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Commercial Pest Control London
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Pest Types
All information in this section of our website is taken from the Pest Fact Sheets which are published on the Harrow County Council website. We would like to thank the Harrow County Council Web Team for their kind permission allowing us to reproduce these fact sheets.
All information in this section of our website is taken from the Pest Fact Sheets which are published on the Harrow County Council website. We would like to thank the Harrow County Council Web Team for their kind permission allowing us to reproduce these fact sheets.
Squirrels
Squirrels are common residents of parks and gardens, mixed woodland, anywhere there are trees. The grey squirrel is common in Harrow, the smaller native red squirrel is now found mostly in Scotland, Wales, and offshore islands.
The grey squirrel was introduced from America between 1876 and 1929 and has supplanted the red squirrel in most of England. Many people like to see them in their gardens and put out nuts and other food for them.
Life Cycle
Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) build nests (or dreys) of twigs and leaves in the forks of trees and they may also use tree hollows known as dens.
They breed twice during the year, the first litter being born in February or March, the second in August or September. There are normally 3 or 4 young in each litter.
The grey squirrel was introduced from America between 1876 and 1929 and has supplanted the red squirrel in most of England. Many people like to see them in their gardens and put out nuts and other food for them.
Life Cycle
Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) build nests (or dreys) of twigs and leaves in the forks of trees and they may also use tree hollows known as dens.
They breed twice during the year, the first litter being born in February or March, the second in August or September. There are normally 3 or 4 young in each litter.
Diet
Squirrels eat a wide range of foods including nuts, fruit buds, fungi, birds' eggs and young birds. They will often bury surplus food for later retrieval. They are members of the rodent family (Rodentidae) which means that their incisor teeth grow throughout their lives. Squirrels, like rats and mice, must continually gnaw at hard objects to keep these teeth sharp and the correct length.
Damage
Their rodent nature means however that they can cause significant damage both indoors and out. In woodland they damage trees, particularly sycamore and beech, by stripping bark. This leads to the weakening and death of growing shoots resulting in a misshapen tree. In gardens they take fruit such as strawberries, apples and plums, raid the nests of small birds, raid bird tables and nut feeders and dig holes in the lawn to bury their food. They can get into roof spaces of houses by climbing the walls or jumping from nearby trees. Once inside they chew woodwork and ceilings, strip the insulation from electrical wiring which could lead to fires and tear up loft insulation for nest building.
Signs of Squirrels
The most obvious sign of squirrels is the sight of the animals themselves as they are active during the day. They will regularly visit the same gardens looking for food. Urban grey squirrels show little fear of people and will even occasionally take food from the hand. Other signs of their presence include pine cones which have been stripped to extract the seeds, nuts which have been gnawed, bark stripped from trees and their droppings which may be round like a rabbit's or elongated like a rat's. Often squirrels will take their food to a particular tree stump or fence post to eat it and the remains are scattered on the ground below.
If you are unable to deal with a common pest problem satisfactorily, then contact Commercial Pest Control London. Our rates are competitive and we will get the job done fast and efficiently. For a professional service call Commercial Pest Control London today on freephone 0800 043 2056
Damage
Their rodent nature means however that they can cause significant damage both indoors and out. In woodland they damage trees, particularly sycamore and beech, by stripping bark. This leads to the weakening and death of growing shoots resulting in a misshapen tree. In gardens they take fruit such as strawberries, apples and plums, raid the nests of small birds, raid bird tables and nut feeders and dig holes in the lawn to bury their food. They can get into roof spaces of houses by climbing the walls or jumping from nearby trees. Once inside they chew woodwork and ceilings, strip the insulation from electrical wiring which could lead to fires and tear up loft insulation for nest building.
Signs of Squirrels
The most obvious sign of squirrels is the sight of the animals themselves as they are active during the day. They will regularly visit the same gardens looking for food. Urban grey squirrels show little fear of people and will even occasionally take food from the hand. Other signs of their presence include pine cones which have been stripped to extract the seeds, nuts which have been gnawed, bark stripped from trees and their droppings which may be round like a rabbit's or elongated like a rat's. Often squirrels will take their food to a particular tree stump or fence post to eat it and the remains are scattered on the ground below.
If you are unable to deal with a common pest problem satisfactorily, then contact Commercial Pest Control London. Our rates are competitive and we will get the job done fast and efficiently. For a professional service call Commercial Pest Control London today on freephone 0800 043 2056
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