The secret lives of grey squirrels: ‘The telly was off the wall, plates were smashed, furniture was ripped’

The secret lives of grey squirrels: ‘The telly was off the wall, plates were smashed, furniture was ripped’

This poor lady didn’t close her loft hatch properly and the squirrel got into the flat,” recalls John Silby, a 58-year-old pest controller. “She thought she’d been burgled. The telly was off the wall, plates were smashed, furniture was ripped. We put traps in. When we went back and opened the door, we could smell […]

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UK Research has shown that grey squirrel numbers can be effectively controlled using oral contraceptives

UK Research has shown that grey squirrel numbers can be effectively controlled using oral contraceptives

Research has shown that oral contraceptives for squirrels are effective, and the government is hoping to utilize them to control squirrel populations in the UK. Since being brought to the UK from North America in the 1870s, grey squirrels have become an invasive species. They are an issue for animals, notably red squirrels, who are […]

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Ministry of Defence use pine martens to control the grey squirrel population

Ministry of Defence use pine martens to control the grey squirrel population

The Ministry of Defence has joined the fight against grey squirrels. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has installed pine marten den boxes at the Kirkcudbright Training Area. Non-native grey squirrels have displaced reds on the Balmae area of the site near Dundrennan but research has shown where pine martens are encouraged the more cautious reds flourish. There […]

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POLL: Should invasive animal species, which have cost UK economy more than £5bn over past 50 years, be culled?

POLL: Should invasive animal species, which have cost UK economy more than £5bn over past 50 years, be culled?

Alien invaders in the shape of animals and plants have cost the UK more than £5billion over the past 50 years, researchers estimate. The grey squirrel, European rabbit and Japanese knotweed are among the newcomers placing a financial strain on the economy. And they warn that the cost ‑ one of the highest in Europe […]

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