Squirrel in house

Crystaltipps It isn't the two minutes of stress before they are released on the spot by a homeowner who has thrown a towel over them that is in question, it is the waiting in a trap for hours until someone comes to check it that is cruel and illegal. The pest control officer can't guarantee that it will only be two minutes,. What if he had to leave a trap while he went away to do something else? There can't be any vagueness about his legal position (he could be taking bribes to transfer rats to the garden of some enemy of the householder ) He has to follow the letter of the law.

The law is that a pest control officer has to humanely kill a trapped pest as quickly as possible, and no-one (pest control or householder) can trap any wild creature then keep it in a trap without releasing it as soon as possible . A homeowner may have time to open doors and windows, lay a food trail to the outside and wait for the squirrel to follow it out, a professional hasn't. Plus "Because grey squirrels are an invasive pest species, it is against the law to re-release a grey squirrel if it’s been caught alive, per the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. That means a professional pest controller is legally obliged to dispatch any grey squirrel they catch alive." bpca.org.uk/a-z-of-pest-advice/squirrel-control-how-to-get-rid-of-squirrels-bpca-a-z-of-pests-/188983

www.gov.uk/pest-control-on-your-property

It's still illegal though, to release a grey squirrel, as per the law.

Disagree completely trisher. Birds tend to be very traumatised (but can still recover) from being captured. They are caught and ringed but still survive and they are far more sensitive than the small furries. If the squirrel is not injured it is kinder to catch and release (but they do bite) or shoo out of your property than to shoot it. I hadn't picked up on that crystaltipps. Apologies.

Oh please! Squirrels vermin, rats with tails! Please get a grip some of you. I agree they can cause damage in the roof etc. but talk about over reacting !! As a number of more sensible people said, just open the door or window and a trail of food to lure it. We have bats in our roof which I love and also would be illegal to move (not that I would want to). I agree a lot of people are so removed from the natural world that they freak at any encounter with it. When I read the title I thought it was about a burglary or assault not a tiny squirrel!

Don't feel bad about any disapproving comments. We all have different views. But as someone also invaded by squirrels, I sympathize. My neighbours & I have all experienced the damage done by them. In our case they chewed their way through the flashing behind the guttering & got into the lofts. They chew through cables (and can chew their way through almost anything) They can be very vicious you try to remove them yourself. You were right to get professional help. Pest control personnel have strict regulations on how to deal with them & if I remember correctly, have to destroy grey squirrels, even if they are initially trapped.

What? You need to toughen up and I mean that kindly. And find some compassion for animals.

I think it's more cruel to catch a squirrel than shoot it. Your 2 minutes of nothing much crystaltipps could have seemed an eternity to a frightened, stressed animal. And what you saw as an animal scampering happily away could have been terrified creature, running for cover, only to die from shock a little while later

It IS illegal to kill a red squirrel.

Oh poor little thing!! We are surrounded by red squirrels which occasionally venture into the house. It's a joy to see them at close quarters. I just open a door or window and wait for it to leave. They don't stay long, they're just looking for food. They lived in this area long before we did so I'm happy to share it with them.

I don't think people think it's more cruel to capture and release the squirrel crystaltipps they mentioned it is in fact illegal. As they are considered vermin, by law. Personally, I think if you have to wait forever or never for the police to come round and investigate a burglary they are unlikely to prosecute you for letting a squirrel go if found on your premises (although these days stranger things have happened . If I had been in the OP's shoes I would've tried the open window approach but understand that some people are petrified when they see small furries. I think her point was that she was a bit shocked by the pest controller's actions and it has made her feel bad about what has occurred in her home.

Maybe the OP is of a nervous disposition and didn’t know what to do. I can’t quite believe the tone of many of these posts. It wasn’t as if she shot the squirrel herself.

I don’t know why some people think it is more cruel to catch the squirrel and release it back into its home than shoot it. The squirrel we caught in a towel wriggled and was stressed for about 2 minutes while we got it out then ran away unharmed into the trees. I’m sure you and the squirrel would prefer to endure a couple of minutes of stress rather than be shot in the head.

The pest controller shouldn't have shot it in front of you. Sounds like one of those macho cave man characters trying to impress the helpless lady in distress by showing off. That's just nasty. I definitely would've opened a window and banged a tin or something from the half closed door in the hope it scampered out. But then I'm not phased by small furries. Even ones that bite. They are a pest if they get into the loft/walls of your property though Terrystred. Heed Monica's words and check if they have found a way into your loft. Whether you are in the 'cute and furry' camp or the 'vermin' camp they can be a fire hazard.

