Squirrel Control

[~Annie~]

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My younger daughter shares a house with 3 other girls, one of whom is the homeowner/landlady. They had an infestation of grey squirrels in their loft last autumn and a pest control guy was paid to put poison down and block further access. Until recently all was fine but now the squirrels are back. On the advice of a different pest control person the land lady has now bought squirrel traps which she is bating with nuts ... but rather than release the squirrels she intends to drown them and has bought a box a little bigger than the traps just for the purpose :angry: Now I'm no grey squirrel lover, the squirrel population needs controlling, but not only is what she is planning illegal it is totally inhumane. My daughter is currently on a one woman crusade to do something about this and any advice as to what her options are would be most welcome.

Annie

 

[bertha]

I am sure that is illegal, get onto the RSPCA, much as I hate them, they should prevent this. I hope.

 

[AnnSa]

I think that's so cruel.....I hope your daughter sorts the spiteful

mare out. This is not the way to deal with the problem.

 

[tatsblisters]

The best way to destroy them is with an air rifle with a shot to the head.If any one realeases the caught squirrels in an other area they are breaking the law and could be prosecuted under the wildlife act.atb tats

 

[jinnyfizz]

What an abhorrent woman :rant:

Humane culling is acceptable - but downright cruelty needs preventing. I would call the RSPCA and the environmental health office and get this plan thwarted as soon as possible. I wouldn't be able to continue sharing a property with someone who can contemplate that sort of cruelty so I feel very sorry for the position your daughter is in as well as the squirrels

 

[~Annie~]

What an abhorrent woman :rant: Humane culling is acceptable - but downright cruelty needs preventing. I would call the RSPCA and the environmental health office and get this plan thwarted as soon as possible. I wouldn't be able to continue sharing a property with someone who can contemplate that sort of cruelty so I feel very sorry for the position your daughter is in as well as the squirrels

That's the problem Jane ... she is moving out soon but unless she comes home, which she doesn't want to do at the mo, she is stuck there until the spring For the same reason she doesn't want to contact the RSPCA herself ... sure she wouldn't object if someone else did though 8)

 

[FeeFee]

Drowning is illegal but so is releasing a trapped squirrel to the wild.

http://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/livecatch.html

Unfortunately the two methods of despatch considered humane are either shooting or getting the squirrel into a sack and despatching with a blow to the head, which probably aren't very practical for the average householder. Personally I'd go for professional pest control but I guess she doesn't want to pay for this

 

[mally]

If the lady is prepared to trap them then she should be prepared to despatch them in a humane way. As already mentioned a trapped squirrel should be shot or released into a hessian bag and struck with a blow to it's head.

Even though they are vermin they should be treated with respect all the same and despatched humanely.

I work my whippets, i shoot and i trap for vermin control, but there is one thing i'm not and thats cruel. I make sure all the quarry i hunt is despatched as quick and as humanely as possible and more importantly i respect my quarry. Nothing goes to waste apart from rats. Infact i've just secured a buyer for grey squirrels i now sell them for £2.00 each to a butcher, thats 50 pence more than i get for rabbits!!!! the worlds gone mad lol

 

[~Annie~]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?

Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

 

[mally]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?

He sells them for human consumption. since they were featured on river cottage and the chef programs he can't get enough of them lol. I consider them as tree rats and i used to just feed them to the ferrets.. i don't now though they just get rabbit and pigeon... At £2.00 a pop it's not going to be long before i run out of squirrels to catch... On a more serious note i've noticed alot more songbirds around since i've been controlling the grey squirrels especally goldfinches and greenfinches.

 

[FeeFee]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?
Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

Interesting - it's not illegal to kill domestic animals with a bolt gun, a lot of greyhounds get dispatched that way sadly, so I'm not sure what the legal situation would be if she used one on a trapped squirrel. I suppose the danger is that it has to be done very accurately for the animal not to suffer, and that would be pretty impossible with a frantic squirrel.

I'm amazed they are worth as much as £2 for meat :wacko:

 

[mally]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?
Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

Interesting - it's not illegal to kill domestic animals with a bolt gun, a lot of greyhounds get dispatched that way sadly, so I'm not sure what the legal situation would be if she used one on a trapped squirrel. I suppose the danger is that it has to be done very accurately for the animal not to suffer, and that would be pretty impossible with a frantic squirrel.

I'm amazed they are worth as much as £2 for meat :wacko:

You could you never kill a squirrel with a bolt gun???? have you ever seen a squirrel thats in a trap?? they are pure evil. They would soon sink there teeth into your hand or any other part of your anatomy they could get hold of lol. You would need to hold the squirrel to shoot it with a bolt gun. What we were talking about is despathing the squirrel with an airrifle.

I generally use a hassian sack. i release the squirrel into the sack then hit it with a priest. This causes alot less stress to the squirrel and it's the most humane way i can think of of despatching them.

They do need controlling, but they should always be controlled by a competent person to aviod any unnecessary suffering.

 

[~Annie~]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?
Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

Interesting - it's not illegal to kill domestic animals with a bolt gun, a lot of greyhounds get dispatched that way sadly, so I'm not sure what the legal situation would be if she used one on a trapped squirrel. I suppose the danger is that it has to be done very accurately for the animal not to suffer, and that would be pretty impossible with a frantic squirrel.

I'm amazed they are worth as much as £2 for meat :wacko:

You could you never kill a squirrel with a bolt gun???? have you ever seen a squirrel thats in a trap?? they are pure evil. They would soon sink there teeth into your hand or any other part of your anatomy they could get hold of lol. You would need to hold the squirrel to shoot it with a bolt gun. What we were talking about is despathing the squirrel with an airrifle.

I generally use a hassian sack. i release the squirrel into the sack then hit it with a priest. This causes alot less stress to the squirrel and it's the most humane way i can think of of despatching them.

They do need controlling, but they should always be controlled by a competent person to aviod any unnecessary suffering.

Exactly so :thumbsup: As since yesterday this has become something of a squirrel massacre by drowning (I believe we are at 5 and counting) I have alerted the appropriate authorities.

 

[tatsblisters]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?
Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

Interesting - it's not illegal to kill domestic animals with a bolt gun, a lot of greyhounds get dispatched that way sadly, so I'm not sure what the legal situation would be if she used one on a trapped squirrel. I suppose the danger is that it has to be done very accurately for the animal not to suffer, and that would be pretty impossible with a frantic squirrel.

I'm amazed they are worth as much as £2 for meat :wacko:

You could you never kill a squirrel with a bolt gun???? have you ever seen a squirrel thats in a trap?? they are pure evil. They would soon sink there teeth into your hand or any other part of your anatomy they could get hold of lol. You would need to hold the squirrel to shoot it with a bolt gun. What we were talking about is despathing the squirrel with an airrifle.

I generally use a hassian sack. i release the squirrel into the sack then hit it with a priest. This causes alot less stress to the squirrel and it's the most humane way i can think of of despatching them.

They do need controlling, but they should always be controlled by a competent person to aviod any unnecessary suffering.

Exactly so :thumbsup: As since yesterday this has become something of a squirrel massacre by drowning (I believe we are at 5 and counting) I have alerted the appropriate authorities.

Would you sooner her release them than drown them.Who might the appropriate authorities be.

 

[~Annie~]

What does the butcher do with the squirrels ?
Quite agree this person should be prepared to dispatch the squirrels humanely ... we knew you could shoot them but hadn't realised that a blow to the head was also allowed. My daughter is here this evening but phoned her house mate earlier to tell her this and the woman's reply was "I have a nail gun I was thinking I might use" :rant:

Don't worry ... we won't leave it there !

Interesting - it's not illegal to kill domestic animals with a bolt gun, a lot of greyhounds get dispatched that way sadly, so I'm not sure what the legal situation would be if she used one on a trapped squirrel. I suppose the danger is that it has to be done very accurately for the animal not to suffer, and that would be pretty impossible with a frantic squirrel.

I'm amazed they are worth as much as £2 for meat :wacko:

You could you never kill a squirrel with a bolt gun???? have you ever seen a squirrel thats in a trap?? they are pure evil. They would soon sink there teeth into your hand or any other part of your anatomy they could get hold of lol. You would need to hold the squirrel to shoot it with a bolt gun. What we were talking about is despathing the squirrel with an airrifle.

I generally use a hassian sack. i release the squirrel into the sack then hit it with a priest. This causes alot less stress to the squirrel and it's the most humane way i can think of of despatching them.

They do need controlling, but they should always be controlled by a competent person to aviod any unnecessary suffering.

Exactly so :thumbsup: As since yesterday this has become something of a squirrel massacre by drowning (I believe we are at 5 and counting) I have alerted the appropriate authorities.

Would you sooner her release them than drown them.Who might the appropriate authorities be.

I would prefer her to call in a professional if she can't do the job humanely herself ... these squirrels are being enticed into squirrel traps and the traps are then being placed in a water filled wheely bin and the lid closed to hold the trap down until the squirrel has drowned ... I'm no squirrel lover but that is callous, cruel and doesn't minimise suffering. I would prefer her to abide by the law ... drowning, gassing or killing by any other means than shooting or administering a single blow to the head is banned under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. As Mally points out it's not that difficult to do the job properly.

 

[Nellie]

mentalchicken does the law actually say that? Snares are LEGAL and lethal when used correctly :thumbsup: as are bodygrip traps, gassing isn't illegal although indescriminate with what it does kill and does it actually say "a blow to the head" as acceptable?

 

[~Annie~]

mentalchicken does the law actually say that? Snares are LEGAL and lethal when used correctly :thumbsup: as are bodygrip traps, gassing isn't illegal although indescriminate with what it does kill and does it actually say "a blow to the head" as acceptable?

No it doesn't say that ... the law says (as I suspect you know)

If, save as permitted by this Act, any person mutilates, kicks, beats, nails or otherwise impales, stabs, burns, stones, crushes, drowns, drags or asphyxiates any wild mammal with intent to inflict unnecessary suffering he shall be guilty of an offence.

 

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of—

 

a)the attempted killing of any such wild mammal as an act of mercy if he shows that the mammal had been so seriously disabled otherwise than by his unlawful act that there was no reasonable chance of its recovering;

 

b)the killing in a reasonably swift and humane manner of any such wild mammal if he shows that the wild mammal had been injured or taken in the course of either lawful shooting, hunting, coursing or lawful pest control activity;

 

c) doing anything which is authorised by or under any enactment;

 

d)any act made unlawful by section 1 if the act was done by means of any snare, trap, dog, or bird lawfully used for the purpose of killing or taking any wild mammal; or

 

e)the lawful use of any poisonous or noxious substance on any wild mammal.

Trapping and then drowning healthy squirrels is not generally considered humane dispatch, and by the same token a single blow to the head would be humane where bludgeoning to death would not.

 

[Nellie]

No it doesn't say that ... the law says (as I suspect you know)

If, save as permitted by this Act, any person mutilates, kicks, beats, nails or otherwise impales, stabs, burns, stones, crushes, drowns, drags or asphyxiates any wild mammal with intent to inflict unnecessary suffering he shall be guilty of an offence.

 

A person shall not be guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of

 

d)any act made unlawful by section 1 if the act was done by means of any snare, TRAP, dog, or bird lawfully used for the purpose of killing or taking any wild mammal;

 

BUT the squirrel would be trapped, being vermin it cannot be allowed to be released anywhere else, cant be kept without a license :- you could always apply for one and let your daughter bring them home to you to look after problem solved and you'll feel so much better that its not dead

 

[masta]

My younger daughter shares a house with 3 other girls, one of whom is the homeowner/landlady. They had an infestation of grey squirrels in their loft last autumn and a pest control guy was paid to put poison down and block further access. Until recently all was fine but now the squirrels are back. On the advice of a different pest control person the land lady has now bought squirrel traps which she is bating with nuts ... but rather than release the squirrels she intends to drown them and has bought a box a little bigger than the traps just for the purpose :angry: Now I'm no grey squirrel lover, the squirrel population needs controlling, but not only is what she is planning illegal it is totally inhumane. My daughter is currently on a one woman crusade to do something about this and any advice as to what her options are would be most welcome.

Annie

has your daughter seen them being dispatched?? because getting the RSPCA (i doubt they will) invovled she will need sound evidence that it happened rather than heresay,, do you there may be some leg pulling going on

 

[~Annie~]

Nellie ... in my book a dead grey squirrel is generally better than a live one (sorry if that offends anyone, but they are vermin) but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't be dispatched humanely. I respect any living thing, even those that need culling.

Masta ... sadly yes my daughter has seen this ... no leg pull trust me. They are uni students in a house belonging to a private landlord ... it's not just the RSPCA who have the capacity to stop this 8)