Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
low risk
other
Overview
Common native squirrel that invades attics, bird feeders, and gardens. In UK and Italy it is invasive, outcompeting native red squirrels.
25-30cm body, 20-25cm tail. Gray coat with rusty-brown patches. White underside. Black and white tail fringe.
Prevention Strategies
- •Cap chimneys and seal attic entry points
- •Squirrel-proof bird feeders
- •Hardware cloth over bulb beds
- •Hot pepper on bird seed (birds unaffected, squirrels dislike)
Control Methods
- •Exclusion of attic entry points - only solution for homes
- •Squirrel-proof feeders and baffles
- •Live trap and relocate (check local laws)
- •In UK: lethal control of invasive species
Interesting Facts
- •Responsible for planting thousands of trees by forgetting cached nuts
- •Introduced to UK in 1870s and has now reduced native red squirrel to 120,000 from millions
- •Squirrels have spatial memory for cache locations but many caches are never recovered
- •Can gnaw through lead roof flashing to enter buildings