If you’ve never had a problem with squirrels in your home, the prospect of a bushy tailed, tufty eared Nutkin terrorising a homeowner might at first be mildly amusing. However, squirrels should not be underestimated. These creatures can be dangerous and an invasion in the home is a serious issue.
One woman in Ayrshire found herself afraid to enter her kitchen for fear of the little blighters, which had been living in her home for three years. The squirrels had mined their way into the house, digging a hole under the porch and emerging from inside the walls. Even pest controllers couldn’t rid Michelle Collins of the clever animals which managed to evade eviction and chewed holes in the doors and skirting boards.
Squirrels are capable of causing a great deal of damage which can prove costly to remedy. Chewed cables, damaged lead flashings and gnawed eaves are not beyond them and the damage is often only realised once water ingress or other problems are discovered. They can also be vicious and will claw and bite if threatened.
What’s the difference between red and grey squirrels?
The larger grey squirrel is more successful than our native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in the competition for food and habitat, and are more efficient at digesting seeds with a high tannin content, such as acorns. Grey squirrels transmit a squirrelpox virus which will normally kills red squirrels. Red squirrels are endangered and account for just 6% of the UK squirrel population.
Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians, who considered them an ‘ornamental addition’ to large estates and country houses. It took 60 years for it to become illegal to release them, by which time they had become well established.
What squirrel control is available?
The British Pest Control Association deals with thousands of squirrel problems every year. The organisation says the damage caused has increased as the population of grey squirrels has grown.
Home owners don’t have access to the poison used by pest controllers to kill grey squirrels. Usually, the only action that can be taken is to block up the access points in the property. Places to check include the eaves and fascias, where gaps and areas not properly screwed down can provide easy access.
Pest controllers cannot trap or kill grey squirrels until they enter the loft or other rooms of the house. They cannot be exterminated if they are in the gutters or on the roof. They might put down poison or attempt to frighten the squirrels out of the house, then block the holes by which they gained entry.
Read more about pest control on your property: https://www.gov.uk/pest-control-on-your-property