1. Traps… tried and tested, but are they the answer?
Julie Lane, Matt Gomm
National Wildlife Management Centre
Sand Hutton
York YO41 1LZ

2. Control methods for grey squirrel
Poison
Drey poking and shooting
Currently unavailable
Free shooting
Cage trapping and dispatch

3. Cage trapping Cons Pros Time consuming Non-target Disease transmission
Injury
Stress
Dispatch difficult
Pros
Release non-target
Easy to set
Useful for red squirrel areas
Publically acceptable?

4. Stress in cage traps

5. First prosecution under Animal Welfare Act
for non-domestic animal

6. Use of spring/killing traps
All spring traps need to be on Spring Trap Approval Order

7. MAGNUMS FENNS KANIA DOCS WCS PROCULL TRAPS ON STAO - GREY SQUIRREL
55/110/116
Used in tunnel
Mainly run through
Enter from either direction
Four way trigger
Two place strike
FENNS
Clones - solway, Springers
Commonly used trap but known not be humane
KANIA
2000/2500
Baited
Metal box enclosed with single access at front
Tunnel to reduce non-targets
TRAPS ON STAO - GREY SQUIRREL
2016
Also
Fuller
Imbra,
Juby, Koro
Lloyd, Sawyer
Superior VS
DOCS
150,
Set in tunnel provided by manufacturer
Grid-shaped moving jaw
Multiple strike
Very powerful
WCS
Self contained
Clamping bars inside the tube
squirrels can enter from both ends of the painted steel tube.
PROCULL
integral mesh cage
baffles to guide the squirrel to the strike position for the optimum humane kill.

8. How do traps get approved?
Trap testing request from industry to DEFRA
Traps tested by APHA at DEFRA request
Recommendation made to Defra to add to STAO
A few months later…
Trap testing request from manufacturer/importer
Approximate cost £5k to 10k

9. Testing of traps
To pass 80% of 12 trials must render the animal unconscious or dead within 5 min
10 traps supplied
If a clone
Animals captured
Anaesthetised trials
Mechanical testing
Pen trials in test arenas

10. How do we assess whether an animal is unconscious?
active
relaxed
asleep
Palpebral reflex
unconscious

11. Performance in the field Non-target risk Non-target humaneness
The Spring Trap Approval Process does not require data on
Efficacy
Performance in the field
Non-target risk
Non-target humaneness
Many spring traps are multi-purpose (e.g. rat, stoat, squirrel)
Target species efficiency normally down to operator
Many spring traps have non-target hits - this is not an offence if it could not be avoided

12. Pros and cons of using killing traps
Simple to use
No legal training required
User safety (cf shooting)
Relatively humane
Cheap (ish)
No secondary poisoning
Cons
User safety (disease, live animals, injuries)
Unpleasant – body damage/blood
Not public friendly?
Dependent young
Non-target risk
Needs to be checked daily and re-set (staff heavy)

13. GoodNature trap
A24 currently passed for rats and stoats

14. Goodnature trap for squirrels
Pros
Lightweight
Easy to set up
Baited
Re-sets itself
Cons
Trap visible
Carcasses visible (predation?)
Non-target risk
Not yet passed Currently being tested

15. So if Good Nature trap passes what do we know…
We know it is humane for grey squirrels
But what we don’t know is ….
What are the non-target risks?
Does the bait/lure work in a field setting – for how long?
How many times can it fire before it resets?
Does temperature affect it?
Efficacy (how many trap nights per animal)

16. X Are traps the answer? Integrated Pest Management
We have had spring traps for many
years and it has not allowed us to
keep on top of the problem
Integrated Pest Management
Could be part of the answer……?
Sustained control over long period
Less staff Intensive
More publically acceptable X
Fertility control

17. With an alternative….
Fertility control?
Countryside Files – autumn
Glenn Wallington episode 1

18. How else would an integrated approach benefit?
Squirrels wound trees …making them susceptible
Insect (borer)damage
Fungal disease
Phytophthora
Adults may locate suitable egg-laying sites by responding to volatile chemicals that emanate from stressed trees.

19. Thank you