Unlike the majority of people, I don’t like squirrels. They’re a foreign invader, and have almost exterminated our beautiful native red squirrels.
They dig up newly planted bulbs and plant acorns in the lawn.
They strip bark from trees, making them vulnerable to disease.
My son’s friend had some wires in his car engine eaten and it cost him a lot to get it fixed.
They get into the lofts of houses and chew the wiring there, making it vulnerable to electrical fires.
They will even damage water pipes, causing a risk of flooding.
Their droppings in homes can contaminate water.
They will also chew the wood of joists, weakening them and rendering the building in danger of collapse.
They carry squirrel pox, a disease they are resistant to, but our native ones aren’t.
They eat the eggs of birds, and will also eat the chicks.
They raid bird feeders, thus depriving native birds of their food.
They were introduced at the end of the 19th century, mainly in stately homes, and quickly spread throughout the UK.
Our native squirrels can now be found only in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and parts of Wales. There are also a few on the Isle of Wight, and Brownsea Island. Places where the greys can’t easily get to.
It may be they are such a nuisance because they are not native. I recently read that sparrows are a nuisance in the States, being very aggressive. Here, in their native land, they are much loved little birds.
This shows the danger of introducing foreign species.
I agree with you 100%, Vivienne. Our squirrels here are the red squirrels. Many people don’t realize that the gray squirrels (which also come in black) are an introduced species that are detrimental to the red squirrel population.
On the feeder once landed a jay.
He was angry and what did he say?
“All these seeds are for me,
as you plainly can see.
Hit the road and get out of my way!,”
June 4, 2025 at 9:12 am
Your squirrel looks well fed and happy with all those seeds. They are such friendly critters and fun to watch.
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June 4, 2025 at 9:21 am
Yes, he’s “fat and happy.”
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June 4, 2025 at 10:37 am
And he’s so cute!
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June 4, 2025 at 10:40 am
Yeah, I’m kind of partial to him.
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June 4, 2025 at 12:30 pm
So cute! 🥰
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June 4, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Sweet!
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June 5, 2025 at 2:14 am
Unlike the majority of people, I don’t like squirrels. They’re a foreign invader, and have almost exterminated our beautiful native red squirrels.
They dig up newly planted bulbs and plant acorns in the lawn.
They strip bark from trees, making them vulnerable to disease.
My son’s friend had some wires in his car engine eaten and it cost him a lot to get it fixed.
They get into the lofts of houses and chew the wiring there, making it vulnerable to electrical fires.
They will even damage water pipes, causing a risk of flooding.
Their droppings in homes can contaminate water.
They will also chew the wood of joists, weakening them and rendering the building in danger of collapse.
They carry squirrel pox, a disease they are resistant to, but our native ones aren’t.
They eat the eggs of birds, and will also eat the chicks.
They raid bird feeders, thus depriving native birds of their food.
They were introduced at the end of the 19th century, mainly in stately homes, and quickly spread throughout the UK.
Our native squirrels can now be found only in Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland and parts of Wales. There are also a few on the Isle of Wight, and Brownsea Island. Places where the greys can’t easily get to.
It may be they are such a nuisance because they are not native. I recently read that sparrows are a nuisance in the States, being very aggressive. Here, in their native land, they are much loved little birds.
This shows the danger of introducing foreign species.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 5, 2025 at 7:43 am
I agree with you 100%, Vivienne. Our squirrels here are the red squirrels. Many people don’t realize that the gray squirrels (which also come in black) are an introduced species that are detrimental to the red squirrel population.
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June 6, 2025 at 4:19 pm
So cute! Thanks for the smiles, Anneli!
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June 6, 2025 at 6:30 pm
Thanks, Lauren.
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June 8, 2025 at 9:07 am
This looks like the majority of squirrels who camp beneath my feeders hoping for sloppy birds above.
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June 10, 2025 at 8:29 am
Soo adorable 🥰🥰
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June 10, 2025 at 12:05 pm
teehee 🙂😄🤣🙂
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June 12, 2025 at 6:08 pm
On the feeder once landed a jay.
He was angry and what did he say?
“All these seeds are for me,
as you plainly can see.
Hit the road and get out of my way!,”
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June 12, 2025 at 6:15 pm
LOL! I love it!
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June 14, 2025 at 12:19 pm
He definitely has a good life with you, Anneli. 😊
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June 14, 2025 at 2:09 pm
And he enriches mine a lot too.
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