Poor little squirrel, poor you , it have been an awful shock.
Years ago a friend of mine left the window open slightly in her ground floor flat.
When she got back she thought she had been burgled as the room was trashed.she then spotted squirrel at the top of her curtain and opened the window to let it out.
Apparently it was very reluctant and when she tried further encouragement , it bit her!
They are quite fiesty little things and destructive, but I believe that you are not suppose to re release them, which is why the pest controller shot it, horrible though.
Think I would have done as previously suggested..
Opened the window , left a food trail outside and left for and hour. Easy to say I know when at the sharp end..literally

I used to have a grey squirrel fur gilet----lovely and warm.

Well, I think certain posters have made sure that Terrystred will never want to post on here again ... and by the way, she does say it was a shocking experience.

Oh please don’t make me out to be some fluffy unicorn lover Blondiescot that sounds so patronising I don’t think of squirrels as cute and cuddly and in no way would I ever want to touch one and I m certainly not a fluffy person and I m sure I d have panicked as much as Terrystred did when I first saw a strange wild creature in my house but in no way would I expect it to be shot in the head on my behalf and I still have no understanding why poster didn’t speak to the man as to what would be done and also why she would show no compassion in her post apart from saying her house felt contaminated !! What a strange thing to say I would have thought if an innocent animal had been shot on my behalf I would have been saying how dreadful I felt and how I wasn’t expecting that to happen etc and how it had upset me but no just the house felt contaminated

So no care for the trapped animal which might have been stressed and panicked about being in the room, even more terrified as you kindly tried to catch it and might have suffered considerably more. And all to make you feel you were being kind and thoughtful. Killing it was more humane.

I’m 100% with bluebell on this one poor little thing. Why would you allow that to happen very sad.

BlueBelle, I know there was nothing in the original post about the damage squirrels and vermin can cause, but it was pointed out in several subsequent posts. Yes, no doubt the situation could have been handled differently, but the fact still remains that they may look cute and cuddly, but they can - and do - cause many problems if they get into a house.

Don't remind me of squirrels ! About this time in 1998/9 when my family had gone to Oz for Christmas and I was looking after D's business at the time, on returning home I was guzzling dates and nuts and a bluebottle buzzed past me in the lounge. Looking rather dozy, I got the swatter and killed it----thinking it was a bit unusual in the middle of winter.

However when I went upstairs to have a shower, there were more bluebottles. Right away I realised that a squirrel had got into the roofspace and obviously died when the area was blocked off !
Before I knew it the bathroom was buzzing and as I was trying to keep up with the swatting having closed the bathroom door, reaching up I began to choke on the nuts and couldn't breathe. I got near the washbasin pouring water down my throat and trying to thump my back at the same time.
I gave one good almighty cough which released the nut and kept swishing water down my throat from the tap. I was exhausted and very scared too because I knew I'd have been a goner if I'd have panicked and done nothing.

All was well after that---bluebottles gone so I had a crème de menthe to soothe my throat and settle my insides.

I do love squirrels by the way------live ones ! I have one here who sits arms folded and waits for treats awww.

Sorry Gillyknits I m sure we would all be panicked if we saw a wild animal in our spare bedroom but my first reaction would be to shut the door and then think how can I get it out without harming IT or ME I m not brave just have a heart
I would not even think of pest control apart from insect or mice/rat infestation and I mean infestation the odd one I’ve always found a way of forcing them out my house and yes I ve had odd mice or rats stray in but normally a trail of food will get them through the door
All Terrystred said is the house feels contaminated nothing about sorrow for the poor animal surely if she called pest control and was really upset at them killing the squirrel she would have said something like ‘I never thought this would happen I just wanted the poor creature out my house’ that’s why I m not feeling sympathetic

I like to see squirrels, they are cute and amusing. I also like to see deer, also very beautiful. However I am also aware that for many reasons both creatures are regarded as pests. Turning them into adorable, cuddly animals is completely wrong. Blaming someone for something she had no choice about is ridiculous. Nature is itself much more cruel and unfeeling than some imagine. Killing the animal by shooting was quick and humane. It astonishes me that some could think trapping it, leaving it trapped in a room with the vain hope that it might find an open window or any other resolution would be kinder than the quick death it was given. Yes it was sad, but the OP should take comfort that this animal died quickly and cleanly, and the distress it was probably feeling because it was trapped was alleviated.

I think you are being really harsh to Terrystred, some people are absolutely terrified of furry or feathered visitors. My neighbour had panic attacks if our cat was any where near her. Be a bit sympathetic to those who aren’t as brave as you are. I’m sure she didn’t expect it to be shot in front of her and I think the pest controller was a bit insensitive too.

I don't think finding a squirrel in your house is the same as 'capturing it'. So I am pretty sure that you wouldn't be arrested for opening a window and letting it find its own way out. I hope there were no baby squirrels waiting for their mother, not realising she had been shot in the head. Barbaric.