Squirrels go nuts in Chiswick
It has been interesting to catch up with social media having been off line for the last 3 days.On local news ChiswickW4 wrote a good and balanced article yesterday, but it seems have taken on a life of its own on social media, that reinforced why it is good to stay off it. Distilling the social media, the story seems to run as follows.LCC and friends, representing a tiny portion of society, seem to have gone nuts and been stirring themselves into action and casting dispersions on the wider residents of Chiswick, and rounding up their mates across London. Apparently a little bit of gossip at the Flower Market yesterday was that someone who didn’t want to be named, "well I don’t want to talk about it" but……..(I really do, and if you push me I will tell) ….."I found some flower heads in the morning that appeared to be cut off……".The assertion is that some anti-cycling and local hoodlums are responsible. However, no evidence has been provided that the hoodlums are local or anti-cycling.That has not stopped a number of LCC members and friends briefing Brentford TV who have swung into action today and no doubt the Chiswick Calendar will be writing on this soon. But have they got this wrong? Are there no hoodlums? Is the answer squirrels? BBC Gardeners World, the Times and the RHS and many many more say squirrels are, as are potentially other animals or birds in the UK, prone to eating tulip heads and others.https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/955807/beheaded-tulipshttps://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-godfather-squirrel-and-a-severed-tulip-head-vd09dh03z8whttps://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=195Interestingly it appears in Toronto Chipmunks can be a problem too.https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/askagardener/how-do-i-keep-squirrels-chipmunks-from-eating-my-tulip-blooms/And in the USA as the Brookings Institute says "squirrels have taken down the power grid more times than the zero times that hackers have."https://www.treehugger.com/happy-squirrel-appreciation-day-4868817On good authority it appears that even a local gardener has made comment before, at this time of year, that Squirrels are a problem with tulips, even in Chiswick and at this time of year. It would be interesting to know the experience of that gardener.So what if it was Squirrels and the LCC and friends have got this wrong and embarked on some nutty scheme. Would that not raise some interesting questions about the use of social media in this way, of the authors and associates?
David Riley ● 2002d226 Comments ● 1988d