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Squirrel Carnage


bobbydog

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Posted
  • Location: Horsham, West sussex, 52m asl
  • Location: Horsham, West sussex, 52m asl

has anyone else noticed the amount of dead squirrels on the roads lately? i'm assuming its due to a lack of food in their normal territory and in trees, causing them to forage further afield and crossing roads.

we have two big apple trees in our garden, which are a right pain usually, as they bear hundreds of apples which i have to pick up, as they drop at this time of year, rotting on the grass and attracting wasps. this year?- nothing!...

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and lots of it or warm and sunny, no mediocre dross
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl

has anyone else noticed the amount of dead squirrels on the roads lately? i'm assuming its due to a lack of food in their normal territory and in trees, causing them to forage further afield and crossing roads.

we have two big apple trees in our garden, which are a right pain usually, as they bear hundreds of apples which i have to pick up, as they drop at this time of year, rotting on the grass and attracting wasps. this year?- nothing!...

There's loads of food around for squirrels. They're hopeless jumpers, often over estimate how good they are, miss a tree and fall, we notice the ones in the road because the surface is hard enough to kill them.

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Posted
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms, snow, warm sunny days.
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl

has anyone else noticed the amount of dead squirrels on the roads lately? i'm assuming its due to a lack of food in their normal territory and in trees, causing them to forage further afield and crossing roads.

we have two big apple trees in our garden, which are a right pain usually, as they bear hundreds of apples which i have to pick up, as they drop at this time of year, rotting on the grass and attracting wasps. this year?- nothing!...

Nope but I have witnessed one getting run over by a car once on Tulse Hill road...poor thing.

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Posted
  • Location: Horsham, West sussex, 52m asl
  • Location: Horsham, West sussex, 52m asl

There's loads of food around for squirrels. They're hopeless jumpers, often over estimate how good they are, miss a tree and fall, we notice the ones in the road because the surface is hard enough to kill them.

well i do a lot of driving and there's always the odd dead squirrel around but in the last few weeks i have seen them everywhere. maybe its just round here but i've never seen so many dead ones on the roads. i've even had to avoid several in the road lately which is not a common occurrence for me

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Posted
  • Location: Filton, Bristol (62m ASL 210ft)
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, cold, frosty / Warm but not hot with a steady breeze
  • Location: Filton, Bristol (62m ASL 210ft)

Nope but I have witnessed one getting run over by a car once on Tulse Hill road...poor thing.

Same here, a few days ago. Ran out, stopped then ran back but didn't beat the mighty mondeo tyre.

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Posted
  • Location: north wiltshire
  • Location: north wiltshire

In my neck of the woods, there seems to have been a sharp rise in the number of squirrels over the last coupla months. My garden's teeming with the critters; way more than usual. And yes, the back roads are littered with the less fortunate ones. But then I guess more squirrels generally equates to more road kill.

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Posted
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms, snow, warm sunny days.
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl

Same here, a few days ago. Ran out, stopped then ran back but didn't beat the mighty mondeo tyre.

Yeah i know, that's exactley what it did...they get confused...lol

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Posted
  • Location: swansea craig cefn parc 160 m asl
  • Location: swansea craig cefn parc 160 m asl

They are regulary culled in the parks down here because they ring bite the Azaleas and Rhoderdendrons ,thus killing them, they often kill other shrubs aswell they must be considered the same as pigeons and rats,

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Posted
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl
  • Weather Preferences: Thunderstorms, snow, warm sunny days.
  • Location: Croydon. South London. 161 ft asl

Its the hedgehogs I feel sorry for, they're not the fastest things on four legs.

That's why you wouldn't catch them crossing roads...well i've never witnessed it.

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Unfortuantely I had comings together with 3 seperate ones last week and have never run 1 over before.

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Posted
  • Location: Longwell Green, nr Bristol.
  • Weather Preferences: Storms, Gales, frost, fog & snow
  • Location: Longwell Green, nr Bristol.

Not just squirrels, but hedgehogs too. I live in an urban area and I've seen loads of road kill which is unusual for my area!

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Posted
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl
  • Weather Preferences: Snow and lots of it or warm and sunny, no mediocre dross
  • Location: Cheddar Valley, 20mtrs asl

They are regulary culled in the parks down here because they ring bite the Azaleas and Rhoderdendrons ,thus killing them, they often kill other shrubs aswell they must be considered the same as pigeons and rats,

Ring barking is far more likely to be Deer damage. If they are partial to Rhododendrons, round the Squigs up and ship them down to Poole, the council down there are loosing the battle against the Rhodo's taking over the heaths, they'll be glad of the help.

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Posted
  • Location: Camborne
  • Location: Camborne

Not just squirrels, but hedgehogs too. I live in an urban area and I've seen loads of road kill which is unusual for my area!

Researching the history of a village near here a little snippet from 1938.

During the winter frog farming was in full swing. Frogs were cultivated on a farm and sent to London Restraurants. In the summer they raised hedgehogs as roasted they were very nutritiious and tasty. Sorry completely off topic. oops.gif

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Posted
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania
  • Location: Hobart, Tasmania

has anyone else noticed the amount of dead squirrels on the roads lately? i'm assuming its due to a lack of food in their normal territory and in trees, causing them to forage further afield and crossing roads.

we have two big apple trees in our garden, which are a right pain usually, as they bear hundreds of apples which i have to pick up, as they drop at this time of year, rotting on the grass and attracting wasps. this year?- nothing!...

Perversely or not depending on your perspective it is usually an indicator that there's much more of them about than normal, or as humans like to describe it, they have overbred. So you are more likely to notice the unlucky ones.

Here in Tasmania a declining number of dead devils on the roads is a bad indicator that that species is on the way out.

Same goes for our other wandering 4 legged friends, the car paints an ecological story of whats going on, so to speak.

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