BACKYARD SQUIRREL CONTROL
Unless you’re lucky enough to live in the middle of nowhere, garden pest control can be a tricky business. The main concern is that you have neighbours to consider, but with a bit of sense and forethought it can be done.
By and large, I don’t tend to shoot pigeons or corvids in our garden, although I have in the past used a Larsen trap to control magpies that were decimating the nesting sites of songbirds. Satisfying the conditions set out in the general licences can be tricky in a garden context unless pest birds are causing really serious problems, and my advice is to familiarise yourself with the requirements and ensure that your shooting conforms with them before you pull the trigger.
As far as grey squirrels and rats go, I have absolutely no compunction about shooting these pests in my garden. Rats spread disease and cause all sorts of other problems, and although my main issue with grey squirrels is their habit of taking eggs and chicks from songbirds’ nests, they have wreaked havoc after getting into our
