The Grey Squirrel Problem
Red Squirrel with squirrel pox virus (c) Peter Trimming
Grey Squirrel damage caused by bark-stripping (c) John M Grimshaw
The Grey Squirrel is an asymptomatic carrier of the squirrel pox virus which is lethal to Red Squirrels and easily transmitted when food sources are shared.
The arrival of Grey Squirrels into Red Squirrel territory invariably results in the disappearance of Red Squirrels.
Grey Squirrels cause damage to woodland by stripping bark from trees to feed on the sap and nutrients beneath. Many of our native broadleaved trees are at risk. Damaged trees are less likely to grow into mature trees, which produce timber and support our ecosystem.
Unfortunately, this means that Grey Squirrel control is necessary. Contraceptive and gene-editing methods of reducing the population are under investigation.
It is a highly likely that Grey Squirrel damage to trees and woodland will impact on Government targets to plant trees to help the UK reach a net zero carbon emission position by 2050.
