How Much Damage Can Grey Squirrels Cause?

You may not think of grey squirrels as pests, and there are certainly far more problematic things you could have in your home or garden. However, the humble grey squirrel does come from the Sciuridae family, qualifying as a rodent. While it may not cause as many problems as other rodents such as mice or rats, it can still cause difficulties in your garden when the weather closes in.

From November onwards, the weather turns colder, and the nights draw in. From now until April, squirrels will experience problems finding food to sustain them. They are hardy and persistent though, searching and foraging wherever they can to find food.

What does that mean for you?

If you have bird feeders in your garden, you’ll find the squirrels may be far more tempted to raid them for supplies than they would be during the warmer months of the year. Some people may not mind this, although they’ll end up with higher food costs for the disappearing bird food they’ve been buying.

You can purchase bird feeders that use squirrel-proof designs to make sure the birds can eat without being pestered by greedy squirrels. Some include cages around them that smaller birds can fly inside, while others have baffles or platforms to discourage squirrels from getting to the food.

You might also experience problems with squirrels digging up your garden, though. Yes, they’ll go in search of bulbs to eat if they can’t find anything else. That means your beds could end up looking rather sad and empty if they find a good source of food there.

Why should you discourage squirrels from feeding in your garden?

When March rolls around, squirrels will try and find somewhere warm and cosy to have their young. If your garden is a good source of supplies, they’re not going to make the effort to go elsewhere to make their nests. So, if you feed them, whether by accident or design, you’re more likely to have them nesting somewhere on your property too. That could be a big problem if you have a roof space they can access.

As with all pests, discouraging them to start with is the best course of action. Seeking expert advice from a pest control company is by far the best way to find out what you can do to keep the squirrels from seeing your property as a great place to be.