Many UAE residents have observed a sudden surge of squirrels in their communities, damaging cable wires, garden flowers, vegetables and crops on the farm. Squirrels have quickly moved from being seen in public parks to residing in residential areas.
Community members are now urging public health and environmental authorities to provide solutions for mitigating the squirrel incursion in their neighbourhoods. Residents look for a safe way to keep these rodents away from their properties without harming them.
Kholoud K, an Emirati residing in Dubai’s Al Barsha area, has been actively dealing with squirrel-related problems. “The squirrels were eating all the mangoes, berries, and figs from my trees, which has been quite annoying.”
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Kholoud placed a scarecrow to keep the squirrels away, but it didn’t work. Then, she contacted the Dubai Municipality, who provided her with traps to capture and release the squirrels in the desert. “My fruits are now growing safely. I haven’t seen any more squirrels near my house,” she said.
Damaging cables
Haleema M, an Emirati from the same neighbourhood, enjoys having squirrels around her house. She doesn’t mind the squirrels eating her crops but is concerned about them damaging cables.
The 25-year-old said many people capture squirrels and keep them as pets. When her relative asked her to give him a squirrel every time she captured one, she agreed. He kept the squirrel in a large cage in his backyard, but it eventually escaped. After several unsuccessful attempts to get rid of the squirrels by capturing and releasing them in a remote place, Haleema gave up. “I consider it a good deed and routinely inspect the cables.”
Residents were recently given a solution to capture squirrels by placing glue boards in their yards to trap them. While some tried to eliminate squirrels, others felt guilty using glue boards as it gets difficult to free a squirrel once it is stuck. Many of these rodents die after getting stuck in the glue.
Where do squirrels come from?
In ‘A Natural History of the Emirates’, Jacky Judas explained the origin of squirrels in the UAE. The author wrote it is unknown how the Northern Palm Squirrel made its way to the UAE from its native range in western Asia (India, Nepal, Pakistan). “We might guess that it has been imported in the pet trade, where some individuals managed to escape or may even have been intentionally released,” noted Judas.
Residents in Ras Al Khaimah were the first to notice the rise of squirrels on their farms, causing significant damage to their crops. This led many farm owners to seek solutions to reduce their losses, eventually resorting to pesticide use to keep the animals away.
Dinesh Ramachandran, technical and HSE Manager at Rentokil Boecker, told Khaleej Times that squirrels are not typically domesticated or recommended as pets.
He suggested ways to address squirrel problems: first, remove food and water sources, then seal entry points in your home and ensure trash bins are properly sealed.
Dinesh clarified that squirrels, being rodents, can transmit diseases through their droppings and urine and are known to cause damage to crops and plants.
He ensured that proper landscaping discouraged squirrels from feeding and being attracted by food. Residents can also consider applying natural sprays such as hot pepper if the household has flowering plants and crops.
Dinesh highlighted the differences between rats and squirrels: “Both are rodents, but rats and squirrels differ in their habitats, diets, etc. While rats are nocturnal (active at night), squirrels can be seen foraging during the day. Both can be distinguished by physical appearance, too,” he said.