From: Saanich News Feb 4, 2008
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When squirrels go bad
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Although this grey squirrel was photographed at Beacon Hill Park, they are found throughout the region and pose a serious threat to the indigenous red squirrel population.
Introduced in 1960s, Grey squirrels are a furry plague, biologists say
They cloak themselves in grey or black. They carry diseases that kill off their red-furred cousins. They murder smaller, defenceless species. And they're on the march up Vancouver Island.
Sounds like the plot for a science fiction novel but it's not. It's a story played out daily in Greater Victoria by Eastern Grey squirrels. Adorable as they may appear, dashing across lawns and up trees, they are a scourge, say Ministry of Environment officials.
Introduced to Vancouver Island in the mid-1960s, when three Eastern Greys from Ontario escaped from a Metchosin farm, the squirrels actually be black, brownish grey or colours in between. The rodents have now spread as far west as Sooke and as far north as Duncan.
"They're moving into habitat where we'd normally have native Red squirrels - they're displacing our (native Red squirrel) species," said biologist Michael Stalberg. As head of the ministry's Vancouver Island Fish and Wildlife section, Stalberg said Greys are twice the size of Red squirrels, they usually win fights over food and territory. They also carry diseases that can overwhelm Reds.
Even more bizarre, Greys are also linked to a decline in native bird populations.
"They kill and eat birds in bird houses and then use the houses to raise their young," Stalberg said, advising people to only use squirrel-proof bird feeders.
In addition, Grey squirrels are a threat to Garry oak trees. By biting through acorns before stashing them so the nuts won't sprout in winter storage they limit potential re-growth. If they get into humans' houses they can chew on wires, remove shingles and shakes, and chew through eaves to nest in attics, roofs and chimneys. The squirrels also frustrate gardeners who find the rodents dig up lawns and plant bulbs.
Take the example of geneticist Joe Harvey, who moved from Sooke to Oak Bay last year. On his 11-acre spread in Sooke, Harvey had been more concerned about deer than squirrels. A plant breeder with a specialty in halibores, Harvey and his wife Linda now deal with squirrels in Oak Bay digging up potted plants, even four-inch seedlings. In a recent letter to the Oak Bay News, Harvey wondered if it's okay to capture squirrels and eat them. We checked and it turns out it is – as long as it's a live trap.
Biologists have no idea how many Grey squirrels there now are on Vancouver Island. Only one study has been done in B.C. and that tracked the rodents' movements in Vancouver's Stanley Park. That report found an average of 2.2 per hectare, rising to 8.8 per hectare during breeding season.
Grey squirrel territory has expanded dramatically on southern Vancouver Island, to the point where Fish and Wildlife officials are posting notices asking the public for help. If Greys are seen west of Sooke or north of Duncan, ministry staff want to know. In the meantime, Stalberg says Eastern Grey squirrels "can be killed anytime and anywhere."
They can be live trapped and humanely killed within urban areas or shot in rural areas. But, if they are captured, Stalberg is adamant about one thing.
"People need to stop live-trapping and relocating squirrels," he said. "Releasing them somewhere else only increases the spread."
Harvey doesn't think he will go to the trouble of trapping squirrels for dinner. "They're too scrawny," he said. "You'd need a couple for a meal."
For more information about stopping the Eastern Grey squirrel migration, call Ministry of Environment's squirrel hotline: 1-250-751-3100.
Although this grey squirrel was photographed at Beacon Hill Park, they are found throughout the region and pose a serious threat to the indigenous red squirrel population.
Introduced in 1960s, Grey squirrels are a furry plague, biologists say
They cloak themselves in grey or black. They carry diseases that kill off their red-furred cousins. They murder smaller, defenceless species. And they're on the march up Vancouver Island.
Sounds like the plot for a science fiction novel but it's not. It's a story played out daily in Greater Victoria by Eastern Grey squirrels. Adorable as they may appear, dashing across lawns and up trees, they are a scourge, say Ministry of Environment officials.
Introduced to Vancouver Island in the mid-1960s, when three Eastern Greys from Ontario escaped from a Metchosin farm, the squirrels actually be black, brownish grey or colours in between. The rodents have now spread as far west as Sooke and as far north as Duncan.
"They're moving into habitat where we'd normally have native Red squirrels - they're displacing our (native Red squirrel) species," said biologist Michael Stalberg. As head of the ministry's Vancouver Island Fish and Wildlife section, Stalberg said Greys are twice the size of Red squirrels, they usually win fights over food and territory. They also carry diseases that can overwhelm Reds.
Even more bizarre, Greys are also linked to a decline in native bird populations.
"They kill and eat birds in bird houses and then use the houses to raise their young," Stalberg said, advising people to only use squirrel-proof bird feeders.
In addition, Grey squirrels are a threat to Garry oak trees. By biting through acorns before stashing them so the nuts won't sprout in winter storage they limit potential re-growth. If they get into humans' houses they can chew on wires, remove shingles and shakes, and chew through eaves to nest in attics, roofs and chimneys. The squirrels also frustrate gardeners who find the rodents dig up lawns and plant bulbs.
Take the example of geneticist Joe Harvey, who moved from Sooke to Oak Bay last year. On his 11-acre spread in Sooke, Harvey had been more concerned about deer than squirrels. A plant breeder with a specialty in halibores, Harvey and his wife Linda now deal with squirrels in Oak Bay digging up potted plants, even four-inch seedlings. In a recent letter to the Oak Bay News, Harvey wondered if it's okay to capture squirrels and eat them. We checked and it turns out it is – as long as it's a live trap.
Biologists have no idea how many Grey squirrels there now are on Vancouver Island. Only one study has been done in B.C. and that tracked the rodents' movements in Vancouver's Stanley Park. That report found an average of 2.2 per hectare, rising to 8.8 per hectare during breeding season.
Grey squirrel territory has expanded dramatically on southern Vancouver Island, to the point where Fish and Wildlife officials are posting notices asking the public for help. If Greys are seen west of Sooke or north of Duncan, ministry staff want to know. In the meantime, Stalberg says Eastern Grey squirrels "can be killed anytime and anywhere."
They can be live trapped and humanely killed within urban areas or shot in rural areas. But, if they are captured, Stalberg is adamant about one thing.
"People need to stop live-trapping and relocating squirrels," he said. "Releasing them somewhere else only increases the spread."
Harvey doesn't think he will go to the trouble of trapping squirrels for dinner. "They're too scrawny," he said. "You'd need a couple for a meal."
For more information about stopping the Eastern Grey squirrel migration, call Ministry of Environment's squirrel hotline: 1-250-751-3100.
