Dratted squirrels

[Maire]

Squirrels have stripped every little apple from the tree we planted for my daughter this year. Is there anything we can do to stop them in the future? They don't even seem to eat the apples just take a few bites then drop them. Fume. Fume.

[digger]

We have lot's of squirrels there is very little you can do if you trap one (you can buy live catching traps) you cannot keep it in a cage because it's a wild animal and you cannot release it because it is a non native species,one very annoying chap on the tv who rescues wildlife released a grey squirrel caught in a bird feeder thus demonstrating that he had no regard for the wildlife and countryside act or indeed regard for other wildlife, but thats that, you could chuck a stone or some other projectile in the direction of the squirrel next time you see it, am i right to presume that you are reffering to a grey north american squirrel and not the native red ones? last year one cheeky squirrel was digging in my hanging basket and then it sat on the fence acting very smug!

[Maire]

Sadly no red squirrels visiting my garden. The grey squirrels are just a bit too cheeky ,though I've been quite fond of them in the past. This year ,though, they've eaten my camellia buds as well as the apples. Wouldn't want to trap them but not happy with their antics.

[Paul Narramore]

Many years whilst with the family on a Eurcamp holiday in France, we were woken by the sounds of scratching outside. Our tentage 'village' was in a pine forest on the west coast. Running up and down the trunks were a couple of red squirrels, beautifully chestnut coloured. They had the ability to run down the trunk and come to an abrupt halt. They were almost but not quite tame. I never saw another red squirrel until last year during a winters break in the Lake District. Wonderful little creatures.