For Hay Growers, ground squirrels and prairie dogs impose frustrating, costly, and dangerous situations. Here are 4 reasons that make nice farmers hate ground squirrels:
1. A Bumper Crop of Ground Squirrels is Not the Goal
Have you ever heard of anyone with a ground squirrel farm? There are too many farms that look like they are raising burrowing rodents. Predators like hawks, snakes and coyotes might think it's a good idea for a restaurant, but farmers don't have a use for them. If the area predators can't keep them under control, over-populations of ground squirrels and prairie dogs mean lots of hungry rodents devouring the hay. Besides eating away profits, these rodents pose a health risk to humans through the spread of disease, such as the plague.
2. Ground Squirrel Mounds Dull the Cutting Blades
When ground squirrels and prairie dogs dig burrows, they bring soil and rock to the surface. The end result is mounds of dirt near the burrow openings. The longer they live in an area, the more extensive their burrow system becomes. These destructive rodents continue to enlarge their burrow systems by digging additional entrances and constructing new tunnels. The more they dig, the more mounds and holes destroy the fields. These numerous large holes and mounds of soil can make harvesting difficult, dangerous and costly.
A Nevada alfalfa grower said that they cut the perimeters of the field at the end of the day because they will have to sharpen the blade after they encounter the mounds. Besides the time and hassle it takes to resharpen the blades, it's dangerous for the equipment operators to drive over the massive mounds and holes.
3. Heavy Bales are Good - Unless the Bales are Heavy with Dirt & Rocks
The excavated ground squirrel burrows leave mounds of dirt that can get scooped up when baling the hay. Heavy bales are a good thing, unless they are heavy with rocks and dirt.
Ground squirrels treat irrigation lines as their own personal water fountain. Chewed up irrigation lines are a costly problem for farmers. Besides the labor and expense of replacing the lines and wasting water, squirrel damaged lines cause erosion. Ground squirrels also contribute to erosion by diverting irrigation water with their extensive burrows systems and mounds.
Farmers will tell you that the ground squirrels aren't always in the center of the field. If the perimeter of the hay fields look like they're surrounded by small bomb craters, there's a serious problem.
From the planting acres lost, to the damage of equipment and the amount the hungry rodents devour, it all adds up to huge financial losses for the hay farmers!
If you have a ground squirrel or prairie dog problem you'd like to share, please contact me.
~Lisa
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