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Outwitting Squirrels: And Other Garden Pests and Nuisances
A n entertaining and practical collection of tips and tricks to outsmart all kinds of garden pests, written by one of Britain’s most influential gardeners.
If you have ever waged war against squirrels to prevent them from ransacking your garden, you will know that they are wily beasts, who can find loopholes in the most cunning of defences. In this comprehensive guide, Anne Wareham recommends a host of ingenious anti-pest stratagems to protect your garden from a range of foes.
* advice on dealing with all kinds of creatures , from rabbits, deer, snails and slugs to mites, beetles and bacteria – as well as weeds, the weather, people and much more
* Advice is also offered on how to resist fatuous horticultural trends and ignore so-called experts.
* Admitting that some pests can't be beaten , the book also advises when you should grow a different plant rather than prolonging the fight.
* Author Anne Wareham is a well-known gardening expert and has been described by the Telegraph as one of Britain’s most influential gardeners.
Entertaining and practical, this is an honest book of advice that will be appreciated and enjoyed by amateur and professional gardeners alike.
If you have ever waged war against squirrels to prevent them from ransacking your garden, you will know that they are wily beasts, who can find loopholes in the most cunning of defences. In this comprehensive guide, Anne Wareham recommends a host of ingenious anti-pest stratagems to protect your garden from a range of foes.
* advice on dealing with all kinds of creatures , from rabbits, deer, snails and slugs to mites, beetles and bacteria – as well as weeds, the weather, people and much more
* Advice is also offered on how to resist fatuous horticultural trends and ignore so-called experts.
* Admitting that some pests can't be beaten , the book also advises when you should grow a different plant rather than prolonging the fight.
* Author Anne Wareham is a well-known gardening expert and has been described by the Telegraph as one of Britain’s most influential gardeners.
Entertaining and practical, this is an honest book of advice that will be appreciated and enjoyed by amateur and professional gardeners alike.
- GenresNonfiction
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 23, 2015
28 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
About the author
Anne Wareham
3 books3 followersAnne Wareham is a prolific garden writer for newspapers (including the Telegraph, Guardian and Spectator) and garden magazines (including The Garden). She edits the website ThinkinGarden, which has won a Garden Media Guild award and has a large following in the UK and abroad, receiving over 10,000 visits a month.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 21, 2020
Right I am going to type this one up quickly simply because I will end up changing my mind otherwise.
The reason for this indecision is simple - I cannot make up if the author is just wanting to rant and let off a bit of steam or if the world really is that bad (the fact Anne Waresham write the book the bad-tempered gardner does give a clue).
But in all seriousness reading the various entries does get a little depressing - and certainly does make me think the way forward is to let someone else do all the hard work and I fill the house with plastic plants. It just seems one challenge or problem (or both) after another and makes me wonder why people put themselves through it. I am not a gardener but my parents both are very keen on it and I wonder after reading this book if they need psychiatric help or a medal.
Dont get me wrong there are some very humorous parts to the book and some of them really did resonate with me (what does that say about my sense of humour) and the wealth of experience that has been put in this book is amazing.
The reason for this indecision is simple - I cannot make up if the author is just wanting to rant and let off a bit of steam or if the world really is that bad (the fact Anne Waresham write the book the bad-tempered gardner does give a clue).
But in all seriousness reading the various entries does get a little depressing - and certainly does make me think the way forward is to let someone else do all the hard work and I fill the house with plastic plants. It just seems one challenge or problem (or both) after another and makes me wonder why people put themselves through it. I am not a gardener but my parents both are very keen on it and I wonder after reading this book if they need psychiatric help or a medal.
Dont get me wrong there are some very humorous parts to the book and some of them really did resonate with me (what does that say about my sense of humour) and the wealth of experience that has been put in this book is amazing.
April 15, 2020
What?!?!!
