Squirrels

[DIDO.1 22,637]

I do the pest control at a large secondary school and it gets absolutely hammered by squirrels. Squirrels in class room ceilings, chewing wires and falling into classes even. The school is surrounded by a country park owned by a big public body. For years I've worked in the area, fencing, walling, farming and keepering on their nearby estates. Once the area was over seen by a ranger who did all the vermin control, he lived in a proper country cottage and controlled any vermin before it became a pest. Proper old school. When he died the management was put in the hands of a townie, University educated cnut as is normal these days. So squirrels are booming. I asked if I could perhaps tender for the control of squirrels in the park, stopping the issues I was having to deal with in all the local properties and the school. You can guess the answer....i was spoken down to by the experts.... I obviously wouldn't be capable of such a big job for such a big company, insurance, qualifications, etc etc.... All beyond me it seems. 

Within the next few years some university group will be funded a million quid to try and feed squirrels contraceptives for a couple of years before funding runs out and squirrels are forgotten for a few years again. 

ANYWAY..... i was lent on of these new trap boxes by a friend of mine so I've bolted it yo the wall in the bin store. It's obvious from the prints in the snow the squirrels are running the walls and obvious from the damage they are hammering the bins. 

The boxes look good. The only thing I don't like is the side access which is also to small. I can't get the drill into it to bolt it down. I had to get a bolt in at an angle and to one side meaning it's not proper bolted down. I like the Alan key fastening on the top rather than another fancy key to carry. 

Pre baited, I'll get it set properly on Monday 

Edited February 11, 2021 by DIDO.1

[socks 32,253]

I never understand the point of pre baiting. So you bait it on a Friday with the trap locked ready to set it on Monday when the target species has been and had a feed and is used to the trap. But if it’s been and had a feed and the trap was locked then you’ve already wasted one chance at killing it. Every trap I set is live so as soon as the pest goes in its dead. 

[DIDO.1 22,637]

36 minutes ago, socks said:

I never understand the point of pre baiting. So you bait it on a Friday with the trap locked ready to set it on Monday when the target species has been and had a feed and is used to the trap. But if it’s been and had a feed and the trap was locked then you’ve already wasted one chance at killing it. Every trap I set is live so as soon as the pest goes in its dead. 

Yeah agreed. The only reason I pre baited is I was already at the school looking at another job and he was was moaning about squirrels so I was just showing willing. I can't go back tomorrow and I'm not working weekend so will start afresh Monday. Other than that there was no point pre baiting it. 

When I have been controlling squirrels in the area while keepering I did pre bait, this was because of public access. I fed an area for weeks to get squirrels concentrated in an area and keen to get into my tunnels, but I didn't have traps in the area during pre baiting. My idea was to condense the time that I had traps there and thus reducing chance of theft and interference. My pre baiting points just being made to look like bird feeders with camouflage tunnels or trapping points nearby 

[OldPhil 5,677]

Be careful Dido..

I once took 30 + Grey Squirrels from Bay House School in Gosport..

They had been allowed to run amok in the schools, 'Nature Area'..

Every Bird Box and nesting area had been ransacked, and there was feck all nature left, just squirrels!

I started using kill traps in tunnels, but after catching a dozen or so, I started finding fag packets, spuds, all sorts of mysterious gifts firing off my traps.

It was plainly obvious that I had been rumbled...

In cases where there is even the remotest chance of a kid getting into a Spring Trap, I invariably go for Live Catch cages..

In this instance, I was fairly near to the job and emptying the traps on a daily basis was not a problem...

 In saying that, after killing 30 Greys, I declined to accept the contract to do a further week's trapping...my nerves couldn't take it

[DIDO.1 22,637]

13 minutes ago, OldPhil said:

Be careful Dido..

I once took 30 + Grey Squirrels from Bay House School in Gosport..

They had been allowed to run amok in the schools, 'Nature Area'..

Every Bird Box and nesting area had been ransacked, and there was feck all nature left, just squirrels!

I started using kill traps in tunnels, but after catching a dozen or so, I started finding fag packets, spuds, all sorts of mysterious gifts firing off my traps.

It was plainly obvious that I had been rumbled...

In cases where there is even the remotest chance of a kid getting into a Spring Trap, I invariably go for Live Catch cages..

In this instance, I was fairly near to the job and emptying the traps on a daily basis was not a problem...

 In saying that, after killing 30 Greys, I declined to accept the contract to do a further week's trapping...my nerves couldn't take it

There's one teacher who hates killing, she apparently started a WhatsApp group of teachers to save a squirrel that was in her classroom roof. Anyway the head gave her a bollocking and I heard no more. Months later I was setting a mole trap on a football club field when I heard 'what you killing now'.... turns out her house overlooked the football club . 

