I HAVE FOUND A BABY SQUIRREL, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

1 - Try to reunite with mother. Squirrels usually have a second home to go to, so leave the baby as close to the original nest site as possible, either in the original nesting material or a box with some blankets and a hot water bottle, and stand back for 20-30 minutes. If all is quiet, the Mum might come back for the babies. If she does not come back within that time, she is unlikely to come back at all, and it is a rescue situation.

2 - Keep the babies warm, in a box with some fleecy blankets, or similar, and a hot water bottle. It can even be an improvised hot water bottle, e.g. a plastic bottle with very warm (but not too hot) water.

3 - Look for a rescue placement, either by looking up a rescue near you on the Help Wildlife UK directory or by doing a search on social media.

4 - Do not attempt to feed the baby any formula - it is easy for the liquid to go into the lungs and cause pneumonia or death. Depending on the age of the baby, it may be possible to offer some fruit or a few drops of water, but please ask for advice from a rescuer first.

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I HAVE FOUND AN INJURED ADULT, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

By far the best option is to find a rescue placement, either by looking up a rescue near you on the Help Wildlife UK directory or by doing a search on social media. If a rescue centre instructs you to bring the squirrel to them, the best way to safely pick him up is by placing a cardboard box over him and sliding a piece of cardboard underneath, as it you were evicting a spider. (Even a very badly injured squirrel can turn around and bite you, they do not know you are trying to help!)

If no rescue placement can be found, a vet is the only option. Vets have duty of care towards wildlife, they will take the squirrel from you and not charge you. But most of them would then euthanise. It must be noted, however, that squirrels, as prey species, run away with the last ounce of their strength, so if you are able to pick up an injured squirrels, it means that, unfortunately, the injuries are very bad. It may be that even a rescue centre or a squirrel-friendly vet would also only be able to euthanise, on medical grounds. 

Squirrels clipped by a car can sometimes be stunned for a few hours, and then make a complete recovery. But this is very rare.

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A SQUIRREL GOT INTO MY HOUSE, WHAT CAN I DO?

Panicking and chasing the squirrel around is tempting, but not helpful. It is best to open the window or door by which the squirrel got in, and leave the room for a couple of hours. In the case of a window, a blanket draped over the windowsill as an impromptu ladder might help.

If the squirrel does not leave, it may be that it is a baby. Older babies look like adults, but would not have the sense to get out by themselves. Help from a rescue centre may then be necessary. Look up a rescue near you on the Help Wildlife UK directory or do a search on social media.

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I HAVE SQUIRRELS IN MY LOFT, WHAT CAN I DO?

Wonderful though squirrels are, they do not belong in loft spaces. The only way to make your loft or attic squirrel-proof is to do up any access points. If any squirrels are there as the work begins, they will not stay for very long: they will leave, and not be able to come back because the entry points have been done up. If babies are present, however (February to May and July to October), it may be necessary to get help from a rescue centre. Look up a rescue near you on the Help Wildlife UK directory or do a search on social media.

Please note that, with the exception of Humane Wildlife Solutions,pest controllers will attempt to kill the squirrels, either by putting out poison (and thereby risking the squirrels crawling into an inaccessible place to die and rotting there, with the associated problem odour) or by using lethal traps (which can mean a slow, painful - and very noisy - death for the animals). Furthermore, if the entry points are not done up, more squirrels will simply take the place of the dead ones, resulting in more business for the pest controller, more animal suffering and more expenses for the home owner.

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HOW DO I ATTRACT SQUIRRELS TO MY GARDEN?

The short answer is: put out food, and they will come. Nuts in shell are best, because they can be buried for later, as well as consumed on the spot. Hazels, walnuts, almonds, pecans, monkey nuts are all appreciated. Monkey nuts (peanuts) can interfere with the absorption of calcium in young squirrels, so captive youngsters only get them as a treat. But wild squirrels can balance out their diet, so peanuts are fine for them. Nuts in shell can be bought online, for example, from Amazon, Scarlett's Parrots Essentials or AF Nuts. At Christmas time they are sold in supermarkets. Post Christmas they are sold by the same supermarkets at a much reduced price!

Our squirrels enjoy a variety of fruit and veg, but wild squirrels tend to not be interested in anything other than nuts - after all, they have constant access to wild vegetation.

A squirrel mix is another feeding option, but it tends to have a lot of grain and sunflower seeds, which the squirrels do eat, but also drop on the floor, where it then encourages rats.

Another good, though not wallet-friendly way to encourage squirrels in your garden is a nest box! The dimensions are around 30 by 30 by 30 centimetres, preferably larger.

Last but not least, water is very important for all wildlife, especially in hot weather! Just make sure that large water containers (ponds, barrels) have a ladder of some sort, e.g. a large branch, to help animals climb back out if they accidentally fall in.