There are few more contentious  wild animals in the UK than the grey squirrel.  Both loved and despised, the grey squirrel  continues to excite controversy among conservationists, gardeners and animal lovers, and in the mean time this little fellow continues to thrive in woodland, parks  and gardens across much of the UK.

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Grey squirrels were first introduced into Britain - as so many other species have been - in order to ‘enhance’ the estates of the landed gentry, and following the release of the first pair in 1876, greys proved to be adaptable creatures with populations spreading rapidly across the country until there are now thought to be upwards of 2.5 million greys in the UK.

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Grey squirrels are diurnal and spend their days foraging for nuts, berries, seeds,  buds and leaves in trees,  hedgerows and on the ground. Squirrels do not hibernate,  though they do build twiggy nests lined with leaves, fur and feathers and during cold spells they may stay inside their nests –called  dreys - for several days at a time. Squirrels bury stores of nuts and seeds around their territory to see them through hard times and then relocate these caches from scent and memory. 

Mature doe squirrels have two litters a year in the spring and the fall with an average of 3 kits per litter, though younger does only have one litter in the spring. The kits are born naked and blind and are suckled by their mother for 10 weeks before leaving the drey to go off and find a territory of their own.

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The greatest pleasure of having squirrels in the garden is in watching their acrobatics. Squirrels powerful hind legs are double jointed which allows them to  descend trees head first, and with their long balancing tail allow them to leap distances of up to six meters!

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It has to be said that the joy must be tempered with  a little caution, as their dexterity – and their gnawing teeth - means that they can be a pest.    If you maintain bird feeders and nest boxes there is only one thing to do and that is to make them squirrel proof and that can only mean stout wire cages and tall, smooth metal posts on which to  hang the feeders.  It is possible to erect an effective wire cage over the entrance to nesting boxes which will allow parent birds access, while keeping squirrels out. Fruit bushes and tender young tree trunks can be protected by sturdy wire mesh, and if planted bulbs seem to be attracting attention, cover them with a stout wire mesh pegged down with tent pegs

While it is permitted to humanely kill grey squirrels it is not permitted to release them into the wild as they are listed as an alien species so trapping them and releasing them further afield is not an option. Apart from keeping a guard cat to chase them away or employing physical barriers like wire mesh and cages there is little point in attempting to dissuade squirrels from your garden. If you get rid of one, another is bound to come in to take its place.   Noise makers and scent deterrents may work for a short while, but squirrels, like most animals, will soon realise that there isn’t any real threat attached and will ignore it. So if you have squirrels in your garden, spend a little time protecting the vulnerable areas and squirrel-proofing your feeders, then a little more time rigging up a slack-line and squirrel feeder and then sit back and watch their acrobatics!

 

• The debate of red vs grey is ongoing and emotions run high on the subject. Populations of native red squirrels had already plummeted around the time that grey squirrels were introduced due to habitat loss (the felling of thousands of acres of coniferous forest for industry, housing and agriculture)  and hunting  ( between 1903 and 1946 The Highland Squirrel Club alone sponsored the killing of  102,000 red squirrels in Scotland where red squirrels were considered pests). Grey squirrels are more adaptable and hardier than reds and are able to  adapt to different environments and because they can inhabit areas that are inhospitable to reds, grey squirrels have continued to thrive while the reds struggle .  Grey squirrels  are not aggressive to reds, nor do they compete with them directly,  but they do contribute to the stresses upon red squirrel populations because the  greys carry –but are unaffected by -  the Squirrel pox virus.  While greys  have developed immunity to the virus over the years, red squirrels have not  - at least not yet!  Some populations of red squirrel appear to be developing immunity to the virus.