Squirrel lodger

smartie · #1 (**permalink**) 03-10-2006, 04:15 PM

Any good ideas for how I might persuade a squirrel to leave the junk heap we laughingly call a garage? I think it has decided to take up residence for the winter. I've tried the obvious things like leaving the doors open and going away

I also tried putting some tasty nuts just outside the open door to tempt it out and it came down to eat them OK but then scampered back into the rafters. Fond as I am of squirrels, I don't really want to share the house with them. Or scare the living daylights out of one every time I have to go and put something in the recycling boxes.

werdnal · #2 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 09:50 AM

Not had any experience of using them, but you can get those plug in electronic deterrant things, that are supposed to keep rodents out of your house. If you do a Google along those lines, you'll find some.

Best get rid before he/she decides its a nice place to stay - they cause havoc chewing wiring etc. I love them too - we have a couple of regular bird table visitors, but they are basically rats with fluffy tails, so eveything a rat can do, a squirrel is capable of too.

Good luck!

Lance Morgan · #3 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 10:12 AM

You could try trapping it using food as bait then release it somewhere away from the house.
Youd have to get a suitable cage trap though. Alternatively the RSPCA might be able to help.

chunkychambers · #4 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 01:13 PM

A sure fire answer is allow ferrets to run around your garage, the squirels will leave and stay away because of the ferret smell.
Do you know someone who has ferrets?

smartie · #5 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 02:54 PM

I don't think I know anyone who has ferrets, but I'll ask around in case someone I know is a secret ferret fancier. It is wholly indifferent to my cats.

It trashed the garage yesterday - I hope on it's way out

I'm just going to have a look now to see if there are any signs.

Gaina · #6 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 03:08 PM

Whilst reading up on my own visitor, the general consensus seems to be to block up the holes in the squirrels' current residence (outside the breeding season of course) then put a squirrel box up where you don't mind them being (at least 20 feet from the current location) they will quickly settle in there, and trimming back any trees that overhang their current location helps

clairey · #7 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lance Morgan

You could try trapping it using food as bait then release it somewhere away from the house.
Youd have to get a suitable cage trap though. Alternatively the RSPCA might be able to help.

You'd have to be careful if you were going to trap it. squirrels go mad in traps and can do themselves some nasty injuries. Also you'd have to be sneaky as technically I don't think you are allowed to release a grey squirrel once caught as they are alien species. I'm not 100% on this though so you ought to check it out if you are going down this route. Hopefully it will have gone by itself now!

Gaina · #8 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clairey

I don't think you are allowed to release a grey squirrel once caught as they are alien species. I'm not 100% on this though so you ought to check it out if you are going down this route.

On the Hastings online website it says the following...

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is illegal to release grey squirrels or to allow them to escape into the wild.

The Wildlife Trusts says basically the same thing.

littleT · #9 (**permalink**) 05-10-2006, 05:55 PM

So what do they suggest you do with them??

Keep them as pets?

I'll have a look at the links, cheers

smartie · #10 (**permalink**) 06-10-2006, 07:45 AM

We think it has left of its own accord now. No signs for 24 hours. Thanks everyone for advice.

As to my legal position, I'll have to hope that leaving the door open didn't constitute "releasing" it - or that my garden doesn't qualify as the wild (debatable).