Squirrels.

[Phil Pascoe]

Ask anyone from Australia about introduced species and the problems they cause, Cane Toads, Rabbits and yes cats, which have gone feral and destroy native species in huge numbers potentially threatening them with extinction in some cases.

Possums in NZ. Years ago it was estimated that there were 80,000,000 of of them, and yes they are destructive.

 

[Homeless Squirrel]

Can we start a thread on the introduction of Beavers and their destructive nature?

Can just imagine Beaver damage in say 30 years with them felling trees (mind by then most likely won't be many trees left with all the greenfield building going on!)Damming the river Severn, West midlands/Birmingham etc under water! Mind not such a bad thing most likely!!!

 

[TRITON]

And as for the assertion that they dont kill anything, this is quite wrong. They are omnivores, they will take eggs, and young birds from the nest, smaller rodents, basically anything they can catch.

As are red squirrels.

Invasive species is the keyword here, and the Grey is an invasive species. and we really should be doing all we can to eradicate all invasive species.

The red squirrel is natural to our country, it is part of our natural environment, we should be doing all we can to preserve that. And NO, the red left to rehabit freely, would not cause anywhere near the problems the Grey causes.

As for Cats, they shouldn't be allowed outside without a bell round their necks, and cat owners should stop them going into other peoples gardens.

For starters WE are the most invasive and damaging species on earth and have because of our behaviour caused the extinction of many species of animals.

What has happened is completely natural. Different species or sub groups find their way about and dominate the ones who are there. That is a story played out over millennia, and A. has nowt to do with us, or B can be influenced by us, because we simply arent qualified to judge.

 

[Tris]

Dinosaurs were native but would you really want to re-introduce them?
Most of what we call native has only been here since the last ice age and got across before the water rose. Human meddling helped the rest

 

[Phil Pascoe]

For starters WE are the most invasive and damaging species on earth and have because of our behaviour caused the extinction of many species of animals.

Yes, but 99%+ of all life forms ever extant on earth are extinct - I doubt man was responsible for many of them.

 

[selectortone]

I had a squirrel take up residence in a corner of the loft, behind a wall close by where I had a makeshift office. He was starting to make himself well at home, stowing nuts and grass bedding. When he began gnawing at cables I was worried about the fire risk and he had to go. Shooing him away didn't work; he just came back after a few minutes. Destroying the nest didn't work either, and he was more than a match for the cat.

In the end I put a transistor radio up there blasting out Radio 1 at full volume for a day. He never came back. True story.

 

[jim1950]

the only good gray squirrel is in the country it came from not the UK

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My mother went on holiday and we looked in at her house every day for the first few days then every few days. We went there one day and found a scene of devastation - there were dozens of ornaments, Doulton, Meissen, LLadro, Limoges etc. smashed on the floor and the meeting rails of every iroko window chewed. A squirrel had got down the chimney and jumped from shelf to shelf to the mantlepiece and back again who knows how many times. It was nearly dead when we found it. For some reason it didn't set the burglar alarms off.

 

[Inspector]

I'd be delighted if you guys took your Starlings back.

Pete

 

[Fergie 307]

As are red squirrels.


For starters WE are the most invasive and damaging species on earth and have because of our behaviour caused the extinction of many species of animals.

What has happened is completely natural. Different species or sub groups find their way about and dominate the ones who are there. That is a story played out over millennia, and A. has nowt to do with us, or B can be influenced by us, because we simply arent qualified to judge.

Have to agree with you concerning humans. The best thing that could happen for virtually every other species would be for us to be exterminated, not that I am advocating that! But I am talking about species introduced deliberately, or accidentally, by man, often in places where they would never have shown up under their own steam. We have done this countless times, with sometimes disastrous consequences. Usually because we either don't understand the implications of what we are doing, or because those involved frankly didn't give a damn. Nothing remotely natural about it. Where we have damaged an ecosystem by this recklessness, surely we ought to attempt to put the damage right.

 

[Fergie 307]

they are not destructive, quite the opposite, they help to create diversity, they are a benefit to our wild places.

I saw they are talking about 're introducing them in California, apparently after the recent fires the only areas that survived were those with beavers, which create wetland areas. These areas survived and also act as natural firebreaks. They have also started to take note of the Native Americans who have long practiced controlled burning and other techniques of management, ignored by the government. Their managed land's also sustained significantly less damage apparently. I had read about this before, I think in NG, Interesting programme on the Beeb about this very subject just last night.

