Trapping and control techniques Evolving a national best

Trapping and control techniques Evolving a national best practice HLF RED SQUIRRELS UNITED HG-14 -10510 EU LIFE 14 NAT/UK/000467 – Sciurious. LIFE

Understand the Ecology & Behaviour of the Target Species

Factors affecting capture success o o o o o Local abundance of squirrels Abundance and type of natural foods Trap or feeder spacing Trap design and positioning Weather conditions Season Operator experience Bycatch pressure Co-ordination rate

Detection

Cameras Often delay between photograph recording on SD card an observer viewing the image. Further delay between image viewing and trap/shooting starting

Control methods

Live capture traps

Cranial dispatch / shooting

KANIA 2000

Goodnature

Shooting

Non-target species

The legal & moral duty of care when selecting and setting a particular trap design

Live trapped non-target captures

Live trap non-target capture Shuttleworth, Mill, Van Der Waal, Bertolino & Everest (submitted) Reovirus Salmonellosis Campylobacteriosis Enterobactericiae Toxoplasmosis Trichomoniasis Papillomatosis Salmonellosis Coccidiosis Cryptosporidiosis Rotavirus Paramyxovirus Coronavirus Candida spp. Herpes Leptospirosis Neoplasia Cowpox Adenovirus Hantavirus

Inter-specific infection risks

Mice at feeders and traps Wood mouse density per hectare J. Tan (2016) MSc Bangor University

Dispatch: methods to use or avoid 1. Sack method 2. Shooting 3. Drowning 4. Use of spring trap* 5. Co 2 Gas * Animals in live traps are covered by domestic Animal Welfare legislation, kill/spring traps are not licensed for the dispatch of captive animals

Landscape Lessons o o o Grey squirrels will use small habitat fragments Trapping sessions = phased removal Factors influencing trap success should be understood High standard of animal welfare upheld Co-ordinated control rather than ad hoc culling.

Thanks to: o o o o Jerry Moss & Christian Bensaid Peter Wain Julie Bailey Mike Nurse and Jeff Scovell Dave Fineren Natasha Collings Jimmy Tan ESI & Charles Dutton