Squirrels

[cairnoscar]

Hi

Can anyone suggest a humane way to dispose of squirrels after capture? I understand that you cannot release them in the wild

[seasprout]

I listened to a podcast recently from Wiggly Wigglers about this very issue.

It is illegal to re-release grey squirrels back into the wild as they are classed as vermin.

There are 3 legal ways to deal with them.
1, Shoot them with an air rifle
2, Remove the squirrel from the cage into a hessian sack (i kid you not) and hit it over the head.
3, Take the squirrel to a vet who will humanly destroy it for you.

It's important to realise if you remove a squirrel from an area, other squirrels will occupy that area sooner rather than later.

[yoanbob]

put its head in a small cloth bag so it cant see, get out the clever and chop! theres good eating on a squirrel

[PAULW]

But be careful the teeth and claws are very sharp.

[Nicos]

Will a vet put them down for free??
I know they are supposed to treat wildlife for free, but what about putting them down????

[seasprout]

Will a vet put them down for free??
I know they are supposed to treat wildlife for free, but what about putting them down????

No. I'm sure they will charge you. They run a business.

I know a wildlife hospital that accidently lets them go in thick woodland.

[Nicos]

A neighbour of mine 'put down' ( somewhere) over 30 in a 3 yr period.
We still have them in the garden pinching the bird food!

[jeannine]

Anyone who thinks squirrels are good eating clearly hasn't tried one.

In what way do you feel the need to control them by killing them? Have you thought about the important role they play by planting trees?

CLUE: there is a reason why trees grow nuts.

We are now at a stage where we realise that the old 'vermin' classifications are seriously out of date. For example, we used to think wasps were just a pest, now we know they play a central role in keeping down aphid numbers.

Can you tell us a little more about your squirrel problem?

[bubblewrap]

Claver squirrels

YouTube - Squirrels Complete Insane Obstacle Course

[Ethansmum]

I love squirrels I really do, but when the ate our fachias (sp?) and got into the roof they made our lives a nightmare. All I could hear was them chewing on the wood up there amd constant running around. We had no choice to pull down there nest. I never could catch the little b*ggers - they are just too clever!

[PAULW]

Can you tell us a little more about your squirrel problem?

Simple the grey squirrel is an alien species introduced by the victorians, have you not noticed the problems caused by alien species ie mink/grey squirrel/ american crayfish/chinese burrowing crabs to name a few.

[simonb6714]

Just checked this out it's definitely true, illegal to release them as they are an invasive species. https://www.rsne.org.uk/squirrels-and-law Wouldn't want to risk getting bit or scratched trying to dispatch one. Too bad you can't just release them somewhere else.

[Stan79]

Safest/most humane way is to hire a professional.

If you come to the decision that you have to do it and choose to do it yourself, I would suggest an air rifle to dispatch it once you’ve trapped it as it’s quiet, simple to use and you don’t have to have direct contact with it with the squirrel causing it (and yourself unecessary distress).

They will scratch and bite if you try and handle them and they carry disease so wear gloves.

I’ll repeat my first suggestion though... hire a professional if you have any doubts. Air rifles can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing and as above, there are other risks involved.

[Jay-ell]

Anyone deciding on the use an air rife or any other rifle must be competent in its use and capable of delivering a kill shot in one shot. Causing an instant kill is not as simple as it may sound, although an air rifle might be easy to use, gaining competence with it is a case of practice. Consider joining an Air Rifle club and learning to shoot first if you do feel you need an air rifle to control pests.

You can use DEFRA approved traps to trap grey squirrels - these can either be live traps (you would then need to humanely kill the squirrel afterwards) or spring traps which will kill the squirrel outright. You have to ensure that no non-target animals can be caught in the trap by mistake.

[Logunner]

Anyone deciding on the use an air rife or any other rifle must be competent in its use and capable of delivering a kill shot in one shot. Causing an instant kill is not as simple as it may sound, although an air rifle might be easy to use, gaining competence with it is a case of practice. Consider joining an Air Rifle club and learning to shoot first if you do feel you need an air rifle to control pests.

You can use DEFRA approved traps to trap grey squirrels - these can either be live traps (you would then need to humanely kill the squirrel afterwards) or spring traps which will kill the squirrel outright. You have to ensure that no non-target animals can be caught in the trap by mistake.

I’ll add that if using an air rifle, please make sure you use .22 for squirrels

I also echo the advice on ensuring proficiency before attempting to control any pests, and check the general licence as much has changed in recent weeks.