Know the Facts
Grey squirrels.
Grey squirrels out compete the reds for food and habitat and are carriers of the squirrel pox virus disease (SQPVD) which is fatal to red squirrels.
Wherever there are grey squirrels, they wreak havoc and not just through being competitors and spreading disease!
Bark stripping.
Bark stripping by grey squirrels causes major economic, social and environmental damage to trees.
Effects on other wildlife.
Grey squirrels are predators of bird eggs and will also kill and eat fledglings and adults. They are also known to raid nests of dormice and eat them too!
Property damage.
Houses, sheds and outbuildings often have problems with grey squirrels – the greys tear up insulation and chew through roof timbers, electrical cables and pipes.
Grey squirrel management is effective.
Human intervention using a combination methodology of trapping and shooting is currently the only effective means of reducing grey squirrel populations to protect red squirrels, as proven in published studies.
Grey squirrels are classed as vermin in the UK and it is illegal to release a grey squirrel back into the wild once it has been caught. It is also illegal to treat them for injury or illness, or to keep them in captivity without a licence.