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Squirrels and the lawn

• Message 1. 

  Posted by annaghrose (U14050308) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  Last Autumn squirrels made a mess of my well cared for lawn by digging holes all over it. I understand that you can buy a cage to trap them but then you must hand them over to the RSPCA to dispose of them. Has anyone had any experience of doing this?
  
  A neighbour has told me that placing a dummy owl in the garden will keep the squirrels away but I wonder if it is an old wive's tale. Again, does anyone have anecdotal evidence.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by FellowCuckoo (U8523852) on Friday, 9th March 2012

  I love answering this question whenever it crops up! There must be something nasty about me! I assume we are talking about grey or black squirrels, not the red ones, which are protected?
  
  I have a humane trap. It's easy to catch squirrels with peanut butter. You don't have to hand them over to the RSPCA. However, once caught, you must dispatch them humanely or you could be prosecuted for cruelty (even though they are vermin). The only recognised methods are shooting (we have an air pistol for the purpose) or the other method, which always seems to have me modded whenever I mention it. It involves a sack and a large stick but I'll leave the rest to your imagination. I don't know why it gets modded. It IS the method acknowledged to be humane!
  
  There's no reason why you could not take them to the RSPCA if you caught them and let them deal with them, since they are so keen to ensure they are despatched humanely. Once caught, you have to do something fatal to them - it is illegal to release a grey squirrel.

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