You mean grey squirrels? Surely they are next on the government's culling
list. After all, like the ruddy duck, the bloody grey squirrel is depleting
the native population of red squirrels to extinction.

They make a good pie apparently.

Regards
Don


paul wrote in message
. ..
can anyone recomend a good way of stopping squirrels from digging up my
bulbs in the pots on my patio.

In article ,
(Don) wrote:

Surely they are next on the government's culling
list.

Indeed but there's all those Iraqis to get through first

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Don" wrote in message
...
You mean grey squirrels? Surely they are next on the government's culling
list. After all, like the ruddy duck, the bloody grey squirrel is
depleting
the native population of red squirrels to extinction.

(1) The Ruddy Duck is having no visible or noticeable effect on any UK
native population of anything, let alone red squirrels.
(2) The experts are no longer so sure that the presence of grey squirrels
was responsible for the decline in red squirrels, either.
(3) It would be very difficult to eradicate all the grey squirrels in the
UK, so the Govt. is unlikely to make their eradication a target.


They make a good pie apparently.


They know how to cook? blimey!

"paul" wrote in message
. ..
can anyone recomend a good way of stopping squirrels from digging up my
bulbs in the pots on my patio.

Get a rat/mink trap from Mole Valley Farmers, they have a branch in
Bridgwater and supply mail order.

Having caught the squirrel you will have to dispose of it, and I don't
mean release it somewhere else!

Alan
--
Reply to alan(at)windsor-berks(dot)freeserve(dot)co(dot)uk

On Fri, 7 Mar 2003 08:41:03 -0000, "paul"
wrote:

~can anyone recomend a good way of stopping squirrels from digging up my
~bulbs in the pots on my patio.
~

Hi (delurking

I've had this problem for years. I have two main solutions:

1) 1" galvanised mesh sheets can be bought from garden centres, and I
cut it with wirecutters into circles just smaller than the top of the
pot. These get laid on the surface after planting and just covered.
When the shoots get to about 2" high through the mesh, you can gently
lift it off. Tulips tend to push up the mesh as their leaves unfurl,
or deform slightly: other bulbs are better.

2) Upturned wire hanging baskets! Most of my bulb pots are 10-12"
diameter terracotta and so 12-14" baskets fit neatly over the top and
don't deform or obstruct the shoots as they grow. Again, lift off when
the bulbs are a couple of inches high, when the squirrels won't be
interested. By this time you'll want the baskets for planting up
anyway :-)

I've got two 15" pots of jetfire narcissi, tulips and grape hyacinths
that are just starting to look wonderful thanks to method number 1.
They are currently sitting on top of the removed mesh so I can reuse
it next year.

I don't recommend the cat method as mine's too lazy to chase the
squirrels anyway :-)

I did once check up on the govt websites about grey squirrels. They
are officially vermin. This means you can trap or kill them at will.
If you trap one, it's is illegal to let it go again on someone else's
property, so unless you let it go in your own garden, defeating the
object, you are back to killing them. They're only rats with good
publicity, anyway.

Good luck


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove nospam from replies, thanks!

On Sun, 9 Mar 2003 23:46:09 -0000, "Alan Holmes"
wrote:

"paul" wrote in message
. ..
can anyone recomend a good way of stopping squirrels from digging up my
bulbs in the pots on my patio.

Get a rat/mink trap from Mole Valley Farmers, they have a branch in
Bridgwater and supply mail order.

I have two live traps, one raccoon size (the size of a *very* fat
cat), one "squirrel" size. The larger, raccoonish one is the more
successful at catching grey squirrels.

Bait with peanut butter, if you can find the stuff. Or run
roasted peanuts through a meatgrinder or food processor until
they are turned to paste.


--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

I can tell you that it is impossible to move around here without
encountering ruddy ducks hiding behind trees waiting to club our local red
squirrels on the head. Believe me I've had a few near misses.

Seriously though, I cannot believe that there is any doubt about the grey
squirrel causing the decline in red squirrel numbers. Red squirrels used to
be common throughout the UK in broad leaved and conifer woods but now are
confined to the extremities of the UK. Grey squirrels occur elsewhere. The
areas do not interlap. No disease or other cause is known which could have
depleted the numbers of red squirrels which are doing extremely well in all
woodland environments on the European continent. Grey squirrels are
extremely territorial and aggressive and I have myself seen how they react
to red squirrels. How do the "experts" explain the seemingly inexplicable
decline (only in the UK where grey squirrels exist) of the red squirrel if
not due to grey squirrel expansion coincidently into the habitats the red
squirrels have lost out of?

I know it would be difficult to eradicate the grey squirrel (but not
impossible) when (with tongue in cheek) the effect of these aggressive
interlopers is much more pronounced on the UK habitats than the ruddy duck
could ever be. I.e., I am suggesting that the current campaign against the
ruddy duck is not motivated by any rational demand from within the UK or
driven by UK environmental concerns.

Regards
Don

BAC wrote in message
...

"Don" wrote in message
...
You mean grey squirrels? Surely they are next on the government's
culling
list. After all, like the ruddy duck, the bloody grey squirrel is
depleting
the native population of red squirrels to extinction.

(1) The Ruddy Duck is having no visible or noticeable effect on any UK
native population of anything, let alone red squirrels.
(2) The experts are no longer so sure that the presence of grey
squirrels
was responsible for the decline in red squirrels, either.
(3) It would be very difficult to eradicate all the grey squirrels in
the
UK, so the Govt. is unlikely to make their eradication a target.


They make a good pie apparently.


They know how to cook? blimey!

"BAC" wrote
"Don" wrote
They make a good pie apparently.


They know how to cook? blimey!

Apparantly Elvis loved eating Sothern Fried squirrel...........
http://www.totalhunter.com/index.php...ed_squirrel.ht
ml

http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetIULU/fad/squirrel5.txt

http://maindish.allrecipes.com/AZ/SlwCkdSqirrl.asp

Jenny :~)

On Fri, 7 Mar 2003 08:41:03 -0000, "paul"
wrote:

can anyone recomend a good way of stopping squirrels from digging up my
bulbs in the pots on my patio.


I find that an ounce of lead shot discharged at 1400 ft/sec in their
direction usualy stops them!
--
Derek Turner

Outlook Express is worth precisely what you paid for it.

Don wrote:

I can tell you that it is impossible to move around here without
encountering ruddy ducks hiding behind trees waiting to club our local red
squirrels on the head. Believe me I've had a few near misses.

Seriously though, I cannot believe that there is any doubt about the grey
squirrel causing the decline in red squirrel numbers. Red squirrels used to
be common throughout the UK in broad leaved and conifer woods but now are
confined to the extremities of the UK. Grey squirrels occur elsewhere. The
areas do not interlap. No disease or other cause is known which could have
depleted the numbers of red squirrels which are doing extremely well in all
woodland environments on the European continent. Grey squirrels are
extremely territorial and aggressive and I have myself seen how they react
to red squirrels. How do the "experts" explain the seemingly inexplicable
decline (only in the UK where grey squirrels exist) of the red squirrel if
not due to grey squirrel expansion coincidently into the habitats the red
squirrels have lost out of?

Well the red squirrel is holding its own in some parts of the country. It
seems to have at least something to do with the decline in their favoured
habitat. They have a much more restricted diet than grey squirrels.

Note that in Canada the red squirrel is doing fine although it coexists
with quite a few species of other, larger squirrels including the grey
squirrel.
Anita

In article ,
"A.Malhotra" writes:
|
| ... How do the "experts" explain the seemingly inexplicable
| decline (only in the UK where grey squirrels exist) of the red squirrel if
| not due to grey squirrel expansion coincidently into the habitats the red
| squirrels have lost out of?
|
| Well the red squirrel is holding its own in some parts of the country. It
| seems to have at least something to do with the decline in their favoured
| habitat. They have a much more restricted diet than grey squirrels.

