How to Get Rid of Desert Ground Squirrels

Squirrels can be an annoying lawn, home and garden invader. These seemingly harmless little rodents can eat the fruit off your trees, make a mess of your outdoor garbage cans and even make their way into your home and wreak havoc in your attic. Squirrels can also carry potentially harmful parasites and other disease-causing organisms into your home and near your family. There are several ways to remove desert ground squirrels from your property once and for all.

Things You'll Need

• Traps
• Bait
• Fumigation gas
• Snake
• Dog

Instructions

1. Remove any food that is found in your yard. This includes pet food. Keep your outdoor garbage cans covered so that any food smells found inside will not be able to permeate the lid, and attract squirrels to your yard.

2. Trim any heavy vegetation or bushes and remove any large debris, such as wood piles, from your yard. Any of these can provide an attractive shelter for the squirrels.

3. Place bait traps in your yard. Place a small piece of fruit or a handful of nuts into the trap to lure the squirrel. Once the squirrel has been captured, place the cage into your car and release the squirrel in a wooded area several miles from your home.

4. Obtain a permit from your local County Agricultural Commissioner to utilize a toxic gas to fumigate the holes and burrows that the squirrels have dug in your yard. Use the gas on all of the entrances and holes made by the squirrels in your yard. This tactic works the best in the spring because squirrels will plug the holes of their burrows with dirt for protection during hibernation.

5. Introduce the squirrel's natural predators to your yard. These include snakes and cats. You can also bring a breed of dog, such as Dachshund, into your home. These dogs were bred to remove small rodents, such as squirrels, from burrows and holes.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact an exterminator if you do not feel comfortable fumigating the squirrel burrows yourself, or if your squirrel population is large.

• Wear a respirator, gloves and goggles if using any poisonous substances to eradicate the squirrels.

References

• Sager's Gardens: Ground Squirrel Control
• UC Davis: Ground Squirrels