WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Moles

Moles are found throughout the UK but are most abundant in permanent grass land and deciduous woodland and feed nearly entirely on earthworms. Moles cause large amounts of damage to gardens, lawns, golf courses, sports grounds and agricultural field due to tunneling and mole hills they create.

Grey Squirrels

The Grey Squirrel is a non native species introduced in the 1870s to the UK from North America. The Grey Squirrel has had a devastating population impact on the native red squirrel due to a virus the Grey Squirrel carries called the Squirrel Parapox Virus. This virus is lethal to the red squirrel but rarely effects the grey squirrel.

Squirrels can occasionally become a pest when they invade roof spaces to nest. Squirrels have also been know to start fires due to chewing through electrical cables. They also have an impact on trees on which they gnaw to get to the sweet sap within resulting in tree succumbing to fungi infections and also death.

Rabbits are non native to the UK and was introduced in the 12th century by the Normans for fur and meat. Due to their rapid reproduction rate, rabbits are now are amongst our commonest mammals. Rabbits are mostly nocturnal and will feed on many types of vegetation. Rabbits can become pests as they can invade land a destroy large amounts of plant life, crops and trees. Rabbits can even cause damage to infrastructure due to their burrowing systems called a warrens.

• Burrows, connecting tunnels called a “warren” some
• entrances may be hidden in scrub
• Scrapes, small excavations, usually with a couple of
• droppings among the excavated soil
• Rabbit Runs, routes which are used often by rabbits
• resulting in flattening of soil and vegetation
• Fur, caught of fencing a thorns
• Droppings, spherical and around 7-10mm in diameter
• Latrines, areas of large amounts of droppings
• Damage to plants, shrubs and barking on trees
• Live and dead rabbits