North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[sherwin <sherwindu@att.net>]

On 8/15/2012 6:50 PM, Louis Pittman wrote:
> Squirrels are not an endangered species.  Please don't 'relocate' problem
> wildlife:
>
> 1. It's ineffective - another squirrel(and another, and another) will take
> the relocated animal's place
> 2. It's often inhumane - either for the relocated animal or the existing
> population you release them into
> 3. It's biologically - consider the potential for introduction of
> disease/parasites into the population you release into.
> 4. You may just be dumping your problem on another person.
>
> Shoot or trap and terminate.
>
> On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 5:31 PM, Spidra Webster <spidra@gmail.com> wrote:
     I disagree about relocation being ineffective.  I have been 
removing squirrels for many
     years using HaveAHeart traps.  At the beginning of the season, I 
trap close to a dozen.
     Then, they stop appearing.  Although squirrels are territorial, it 
takes time for them to
     move back into my neighborhood.  Since I started trapping, I see 
less and less numbers
     at the beginning of the season.  I think trapping is an effiective 
way to control squirrels,
     at least in my suburban neighborhood.

     As for disposal, several people I know drown these critters by 
immersing the cages in a
     barrel of water.  I personally cannot get myself to do this, 
although I don't have compunctions
     about setting a mouse trap.  I remove the squirrels to nearby 
forest preserves.  Some of these
     are only a mile or two away, but they need to pass through several 
neighborhoods to return
     to my yard.  Because my traps start to go empty after a while, I 
feel they are not returning.
     For trapping, I got a permit from my County Office.  Disposal is 
another matter, as most
     Forest Preserves have signs disallowing that.  I try to do it as 
quietly as possible.

     I feel it is more humane to give the squirrel another chance in a 
new location than killing
     them on the spot.  Now as concerns the two pit bulls next door to 
me, that is another story.

                               Sherwin D.