 

[Fergie 307]

I had a squirrel take up residence in a corner of the loft, behind a wall close by where I had a makeshift office. He was starting to make himself well at home, stowing nuts and grass bedding. When he began gnawing at cables I was worried about the fire risk and he had to go. Shooing him away didn't work; he just came back after a few minutes. Destroying the nest didn't work either, and he was more than a match for the cat.

In the end I put a transistor radio up there blasting out Radio 1 at full volume for a day. He never came back. True story.

Where's Wogan, or Tony Blackburn when you need them

 

[Fergie 307]

I'd be delighted if you guys took your Starlings back.

Pete

You can keep them. Blooming things empty my feeders in minutes. Got one with a cage round it, but they soon worked out how to tip it up and spill the stuff where they could get at it. So far Starlings 2 me nil

 

[MikeJhn]

they are not destructive, quite the opposite, they help to create diversity, they are a benefit to our wild places.

Beavers are very destructed to the river side environment especially where the Woodland Trust have planted trees to prevent bank side erosion, and to the migration of our indigenous species of Salmon and Sea Trout, the re-introduction of them damages the eco system in the UK, Bison in Kent and Wolves in Scotland whatever next, although I would not mind a Pterodactyl or two, but not big ones.

 

[Pineapple]

Invasive species is the keyword here, and the Grey is an invasive species. and we really should be doing all we can to eradicate all invasive species.

The red squirrel is natural to our country, it is part of our natural environment, we should be doing all we can to preserve that. And NO, the red left to rehabit freely, would not cause anywhere near the problems the Grey causes.

As for Cats, they shouldn't be allowed outside without a bell round their necks, and cat owners should stop them going into other peoples gardens.

I have found that Lion Dung; sourced from any zoo & strewn around the perimeter of the garden Completely Stops Cats from using my garden as a toilet !

 

[Orraloon]

Have to agree with you concerning humans. The best thing that could happen for virtually every other species would be for us to be exterminated, not that I am advocating that! But I am talking about species introduced deliberately, or accidentally, by man, often in places where they would never have shown up under their own steam. We have done this countless times, with sometimes disastrous consequences. Usually because we either don't understand the implications of what we are doing, or because those involved frankly didn't give a damn. Nothing remotely natural about it. Where we have damaged an ecosystem by this recklessness, surely we ought to attempt to put the damage right.

Introduced species used to be looked on as a good thing but in Australia we had too many people trying to do good. There is quite a list and most of them are doing huge harm to the place. I guess sheep, cattle, pigs, and other farm animals we need and we are finding ways to limit the damage they do as long as they stay on the farm but pigs are a huge problem and even horses and donkeys when they go feral. Likewise cats. Then we have dogs, deer (several species), camels, water buffalo, rabbits, rats, mice, turkeys, pigeons, guinea foul, sparrows, STARLINGS, ostriches, cane toads, some ants, cockroaches. Thats just what I can rattle off and the list is likely much longer. We are blessed in that so far no grey squirrels have showed up.
Regards
John

 

[Scruples]

Hmm...Grey squirrels have been coming to our land from the 1890s. How long does it take before they become native? If we follow the same standards as human migration, it would be about one generation, right?

 

[Rewound]

Hmm...Grey squirrels have been coming to our land from the 1890s. How long does it take before they become native? If we follow the same standards as human migration, it would be about one generation, right?

if we applied the same concepts we would be screaming RACIST at the reds.

 

[John Brown]

I have found that Lion Dung; sourced from any zoo & strewn around the perimeter of the garden Completely Stops Cats from using my garden as a toilet !

I've found that chopping my head off stops me getting toothache.

 

[Recky33]

Hmm...Grey squirrels have been coming to our land from the 1890s. How long does it take before they become native? If we follow the same standards as human migration, it would be about one generation, right?

Hmm.. Black Death came to these shores quite a while back as well, should that be claimed as an English native disease. Grey's also carry squirrel pox (Parapox virus) which will wipe out Red's on contact, it's only a short matter of time before they are all gone, i wonder how many of the "but the grey's are so fluffy club" will give a dam