Ground squirrels are often considered cute animals that run around looking for food. Unfortunately, they can cause many problems if they infest your property, and you’d probably like to get rid of them.
The first step to getting rid of ground squirrels is to identify what type you’re dealing with. Next, you can try repelling them with a chile or castor oil spray. Also, try scaring them away with decoy predators, predator noises, or by encouraging wild predators to hunt on your property. Then, live-trapping and taking the ground squirrels far away can eliminate them. Another method might be to bother the ground squirrels with motion activated sprinklers or loud noises. Finally, you can change their habitat by eliminating hiding places, installing squirrel proof fencing, and getting rid of food sources. If none of those methods works, you might need to call in pest control professionals for help.
With some persistence, you can get rid of ground squirrels and fully enjoy your property. Keep reading to learn more details about how it’s done.
You may also be interested in reading this related article “How To Trap House Mice“ and “How To Get Rid Of Prairie Dogs“.
What Are Ground Squirrels?
Ground squirrels are rodents that live on the forest floor or in burrows, as opposed to their tree dwelling cousins. This squirrel type is medium sized, while a larger ground squirrel is a prairie dog or marmot, and a smaller squirrel is likely a chipmunk.
Out of the approximately 62 species of ground squirrels worldwide, the California ground squirrel and the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, or gophers in the Midwest, are the most prevalent in the United States.
The two ground squirrel species have distinct ranges, making telling them apart simple. If you see a ground squirrel on the west coast, it’s likely a California ground squirrel. On the other hand, a ground squirrel in the center of the country is almost certainly a thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
Identifying California Ground Squirrels
If you suspect an infestation of California ground squirrels, making a precise identification is the first step to getting rid of them. The California ground squirrel is 9 to 11 inches long, complemented by a bushy tail that matches its body length.
Their coat contains gray, light brown, and dusky shades, resulting in a mottled appearance. Distinct darker stripes run from their head to the mid-back, whitish fur surrounds their eyes, while gray hair forms a cape-like pattern over the sides of their head and shoulders. Their belly fur adopts a pale buff or grayish-yellow hue.
They may hibernate in mountain regions with severely cold winters but maintain year-round activity in temperate climates. Mating occurs during the spring, producing litters of four to eight pups.
Identifying the Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel
Measuring around 7-10 inches long, this brownish squirrel has 13 alternating dark and white stripes running from its head to the base of its tail, creating a striking pattern. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel has a slender body, short, bushy tail, small head, dark eyes, and little ears.
This ground squirrel is highly active, often seen darting across open areas or standing upright to survey its surroundings. Although, in cold winters, they hibernate.
During the breeding season in spring, female thirteen-lined ground squirrels give birth to litters of 3-13 pups. The young are born blind and hairless but develop and become independent within a few months.
How To Tell You Have A Ground Squirrel Infestation
To determine if you’re dealing with a ground squirrel infestation, be on the lookout for the following indicators:
- Burrow holes: Ground squirrels create exposed tunnels with piles of dirt surrounding the entrances. These holes are often found near trees or in your garden.
- Patchy grass: Grazing by ground squirrels can lead to bald patches.
- Damaged plants: Ground squirrels may be responsible if your vegetables are missing their tops or if fruits have been chewed on. Also, they eat seedlings and have a penchant for digging up and consuming flower bulbs.
- Bite marks: If you notice gnaw or chew marks on your sprinkler heads, wooden furniture, or other objects, ground squirrels might be the culprits.
- Squirrel sightings: Spotting ground squirrels on your property or your pets bringing you deceased squirrels clearly indicates their presence.
- Unusual smells or sounds: Strange squeaking or scratching noises in your outdoor space could signify ground squirrels moving around or burrowing. Additionally, a distinct musty smell may be present due to their feces and urine.
- Droppings: Ground squirrel droppings are black or brown, solid, tubular, and round-shaped.
- Missing chicken eggs: If you raise chickens and find that eggs have gone missing, it could be ground squirrels pilfering and consuming them.
Once you have confirmed a ground squirrel infestation, it is crucial to take prompt action to address the issue.
What Is A Home Remedy For Ground Squirrels?
If you prefer to get rid of ground squirrels in a more natural way, several home remedies might deter them. Here are some common ones to consider:
Make A Repellent Pepper Spray
Soak a cup of plain red pepper flakes in a cup of hot water for 12 hours. Add a splash of dish soap and another pint of water, then strain the mixture into a spray bottle.
Apply the spray to plants, leaves, and burrow mounds to create a scent that repels the squirrels. This remedy is affordable, easy to use, and non-toxic, but it may cause irritation for kids and pets.
Reapply your spray each day as the effectiveness wears off.
Castor Oil Repellent Spray
Mix ¼ cup of castor oil with two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid for best results. Combine two tablespoons of this mixture with a gallon of water and spray it in areas where you’ve seen ground squirrel activity.
Castor oil is a humane, affordable option, but could harm other pets and animals. Apply the castor oil spray everyday until the squirrels leave.
Scary Decoys
Decoys can scare off ground squirrels without introducing predators. Owl decoys, for example, can frighten the squirrels and discourage them from staying in your yard.
Place three or four decoys strategically around your property, moving them periodically to maintain their effectiveness. Decoys are effective, affordable, easy to use, non-toxic, and completely safe for kids, pets, and other animals.
However, they can be time-consuming, and squirrels may eventually become accustomed to them.
Encourage Natural Predators
Attracting natural predators like hawks or snakes to your yard helps reduce the ground squirrel population. This solution reduces ground squirrel populations, but can be expensive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive.
Also, it won’t completely eliminate the infestation and should be combined with other methods. In the end, this is a long-term solution to balance the ecosystem on your property and reduce the number of ground squirrels.
Live Trapping
Instead of lethal measures, try using live-capture traps to contain squirrels without harming them. You can buy a ground squirrel or small animal trap at a home improvement store or online.
Bait your traps with pretzels, acorns, birdseed, or peanut butter and place them in areas of squirrel activity. Check the traps every few hours. After making a catch, handle the squirrels humanely and relocate them at least 5 miles away or humanely euthanize them, following local regulations.
Live traps are effective and humane but require handling wild animals and can be costly for larger infestations.
Disturb the Ground Squirrels
Bothering ground squirrels consistently with motion-activated water spraying or predator sound devices can make your property uncomfortable. However, this method requires consistent use, may be unsightly, bothersome to pets, and can become costly.
Unfortunately, ground squirrels can quickly become desensitized to scare tactics, and hazing tactics.
Eliminate Other Pest Infestations
Since about half of a ground squirrel’s diet is animal matter, resolving other infestations can help reduce the available food sources. On this website, you can find guides to eliminate many pests ground squirrels might feed on, including:
Habitat Changes
Modifying your property can be an effective management tactic. Remove brush, rock, and wood piles that create shelter for ground squirrels.
Plowing deep lines along fence perimeters can destroy burrow entrances, and adding gopher wire or netting can prevent squirrels from digging into your garden or lawn.
Habitat modification is effective and humane but labor-intensive and won’t eliminate existing ground squirrel populations.
Should I Kill Ground Squirrels?
It’s always best to try non-lethal methods of ground squirrel elimination first. Unfortunately, you may need to kill ground squirrels if their numbers get too large or if they cause too much damage to your property.
You’ll need to consult your local wildlife regulations to see if killing ground squirrels is legal. You may need a permit, and there may only be certain methods that are allowed.
If you decide to kill ground squirrels on your property, it’s better to hire professionals to do it for you. They’ll have the proper equipment and permissions to get the job done safely and cleanly.
Killing Ground Squirrels With Gum
There is an urban myth that you can feed gum to ground squirrels, and it will expand in their stomach and kill them. Unfortunately, this method is unproven and is most likely a waste of gum.
What Damage Do Ground Squirrels Cause?
Don’t underestimate the impact of ground squirrels on your yard. They can be detrimental to your property for many reasons, including:
- Crop devastation: Ground squirrels devour seedlings, nibble vegetable tops, and feast on fruits, causing significant damage to your vegetable garden. Their ability to climb trees and vines puts crops like grapes at risk, leading to diminished harvests.
- Unsightly burrows: Ground squirrels bring soil and rock to the surface, creating mounds near the entrances of their burrows. They can obstruct walking, playing, or using machinery like lawnmowers or tractors.
- Structural harm: Excavation by ground squirrels beneath buildings can lead to foundation cracks, soil erosion, and structural instability. Additionally, ground squirrel burrows might divert water runoff, resulting in flooding or harm to retention systems.
- Lawn deterioration: Ground squirrels exhibit destructive behavior by gnawing on plastic sprinkler heads and damaging sprinkler lines and irrigation boxes. Also, their grazing habits create bare patches in your lawn.
- Disease transmission: Ground squirrels pose a health risk to humans by carrying sylvatic plague, a flea-borne disease common among wild rodents. Their presence increases the potential for disease transmission, compromising human safety.