They乌鸦传媒檙e furry, cute and invading the Okanagan.
Five years ago, Thompson Rivers University professor Karl Larsen of the devastation caused by invasive eastern grey squirrels.
Now, as the squirrels flock into City Park and elsewhere, Larsen said it乌鸦传媒檚 too late for the Okanagan, as they have spread to Vernon and Penticton.
Larsen said he sent emails years ago to the City of Kelowna, but received no response on his warnings. According to the city, it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 manage the squirrel population, and said the Ministry of Environment has been watching the newcomers.
乌鸦传媒淚 expect the population to keep growing and growing. They乌鸦传媒檙e now sighted in Vernon fairly often and they乌鸦传媒檙e going to make it to Penticton. I would say the Okanagan is a goner,乌鸦传媒� said Larsen.
Naomi Bothe is a co-owner of Firefly Farm in Kelowna, and she said the squirrels have decimated the farm乌鸦传媒檚 hazelnut and walnut crops.
The furry invaders started appearing on her property around seven years ago and it乌鸦传媒檚 been five years since Bothe has been able to gather nuts.
乌鸦传媒淥nce the invasive squirrels moved in we didn乌鸦传媒檛 get any more nuts,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檝e really destroyed that opportunity for us.乌鸦传媒�
The squirrels also chewed through storage containers in her barn.
When comparing them to the native red squirrels, she said the native species didn乌鸦传媒檛 cause a problem for her nut supply.
Initially it was a few squirrels she said, but now they乌鸦传媒檙e breeding and their numbers have been slowly increasing since she first spotted them.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e even found them running up the side of my house. As the population grows, I乌鸦传媒檓 sure it will be a problem,乌鸦传媒� she said.
Bothe would like to see a response from the city and the provincial government.
乌鸦传媒淯p until this point, we乌鸦传媒檙e thankful they haven乌鸦传媒檛 gotten into our other crops,乌鸦传媒� she said, noting Firefly Farms sells mixed vegetables.
Larsen has had contact with the provincial government, but 乌鸦传媒渘othing is happening. They乌鸦传媒檙e not as large of a profile as a rat for instance.乌鸦传媒�
The native red squirrels, which are smaller in size, are being displaced by the larger grey squirrel, said Larsen. The red squirrel is territorial and not suited for urban environments, where the invasive species can live much closer to homes, feeding off of bird feeders and encroaching on the red squirrel乌鸦传媒檚 territory.
乌鸦传媒淭hey don乌鸦传媒檛 have this territorial behaviour, so where you would have one squirrel in your block now you have 15,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淎nd the numbers are just going to go crazy.乌鸦传媒�
Squirrels in large numbers also cause problems with chewing through wires, damaging tulip bulbs and gardens in parks. Larsen recently conducted a study with his students which proved the squirrels will eat grapes.
The problem in dealing with invasive species, is not having the funding before the species becomes a problem, he said. Squirrels are also cute. If it was a rat problem, people might have a different response, he said.
Larsen spent weeks in the Okanagan last spring, collecting grey squirrels to see if they carry disease.
乌鸦传媒淭alking to people in these neighbourhoods, it乌鸦传媒檚 clear to see the numbers are increasing and they乌鸦传媒檙e eventually going to fill the city up like they乌鸦传媒檝e done elsewhere.乌鸦传媒�
There is no invasive species society specifically for the Central Okanagan, but Lisa Scott of the Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society said she has seen the squirrels in the area.
The society is involved with the and works on dealing with invasive plants, but only surplus funding goes to animals like squirrels or insects, she said, and it乌鸦传媒檚 more for educational purposes.
Grant programs from the ministry go to regional groups to handle plants, she said. There has been talk of an Invasive Species Act, said Scott, but it won乌鸦传媒檛 be around for a period of time.
乌鸦传媒淪quirrels is just another example of 乌鸦传媒榳e don乌鸦传媒檛 know what to do, so we turn to people like Larsen,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 she said.
According to David Karn, with the Ministry of Environment, the invasive squirrel more recently appeared in the Thompson-Okanagan region, 乌鸦传媒渞epresenting a significant geographical jump from the previously known range.乌鸦传媒�
A project was conducted to determine the range of the squirrel in 2012 and 乌鸦传媒渨e will continue to work closely with the Invasive Species Council on the management of invasive animal issues,乌鸦传媒� he said.
Bruce Smith, communications officer for the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, said there is funding set aside to deal with Canada geese, called the Geese Management Program, but not with invasive squirrels.
乌鸦传媒淲e do have invasive species but it乌鸦传媒檚 more noxious weeds. We do insects and weeds. We do exotic animals and we do dogs but that乌鸦传媒檚 the extent of it,乌鸦传媒� he said. For funding to be allocated, the squirrels would have to be a nuisance or causing damages, he said.
Larsen predicts the squirrels will continue to spread throughout B.C.
乌鸦传媒淭hey are considered to be one of the 100 most invasive species on the planet,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e could stop them, but unfortunately every year goes by and it乌鸦传媒檚 going to take more and more money.乌鸦传媒�
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