The evidence that I have seen is the primary cause of the decline is
the near-demise of mixed-age and open coniferous (especially pine)
woodland. Some predictions are that the red squirrels may stage a
partial recovery over the next couple of decades, as some existing
pulpwood forestry matures, but will then decline again if clear
felling is used.

On the other hand, all of those analyses indicated that the presence
of grey squirrels in marginal conditions led to the rapid extinction
of the red ones.

| Note that in Canada the red squirrel is doing fine although it coexists
| with quite a few species of other, larger squirrels including the grey
| squirrel.

Quite.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren,
University of Cambridge Computing Service,
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QH, England.
Email:
Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679

In article ,
(Rodger Whitlock) wrote:

Bait with peanut butter

I've tried that but something smaller always gets there first. Same with
real peanuts. The trap is sprung and the something smaller can get out
:-(

Unbaited traps stay unsprung for months.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

"Don" wrote in message
...
snip

Seriously though, I cannot believe that there is any doubt about the grey
squirrel causing the decline in red squirrel numbers. Red squirrels used
to
be common throughout the UK in broad leaved and conifer woods but now are
confined to the extremities of the UK. Grey squirrels occur elsewhere. The
areas do not interlap. No disease or other cause is known which could have
depleted the numbers of red squirrels which are doing extremely well in
all
woodland environments on the European continent. Grey squirrels are
extremely territorial and aggressive and I have myself seen how they react
to red squirrels. How do the "experts" explain the seemingly inexplicable
decline (only in the UK where grey squirrels exist) of the red squirrel if
not due to grey squirrel expansion coincidently into the habitats the red
squirrels have lost out of?

I don't know, however it seems to be the case that opinion is now that the
rise of the grey squirrel at the same time as the fall of the red squirrel,
was, in part at least, a coincidence.

Why, therefore, it remains necessary to keep greys out of red strongholds to
ensure the survival of the latter is a mystery to me :-)


I know it would be difficult to eradicate the grey squirrel (but not
impossible) when (with tongue in cheek) the effect of these aggressive
interlopers is much more pronounced on the UK habitats than the ruddy duck
could ever be. I.e., I am suggesting that the current campaign against the
ruddy duck is not motivated by any rational demand from within the UK or
driven by UK environmental concerns.


I agree with you about that, but there are those who take the wider view,
and who believe the eradication of all ruddy ducks from Europe to be
essential to ensure that RDs don't interbreed with White Headed Ducks (there
are a few in Spain, more in Eastern Europe and Asia) and dilute their gene
pool.

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 16:07:56 -0000, BAC wrote:

Why, therefore, it remains necessary to keep greys out of red
strongholds to ensure the survival of the latter is a mystery to me
:-)

Not quite sure why you have the smiley.

The Red lives in a more restricted habitat and is shyer than the Grey
which is not much more than an opportunistic tree rat. In direct
competition the Grey will win.

--
Cheers
Dave. Remove "spam" for valid email.

The message . network
from "Dave Liquorice" contains these words:

On Tue, 11 Mar 2003 16:07:56 -0000, BAC wrote:

Why, therefore, it remains necessary to keep greys out of red
strongholds to ensure the survival of the latter is a mystery to me
:-)

Not quite sure why you have the smiley.

The Red lives in a more restricted habitat and is shyer than the Grey
which is not much more than an opportunistic tree rat. In direct
competition the Grey will win.

I heard recently that if female red squirrels don't get enough to
eat, they don't reach breeding weight, which is why the red population
drops.Greys eat a much wider range of food so breed more easily. There
are areas around south Loch Lomond where both greys and reds live;
probably because it's well wooded with native species so there is more
than enough food for all.

Arran has only reds. Just in the last week, conservationists have
erected two high rope "squirrel bridges" (with the help of the local
fire brigade) across a treelined road where many squirrels get hit by
cars...iirc, around 11 last Oct/Nov.

Janet.