Very short extract from the book that shows my issue with this author: The problem of what on earth to do next. It’s illegal to drown it (and also cruel) and impossible to bash it cleanly on the head without getting bitten. It is within the law to kill them, but causing your squirrel any unnecessary suffering will land you with a hefty fine, so any measure you take must be swift and humane. It is also illegal to try and palm it off on someone else by carting it off in a cage and releasing it a good distance away. Squirrels are legally vermin and you are not allowed to release them into the countryside. It’s also futile in any case: I know someone who, having caught one, spray-painted it and then released it several miles away. It came back. If you can’t shoot a squirrel cleanly, you can only take it to a delighted vet, who I believe will be obliged to kill it for you
Very short extract from the book that shows my issue with this author: The problem of what on earth to do next. It’s illegal to drown it (and also cruel) and impossible to bash it cleanly on the head without getting bitten. It is within the law to kill them, but causing your squirrel any unnecessary suffering will land you with a hefty fine, so any measure you take must be swift and humane. It is also illegal to try and palm it off on someone else by carting it off in a cage and releasing it a good distance away. Squirrels are legally vermin and you are not allowed to release them into the countryside. It’s also futile in any case: I know someone who, having caught one, spray-painted it and then released it several miles away. It came back. If you can’t shoot a squirrel cleanly, you can only take it to a delighted vet, who I believe will be obliged to kill it for you
February 21, 2024
A very funny book, occasionally laugh-out-loud. And there's much helpful advice for the amateur gardener, who in all likelihood has never received proper instruction. It's not only about squirrels and other pests, but here's my tip if you have been losing too much of that expensive birdseed to squirrels (or to those flying rats, properly known as town pigeons):
After much experimentation, I bought two of these: the Roamwild PestOff Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder 2.0. (Not cheap. But it's easy to refill and doesn't rust, unlike superficially similar and much cheaper feeders made from steel.) Along with them, I bought the Roamwild PestOff Starling Proof Cage Accessory, which prevents bigger birds (such as those flying rats) from taking most of your expensive sunflower hearts.
After much experimentation, I bought two of these: the Roamwild PestOff Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder 2.0. (Not cheap. But it's easy to refill and doesn't rust, unlike superficially similar and much cheaper feeders made from steel.) Along with them, I bought the Roamwild PestOff Starling Proof Cage Accessory, which prevents bigger birds (such as those flying rats) from taking most of your expensive sunflower hearts.
March 25, 2020
I have to say, having just come off an incredibly dense tome with impregnable syntax, picking up and reading 'Outwitting Squirrels' was an absolute delight! It was like my brain was on fire as this book was a pail of water.
But like any body of water, you don't want to be submerged in it for too long. This is what happened with this book. What starts out as a very charming and witty book, ends up reading like a countryside alliance handbook. But then again, maybe I'm not the audience.
I would recommend this book to any brexiteer with a decent sized garden.
But like any body of water, you don't want to be submerged in it for too long. This is what happened with this book. What starts out as a very charming and witty book, ends up reading like a countryside alliance handbook. But then again, maybe I'm not the audience.
I would recommend this book to any brexiteer with a decent sized garden.
December 29, 2018
Less than 5% of this book is actually about squirrels....I gave it up once but came back and finished it as I needed to squeeze out one more book for the 2018 reading challenge- if you want to know about exterminating squirrels this isn’t for you
August 9, 2021
Informative, amusing and entertaining
Excellent insight and advice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Anne's book and took heart when hearing that I wasn't the only suffering these type of mishaps.
Excellent insight and advice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Anne's book and took heart when hearing that I wasn't the only suffering these type of mishaps.
March 3, 2026
Gardeners should read this for a giggle. So many silly things about animals, pests, biting things,
infestations, too much this and too little that.
Perhaps no new skills can be learned here but it sure was worth a smirk or two.
infestations, too much this and too little that.
Perhaps no new skills can be learned here but it sure was worth a smirk or two.
January 5, 2020
It's very opinionated and highly localised and seems to be based purely on her fumbling about rather than anything close to rigor to avoid perpetuating myths!
April 30, 2020
to repel your adversary you have to become your adversary
May 26, 2021
Humorous! Good for those who garden as I'll be lending to a friend.
January 5, 2022
fabulous book-lots of tips-very funny-highly recommend
August 8, 2022
A delightful quick read. Give it to your gardening friend in constant battle with pests. Even gave me an idea for how to protect the pond from foxes.
January 1, 2024
Quick read. light and slight.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews