Eastern Grey Squirrel, the new terror.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

yes mathieu, they would. and that is why we should exterminate them as quickly as possible. our current lack of action is at the expense of so many native residents.

a natural eco system will of course have species living off other species, in balance. it is the invasives that throw off the balance and create extinctions.

[Fancy]

Taken on my balcony in Toronto in 2006, eating a peanut.

I'm very familiar with squirrels. I favour the red ones - the greys are pushing the locals out and cause more damage.

[matai]

Red one ( I think) taken last fall...

[matai]

Deleted by Trip/Off topic.

[Fancy]

What does that have to do with the grey squirrel that's an invasive species?

[matai]

What does that have to do with the grey squirrel that's an invasive species?

Just showing pictures of squirrels, and invasive species.

[Fancy]

If you don't want your posts removed mathieu, stick to the topic. The greys are a huge problem - the reds are half the size and don't create the damage the greys do. There's a list a mile long but it is sad the smaller squirrels are being pushed out (or eaten by the greys).

[Graphite]

(removed/off-topic [ fluffy)

[A_Britishcolumbian]

i am not getting the impression the city is doing anything to thwart this invasive.

a link to the city form to report and request service.

https://www.kelowna.ca/iService_Request ... .cfm?id=54

[Queen K]

The rabbits of Enterprise were easy to contract out for elimination, compare them serenely munching grass on a boulevard to an agile squirrel.

[Greg055]

Gray Squirrel Update:
Last year I reported that there was 4, maybe 6 in my entire neighborhood. Surprise! I killed TWELVE, and they are still coming, indicating that for every one you count, there are 3 or 4 times more. They breed rapidly, having litters of 3 pups or more, twice a year, so kill action is necessary.

For several years I used only shoo and scare tactics, such as a toy airsoft gun that shoots plastic pellets. My experience with my so-called squirrel proof feeder is that they're useless: birds don't like them, and squirrels get around them. Best is those cheap smaller plastic feeders with 6 "bolts" sticking out for birds to sit on hanging from a long wire. Took them a long time to work up courage to leap down onto it, and, since it was just outside kitchen window, shooting w/airsoft helped keep them off.

If you want to get them close & shoot them with a pellet gun, suet is an irresistible lure.
But the best way to kill them is to use a trap:

1)-A Rat trap, the common steel and wood kind. Cheap, only $3. Place inside a wooden box with peanuts tied onto trigger. It whacks them on the back of the neck and breaks their spine, but they can pull out and suffer until they die from starvation. So check trap and surrounding area frequently if you use them. If still alive whack their heads with a hammer.

2)-Black Box Gopher trap. $23. Drill some holes in thick edges of plastic trap and screw to a length of 2X4 to create a closed space. U will need to cut 2x4 to allow clearance for trap wire. Bait with tied on peanut-in-the-shell. These traps crush throat and windpipe and may break spine also, resulting in rapid death. But, note that they are designed to trigger when gopher attempts to push past trigger, while what you want is for the squirrel to pull at tied up bait. So I bent trigger to bring it closer to outside (making sure to catch neck and not chest or paws), and bent retaining wire to make trigger more delicate to pulling.

3)-Specially made-for-squirrels kill traps. $60 +shipping. Hang on tree. Expensive and available only online. Buckerfields does not carry.

If you use a live trap, then you have the extra job of putting it in a garbage bag and gassing it with your car, perhaps not as stomach-able as merely bagging up an already dead body.

Gray squirrels will chew their way into birdhouses and eat the little birds. They will harass and chase the birds, even quails. They will steal naturalized nesting holes, eg: woodpeckers. They will gather up all the hazelnuts and walnuts before you get them and plant them all over your yard and garden. You will be pulling out deep-rooted little trees everywhere. They have very long sharp front teeth like daggers that can inflict serious damage on property, pets and wildlife. And they do not belong, as cute as they can appear.

Without a serious coordinated kill program with loaner specially made-for-squirrels kill traps supplied by the Regional District and/or City of Kelowna, these invasive species will completely drive out the indigenous squirrels and claim this habitat as their own. Judging from the kill-count on my little piece of property, it may already be too late.

For example, in Woodhaven Wildlife Sanctuary, the Grays are replacing the Browns and the Regional District seems unwilling to do anything. Last year every time I was in there, I saw the Grays chasing the Browns. The Regional District closed the park for winter and restricted access to most of the park to "protect owl habitat," yet do absolutely nothing about protecting the park from a Gray invasion. Shame!

[Swoop]

...anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Castanet PETA group... ... ...

[LordEd]

One of them lives in the trees at parkinson

[ValB58]

Re: Eastern Grey Squirrel, the new terror.
Postby Greg055 » Today, 12:44 pm

Gray Squirrel Update:
Last year I reported that there was 4, maybe 6 in my entire neighborhood. Surprise! I killed TWELVE, and they are still coming, indicating that for every one you count, there are 3 or 4 times more. They breed rapidly, having litters of 3 pups or more, twice a year, so kill action is necessary.

According to your "post count", that is NOT true.

Greg055
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[LordEd]

More places to report invasive species than the forum.

https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/invasive- ... asives.htm