Ground Squirrel and Prairie Dog Solutions

Everyone is experiencing stress during this COVID-19 Pandemic - even the rodents! No, they aren't freaking out because they have to wear little masks and shelter place. The problem is that we humans are not following our usual routines and they miss us. The ground squirrel's rodent relative and fellow pest, the rat, is on the move during this time of COVID-19. Rodents often rely on human food for survival and with restaurants closed and people staying home, rats and other rodents are challenged with finding new sou rces of food. Their usual dumpster buffets and trash can food carts are empty. It's gotten so bad for with the rats, that the CDC - Center for Disease Control, has issued a warning about aggressive rats seeking out food. For more ravenous rat info, check out the videos below: This video from Inside Edition has their "Rat Patrol" Reporters showing rats out in full force: Like their relative, the rat, ground squirrels haven't been obeying the Shelter ...

Ground Squirrels Do More Than Dig 1.  Ground Squirrels Climb Trees They don't spend as much time in trees as Tree Squirrels do, but they do run up trees to escape predators. Ground Squirrels also strip the bark of of young trees and eat fruit and nuts. 2.  One Acre of Land Can Be Home to 100 Squirrels It's like an over-populated underground squirrel city! Imagine all of the burrows and holes - and rodents! Large populations of ground squirrels lead to disease, erosion, and their holes are a dangerous liability. 3. Ground Squirrels are Cannibals They are not vegans. A small part of their diet is cannibalizing their own kind, and eating road kill. Quail and pheasant eggs are also on their menu. 4. Ground Squirrels Can Fight Snakes - and Win      (Warning - the video below shows an actual fight and it's violent & bloody.) 5. You Can't Trap & Release California Fish and Game Code specifies it is illegal to release ground squirrels elsewh...

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...

What kind of damage do ground squirrels' chewing and digging cause? 1.  Destroy Irrigation Ground Squirrel Water Fountains make for a costly and time consuming day. Whether they are thirsty or just like to to chew, either way ground squirrels wreak havoc on irrigation systems. Water is wasted, erosion occurs and the trees or crops don't get the water they need to grow. Mark Trost with Squirrel Busters, discovered this "water fountain"in an almond orchard he was treating with his Burrow Blocker. Mark provides ground squirrel control service in the Madera, CA area. 2.   Holes...lots of holes. Mention ground squirrel damage and that's the first thing people complain about - holes. It goes far beyond messing up landscaping, which is also a costly problem. Holes are a safety hazard and a liability at parks, farms, and schools.  3.  Erosion/Levy Safety Issues Ground squirrels digging along canals and levies are a disaster wait...

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 longe...