Ground Squirrel and Prairie Dog Solutions

  If the squirrel is climbing a tree, it's a tree squirrel and if it's digging in the ground, it must be a ground squirrel, right? Sometimes that's correct, but since these critters are squirrelly, they play by different rules. Most of us have seen tree squirrels running on the grass and then scurry up a tree. You may have seen tree squirrels bury their nuts in a hole or hide them in a hollowed out tree. They may even leave their favorite tree, so they can raid a bird feeder or chase a fellow tree squirrel. Ground squirrels are expert diggers that create extensive burrow systems that provide protection from predators and the elements and also provide living areas and food storage. Usually, ground squirrels stay pretty close to a tunnel entrance so they have a quick place to duck and hide from a hungry hawk or coyote. Ground squirrels venture away from their burrows to forage for food, expand their territory or look for a mate. When they are out on these excursions, and they...

It's February and the Ground Squirrels Are Not Social Distancing!  In California, the governor has lifted the Stay at Home Order. Too bad ground squirrels considered themselves essential diggers and never took a break from their destructive ways. There are numerous reports of g round squirrels running all over the place, destroying land, devouring crops and gathering in groups. Ground squirrels are out in the winter for different reasons. In higher elevations and colder areas, they are more likely to hibernate. In Northern California, the male ground squirrels, hibernate a month earlier than the females and young. They also wake up a month earlier. When the weather is warm like it has been, they postpone and sometimes even avoid hibernation altogether. The young males are more likely to skip hibernation. So is the excessive digging all to be blamed on the boys? It could be, but the winter has been so dry and warm this year, that in parts of California, the females skipped hibernati...

For such little diggers, ground squirrels can sure cause a great deal of destruction. Often, I receive calls and emails like these from homeowners, groundskeepers and ranchers: "The ground squirrels are undermining my driveway!" "Ground squirrels are digging under the sidewalks!" "Those ground squirrels are destroying my road!" "I'm afraid the ground squirrels will ruin my patio!" I left out the colorful language, but I'm sure you get the idea. Ground squirrel get under people's skin when they start digging under their stuff.  What begins as an unsightly mess with dirt and rocks all over, can rapidly deteriorate to a safety and liability issue. Children and adults can be seriously injured tripping in an unexpected hole. Causing sprained and broken ankles, and even broken legs - ground squirrel holes are an accident waiting to happen. As if safety concerns weren't enough of a reason to get ground squirrel problems under control, it...