researching.

What we can do

If you have a problem with squirrels, then we fully recommend getting professionals in to help. Getting
rid of squirrels has its issues because of legislation in place for red and grey squirrels. As trained pest
controllers, Pest Interceptors have the knowledge to use a set up of a live trap or traps and/or squirrel
poisons. Whichever option is best we will be able to recommend. Any live squirrels we deal with are
removed and treated humanely. We then look to help prevent squirrels from being a nuisance by covering any entrance to the property and can advise on ways to stop squirrels causing you trouble in future.