Ground Squirrel and Prairie Dog Solutions

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, is that a Squirrel I See? A ground squirrel as a Christmas gift?  Farmers, ranchers and groundskeepers would be thrilled! Imagine them trapping ground squirrels and selling them at roadside stands. They'd dress them up in little squirrel sweaters, hats and mittens - hoping to make up for all of the losses they've incurred due to the ground squirrels destroying their crops and land.  Don't start knitting those squirrel mittens, quite yet. In California, ground squirrels are a keystone species and an important part of the ecosystem. They are also legally labeled as pests. And it is against the law to feed ground squirrels and keep them as a pet or "emotional support" animal. People battling ground squirrels on their property  may find it difficult to see them as providing  emotional support - especially when these digging rodents make them act like  Bill Murray's Caddyshack character, Carl Spackler. Not familiar...

Question:  How do you tell a Tree Squirrel & Ground Squirrel apart? Typical Answer: Duh! If the squirrel is in a tree, it's a Tree Squirrel. If the squirrel is on the ground, it is a Ground Squirrel. Too bad it's not that simple! See those 3 squirrels in the above photos? Notice, that they are all on the ground. You guessed it - they are all actually Tree Squirrels! Just to make things more interesting, Ground Squirrels often climb trees for food or to get a better view.  How to Tell if it's a Ground Squirrel or Tree Squirrel 1.   Be Scary! The easiest ways to tell if it's a Tree Squirrel or a    Ground Squirrel, is to scare them. Say boo - or however you prefer to be scary, and then watch and see what happens. Typically, Tree Squirrels will climb up a nearby tree and Ground Squirrels will scurry off into a hole. Squirrels are so tricky and well, squirrelly, so you may need another way to tell them apart. 2. ...

"Hey! You're the Squirrel People!"   It's been 5 years since someone first called Mike and I that at a school facilities conference. We weren't quite sure how to react - at least they knew who we were. Mike at the Burrow Blocker booth Now we are used to being the Squirrel People. Mike is the Squirrel Guy that builds our patented Burrow Blocker and directs the Burrow Blocker service team. You'll also see Mike with Pepper, his black lab, in our videos and flyers. Mike & Pepper demonstrating the Burrow Blocker. I am the Squirrel Lady that you'll find at PAPA Seminars , County Ag and AgSafe classes, providing continuing education for pest control licensing. Contact me if you want to learn more about ground squirrels and organic ways to deal with them or if you want to learn how the Burrow Blocker machine can solve your ground squirrel or prairie dog problems. Lisa & Sedona My brother, Mike Tikalsky, and our Dad, John, invente...

Coyote on the hunt for ground squirrels. Ground Squirrel and Prairie Dog problems can be frustrating, costly and even dangerous.  Can doing nothing be the answer to my ground squirrel problems?  Relying on Predators for Rodent Control Rattlesnakes  and  Gopher snakes  eat ground squirrels and prairie dogs. The snakes go after the young squirrels because the adults are not easy prey for them to devour. Adult ground squirrels have even been known to fight and bite snakes, including rattlers! Another interesting fact: male California ground squirrels are sometimes immune to rattle snake venom. Here's an idea...if you see a gopher snake on the road, safely relocate it to the nearest ground squirrel hole. The snake will have a safe place to hide and may discover dinner inside. Coyotes & Badgers  enjoy eating ground squirrels - when they can catch them. Sometimes they pair up as hunting buddies. The badger digs for the squirrels and the co...

Athletic fields, pastures, lawns, fields and orchards can be hiding a potential injury or damage to equipment.  Can you spot the ground squirrel holes?  B efore it's too late? Adults, children and even animals such as horses and cows have tripped in ground squirrel holes. Injuries range from embarrassment, a sprained ankle and even broken legs. Sadly, for horses and cows their injuries can be deadly. Simply mowing the grass becomes a dangerous game when the area is riddled with ground squirrel holes. People have injured their back when their mower hit a ground squirrel hole. Yes, people go out on disability because ground squirrels were considered a little nuisance.  Besides personal injury, mowers and tractors can be damaged and grass cutting blades dulled. Shakers will refuse to bring in the walnut crops when an orchard has too many holes because they need to protect their workers and equipment. The  Burrow Blocker  i...

Question:  Are   Gr ound Squirrels  and a  Gophers the  same burrowing rodent ? Answer: It depends upon who you ask. It's common for people in Canada, Montana, and Minnesota refer to ground squirrels as "gophers."  Technically, they are wrong, but what matters is that is that the person they are communicating with uses the same term.  Some others, think that ground squirrels and gophers are the same digging critter or they truly have no idea what they are dealing with and they call them the first word that comes to mind. Often that word or words are not fit to print - especially if the burrowing rodents are causing extensive damage and their holes are a safety hazard. Ground squirrels and Gophers actually fairly easy to tell apart. The Gopher is chunkier with beady eyes, small ears, and buck teeth. The Ground Squirrel is sleeker with larger eyes, perky ears, and their front teeth don't dominate their face.    ...

Ever feel like you are raising ground squirrels? Like their mouse relatives, ground squirrels seek out farms and act like they own the place. They take over pastures, barns and even the animal pens. Llamas aren't into sharing their space with rodents. Even the calm and peaceful llama can be pushed over the edge by destructive ground squirrels. When the ground squirrel least expects it, the llama will chase after him and may even stomp him to death.  Llamas aren't known as an effective form of ground squirrel control, but with the proper training, this might be a lucrative business opportunity. LOL Ground squirrels also like farms because they can pick their own fresh food in the fields or steal food from the farm animals. Chicken feed is one of the favorites and they probably think of it as squirrel feed. Pay attention to how much food your chickens eat. They may not be the big eaters you think they are. Try putting up a surveillance camera and you may be s...

It looks simple. There is a ground squirrel hole. Just start shoveling dirt in it and soon the hole will be gone.  Some athletic fields are so riddled with dangerous holes, they bring in tons of dirt and use bobcats to fill the holes.  Surprise! Before the next day, most of the holes reappear! Fill it again and the same thing happens.  Those ground squirrels are persistent little diggers. Why doesn't filling in ground squirrel holes using a shovel work? Shoveling in the holes is often unsuccessful, because the hole is topped off with dirt. The ground squirrel is hiding in a lower portion of the tunnel system and they dig their way out as soon as you leave the area. What is the best way to fill ground squirrel holes? The  Burrow Blocker  machine is a fast, easy, and effective way of filling in ground squirrel holes.The patented machine pumps a slurry of sand and water into the hole. The water is absorbed into the soil and all that remains is the sand. The b...