Squirrels in the Garden

Despite the fact that squirrels can be exciting and entertaining especially for children, they can soon outstay their welcome and can rapidly become a nuisance.
Often seen around gardens, the countryside and general wooded areas, finding a way to eliminate them is therefore a must for some people.
Have you noticed a decline in the number of song birds? The grey squirrel does attack bird nests and they do feed off bird eggs.
As a result understanding prevention techniques can be a blessing to avoid the unwanted visitors.
An awareness of what attracts the animal to the area in the first place is the first key point in your quest to prevent the squirrels coming into the area.
In urban areas their destructive nature is mostly noticeable once they have entered the roof spaces of properties, chewing away at electrical wires and woodwork causing substantial damage, resulting in expensive repair costs for property owners.
Anywhere that appears to provide warmth and shelter are hotspots along with areas that can provide food such as strawberries, plums and apples in gardens.
Putting out bird feeders can also attract them to the area.
In rural and woodland areas, the squirrels favour sycamore and beech trees in particular, creating their own nests which are known as 'dreys' out of twigs and leaves and positioning the dreys at the fork of a tree.
This can often lead to the bark being stripped away and the weakening and loss of new shoots on the tree leaving it misshapen.
If you do find yourself in this situation or are irritated by them, there are measures that can be taken to deter them away from the area.
The most common way to prevent and eliminate squirrels is by repelling them from the area or catching them with either live trappings or spring loaded traps.
It is however important to note that spring traps are not to be used in areas where red squirrels may be present.
The first of the two suggested ways to eliminate squirrels is by using a repellent.
The "Pest-Stop Outdoor Pest Repeller" is an example of a product doing just that.
It emits a powerful burst of ultrasound that deters the animals away, doing so through the motion detectors built in to the device.
This could be seen as a friendlier way to remove them from an area, although there are other alternative methods.
Live Trappings actually catch the squirrel allowing you to dispose of the animal, it is also important to acknowledge that in the UK it is illegal to set a squirrel free once captured.
The most humane way to dispose of a squirrel is to take it to a vet where they can dispose of it for you, although you should ring in advance to make sure they are able to do so.
Alternatively, a local farmer will shoot the unwanted pest for you.