The bin store has a big fence around it and a locked gate so it's not to bad, plus the hole on these boxes is quite small, once it's bolted down better I'll be good to go. Can't be arsed live trapping, it's just fuss I don't need at the minute 

Edited February 11, 2021 by DIDO.1

[DIDO.1 22,637]

17 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Riddle the place with snares an start a watts app group for the students called ‘ spot the swinging squirrels’

The head and site management wouldn't care. They are constantly asking if I've brought my gun

[DIDO.1 22,637]

Set the trap today. Really I should of ordered a load of these boxes and set half a dozen. I'm pissing in the wind having 1 trap set. I pass the site most days no it's no hassle I suppose. 

Greedy b*****ds had chewed the box! That will teach me to mess about pre baiting! I noticed this with pheasant feeders, as soon as you let em run empty the squirrels chew the lids. I think they have eaten all my 'pre bait' and taken their frustration out on the box

 

[lurchers 2,763]

I was doing a residential block of flats a few years ago we took the job off rentakill as they weren’t catching feck all.They had chewed the guttering,cables in the loft,fascia boards,phone lines and anything else they could chew.I placed squirrel bait in the lofts and live traps around the buildings and caught 11 in a week and the bait worked fine in the lofts.The temperary warden didn’t like me doing it as I said I will be shooting the ones in the live traps in the back of the van so no body could see.She was like a tree hugger so I gave her a few home truths and even offered her them for free through her letter box if she wasn’t home.I’m at that stage in life and after been a pestie for 20yrs people are really pissing me off now so I just tell them what I think.I’ve always told my manager if you get a complaint about me is because I’ve had a go back as I’m not taking it no more.He just laughed and said no worries.I feel for ya mate but believe me if that teacher can set them traps off without been seen she will be your nightmare 

[The one 8,467]

I get to do the rabbits at work threw the landscape manager and there in a green flag award system , So the guy comes out checks the place  everything's growing very nicely  asks you got rabbit control in place yes is the answer , you got squirrel control in place nope is the answer you cant be in the scheme .

so i get asked and ive to do risk assessment , insurance etc got to see my big boss head of health and safety explain what im up to what i would use he says we cant let you do you know why ?. Nope im baffled ive jumped threw all the hoops . Turns out there scared a student put a picture of a dead squirrel in a trap on Facebook LOL fecking laughable 

 

[lurchers 2,763]

12 hours ago, The one said:

I get to do the rabbits at work threw the landscape manager and there in a green flag award system , So the guy comes out checks the place  everything's growing very nicely  asks you got rabbit control in place yes is the answer , you got squirrel control in place nope is the answer you cant be in the scheme .

so i get asked and ive to do risk assessment , insurance etc got to see my big boss head of health and safety explain what im up to what i would use he says we cant let you do you know why ?. Nope im baffled ive jumped threw all the hoops . Turns out there scared a student put a picture of a dead squirrel in a trap on Facebook LOL fecking laughable 

 

Happens all the time mate,we used to get that at the uni site at Durham.Make ya just want to slap the students for been idiots.The little shits used to set our traps off and I told my gaffer what I would do to them if a caught them doing it.

[DIDO.1 22,637]

Not what I expected this morning. The trap had been sprung and the box had done a 180 degree turn. There was fur in the box so I'm guessing a miss catch and its eventually escaped. Not what I hoped for on this site. It's half term at the minute but with students and staff in next week and even the bin men visiting the area I was hoping for effective and discreet. I don't hide that I'm trapping but I don't want a display of a struggling squirrel. 

Just realised these boxes are to narrow for the safety hook to sit in when it's taken off, I wonder if this caused a delay as it rubbed along the side. 

This just highlights my opinion that while fenns are cheap they are also so unreliable. My opinion has always been that whatever you are trapping there is a better option. 

[Ken's Deputy 4,459]

Dido; How do those boxes look with the side door in place?

[stormyboy 1,352]

I'm not happy with fenns for squirrels. Kania, or tube traps are my go to. Just bought some procull to try but haven't used them yet. They certainly look a good trap. 

[Ken's Deputy 4,459]

27 minutes ago, stormyboy said:

 They certainly look a good trap. 

Certainly do! And, at practically half the price of a Kania ...

[DIDO.1 22,637]

56 minutes ago, stormyboy said:

I'm not happy with fenns for squirrels. Kania, or tube traps are my go to. Just bought some procull to try but haven't used them yet. They certainly look a good trap. 

I'm going to have a play with the koro