UK households given squirrel warning - urged to be on alert 'now'

Wales Online

a day ago

UK households given squirrel warning - urged to be on alert 'now'
Many people like watching grey squirrels hop around their gardens but few know they are actually a foreign invader and can damage gardens, kill birds and even impact your house
The grey squirrels have driven out the traditional British red squirrel
(Image: A J Withey via Getty Images )
Grey squirrels, while often seen as a charming addition to our gardens, are in fact foreign invaders that have forced out the native British red squirrels and can wreak havoc on gardens, harm birds and even pose a threat to your home.
If left unchecked, these grey intruders could infiltrate your loft space, damage timber structures or even tear through plumbing and electrical wiring. Moreover, they pose a significant threat to breeding and nesting birds in gardens.
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According to British Red Squirrel a Forestry Commission survey investigating vulnerable woodlands across Great Britain found that every sycamore stand had been damaged by grey squirrels along with 66% of beech and 30% of oak and sweet chestnut. These invasive mammals also kill and consume wild bird eggs and chicks in residential gardens.
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The organisation further stated: "Grey squirrels eat song-bird chicks and eggs. Research carried out by the Game Conservancy and Wildlife Trust demonstrates that grey squirrels have an adverse impact on many native woodland birds, reducing fledging rates by an average of 15%.
"Grey squirrels can damage maize and fruit crops. They are a threat to orchards and market gardens. They destroy bulbs and corms, eat tree nuts, recently sown seeds and enter into roof voids, damaging thatched and shingled roofs, telephone wires and electricity cables," reports the Express.
"Grey squirrels have driven the native red squirrel to localised extinctions by out-competing the red squirrel for food and habitat and by carrying a lethal squirrel pox virus to which it is immune but which is deadly to the native red squirrel."
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To deter unwelcome squirrels, gardeners can sprinkle chilli powder, disliked intensely by squirrels. However it affects both the much-loved British reds and the invasive greys.
BritishRedSquirrel.org has called on residents to check now if they live in an area with red squirrels or with a reintroduction scheme, stating: "Please contact the conservation group in your area. If you live in an area with only grey squirrels, look on the map to see if there is a grey control project nearby."
Additionally, the organisation encourages the formation of community initiatives against the animals urging: "Please consider setting up a community grey control group."
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Beyond troubling gardens and threatening local wildlife, grey squirrels pose potential risks to property too. Homeowners with grey squirrels inside their property are advised to seek help by property buying specialists Gaffsy, which warns: "If they manage to invade your roof space, they can damage your roof timbers, plumbing and electrical wiring with their biting."
The experts added: "If you currently have grey squirrels nesting in your roof, we would recommend contacting Environmental Health who will be able to address the issue.
"To prevent any further grey squirrels from nesting on your roof, it's important to fix any damage to your roof, such as the eaves and soffits, to prevent them from gaining access. Similarly, use a durable wire mesh and cut back any tree branches to block access."