Squirrels – and what to do in the light of their invasion.
I’ve pretty well given up on trying to deter squirrels from raiding the bird feeders in my garden.
A friend of mine sort-of won by buying some (cheap) monkey nuts and putting them in an otherwise unused feeder. Squirrels preferred them to ‘normal’ bird food … but of course you have to buy the monkey nuts.
Another friend has tried any number of anti-squirrel devices, designs and contraptions, but over time they, the squirrels, always seem to find a way to get to the food. The only ‘successes’ he gets defeat the birds too.
So, I’m not even trying. Despite the effort the squirrel has to put in to get some food, in truth they don’t seem to eat that much. And if you get beyond viewing them as ‘rats with pretty tails’, there is something to admire about them.
Yes, they are invaders, but no-one’s found a way to eradicate them. I came across the Woodlands site by accident, but that summarises how the grey squirrels arrived in the UK, and offers some links to more information:
(Incidentally, it turns out the Woodlands site is all about woodlands for sale. If you’ve a few thousand quid burning a hole in your pocket …!)
There’s fuller information on the Woodland Trust site:
Background information aside, the photo below is one of a small series I took out of my garden window. Looking more closely than I otherwise might, I was impressed by the colours as well as the richness of the coat – let alone the athleticism required to get onto the feeder in the first place.
The full gallery of photos is on the RG4 site, here:
