Squirrels!

[[XAP]Bob]

And besides - Pine Martens are cool

[reohn2]

I believe there should be a program of reducing their numbers to an absolute minimum.Extinction isn't possible but native Reds would only prosper as a result.

Irish experience is that the best way to reduce grey squirrels and increase red squirrels is to increase the numbers of pine martens.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ne-martens

A pine marten doesn't usually catch a red squirrel because they can retreat right to the tips of the branches where the martens can't go, but greys are too big to do that. Apparently it's not so much that the pine martens eat lots of grey squirrels (though they do eat a fair number), but that the greys are so nervous when there are martens about that they don't fatten up enough for the winter.

I'm aware of that but are there enough Pine Martins to do the job?
Also once there's a healthy population of Pine Martins and job's done,what do the Pine Martins then eat?
By solving one problem do create another?

[Cyril Haearn]

Pine martens terrorising poor grey squirrels? %(

In natural conditions animal populations fluctuate a lot, after a snowy winter maybe half of the wild horses in the Carneddau died, in the next couple of years more foals were born and survived

The plague greatly reduced the human population of Europe (maybe there were *too many* people before) and maybe enabled society to grow and develop

[Phil Fouracre]

Plague, yup, that would sort a lot of problems out!!

[QUIST]

I've had my front wheel (spokes) wrapped arounf a rat I don't know who was more scared the rat or me

[Fasgadh]

Had a near miss once in Herefordshire. Squirrel just missed me, dropped by a hastily departing buzzard. I did not have a magic hat.

[landsurfer]

The plague greatly reduced the human population of Europe (maybe there were *too many* people before) and maybe enabled society to grow and develop

The funny thing is ... people that advocate modern "de-population" never seem to include their own family in the equation .....

[Mistik-ka]

The plague greatly reduced the human population of Europe (maybe there were *too many* people before) and maybe enabled society to grow and develop

Since this discussion of squirrels has broadened to include mention of plague, it might be noted that plague is still "entrenched" in the southwestern United States, where the bacterium Yersinia pestis resides in the rodent population, including rats, prairie dogs, voles … and squirrels. And yes, it is transmitted to a few humans every year. Happily plague can now be treated with antibiotics, so it seems unlikely that squirrels will have a hand in controlling human population growth.

[gaz]

Squirrel ran into the front wheel this morning. I'd swear it did a whole revolution caught in the spokes before falling out. Front wheel then went over it.

No sign of it after, must have scurried back into the bushes. I can't imagine it's feeling too well .

[rjb]

When I was a lad you could take your dead grey squirrel to the appropriate authority who would pay you 2 Bob for them. The scheme was abandoned in 1958 when they realised they couldn't control them by culling. http://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/hi ... ontrol.php

[fastpedaller]

Nearly picked up a squirrel in the front wheel last week. Today (in car) a huge buzzard swooped down (from the right) in front of my windscreen (almost onto bonnet?) and thinking better of it swooped up again - quite dramatic and spectacular (I was doing about 20mph at the time).

[MikeF]

When I was a lad you could take your dead grey squirrel to the appropriate authority who would pay you 2 Bob for them. The scheme was abandoned in 1958 when they realised they couldn't control them by culling. http://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/hi ... ontrol.php

2 Bob! I must have been living in the wrong county. I thought it was only a tanner.

It's pity there aren't squirrel shoots instead of pheasant shoots. Would reduce the damage caused in the countryside.

[MikeF]

Squirrel ran into the front wheel this morning. I'd swear it did a whole revolution caught in the spokes before falling out. Front wheel then went over it.

No sign of it after, must have scurried back into the bushes. I can't imagine it's feeling too well .

You claim the prize!
I recall standing under a tree when a squirrel missed its footing; it fell flat onto the tarmac underneath. It didn't look to well as it walked away.