Theysa国际传媒檙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 itsa国际传媒檚 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 doesnsa国际传媒檛 manage the squirrel population, and said the Ministry of Environment has been watching the newcomers.

sa国际传媒淚 expect the population to keep growing and growing. Theysa国际传媒檙e now sighted in Vernon fairly often and theysa国际传媒檙e going to make it to Penticton. I would say the Okanagan is a goner,sa国际传媒� said Larsen.

Naomi Bothe is a co-owner of Firefly Farm in Kelowna, and she said the squirrels have decimated the farmsa国际传媒檚 hazelnut and walnut crops.

The furry invaders started appearing on her property around seven years ago and itsa国际传媒檚 been five years since Bothe has been able to gather nuts.

sa国际传媒淥nce the invasive squirrels moved in we didnsa国际传媒檛 get any more nuts,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檝e really destroyed that opportunity for us.sa国际传媒�

The squirrels also chewed through storage containers in her barn.

When comparing them to the native red squirrels, she said the native species didnsa国际传媒檛 cause a problem for her nut supply.

Initially it was a few squirrels she said, but now theysa国际传媒檙e breeding and their numbers have been slowly increasing since she first spotted them.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e even found them running up the side of my house. As the population grows, Isa国际传媒檓 sure it will be a problem,sa国际传媒� she said.

Bothe would like to see a response from the city and the provincial government.

sa国际传媒淯p until this point, wesa国际传媒檙e thankful they havensa国际传媒檛 gotten into our other crops,sa国际传媒� she said, noting Firefly Farms sells mixed vegetables.

Larsen has had contact with the provincial government, but sa国际传媒渘othing is happening. Theysa国际传媒檙e not as large of a profile as a rat for instance.sa国际传媒�

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 squirrelsa国际传媒檚 territory.

sa国际传媒淭hey donsa国际传媒檛 have this territorial behaviour, so where you would have one squirrel in your block now you have 15,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淎nd the numbers are just going to go crazy.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淭alking to people in these neighbourhoods, itsa国际传媒檚 clear to see the numbers are increasing and theysa国际传媒檙e eventually going to fill the city up like theysa国际传媒檝e done elsewhere.sa国际传媒�

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 itsa国际传媒檚 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 wonsa国际传媒檛 be around for a period of time.

sa国际传媒淪quirrels is just another example of sa国际传媒榳e donsa国际传媒檛 know what to do, so we turn to people like Larsen,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� she said.

According to David Karn, with the Ministry of Environment, the invasive squirrel more recently appeared in the Thompson-Okanagan region, sa国际传媒渞epresenting a significant geographical jump from the previously known range.sa国际传媒�

A project was conducted to determine the range of the squirrel in 2012 and sa国际传媒渨e will continue to work closely with the Invasive Species Council on the management of invasive animal issues,sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淲e do have invasive species but itsa国际传媒檚 more noxious weeds. We do insects and weeds. We do exotic animals and we do dogs but thatsa国际传媒檚 the extent of it,sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淭hey are considered to be one of the 100 most invasive species on the planet,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲e could stop them, but unfortunately every year goes by and itsa国际传媒檚 going to take more and more money.sa国际传媒�

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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