Evil Ground Squirrels!

[baymule]

How high can they jump? I remember a rat/mouse thread on BYH, where a bucket of water was placed next to something the rat/mouse could climb on and a board laid halfway across the bucket. Corn was put in the bucket, floating in the water and corn was placed on the end of the board, suspended over the water. When the rat/mouse crawled out to the end of the board, the added weight tipped the board and landed it in the water, where it drowned. I'll go see if I can find it.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

Something like this? Put a few inches of water in it so the mouse cannot reach the bottom and jump.

 

[baymule]

Ok, finding some.....

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/747201/5-gallon-bucket-mouse-trap

and this one is mixing plaster of paris with oil, page 7 (I think) says mix cement with cornmeal

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/183374/no-more-rats-whee-hee

 

[baymule]

View attachment 4526

Something like this? Put a few inches of water in it so the mouse cannot reach the bottom and jump.

YES! Exactly what I was off looking for! It was mentioned that a metal trash can, can also be used. The water prevents the critter from being able to spring upwards and get out.

For instance, I always keep a "squirrel stick" in my horse's water tanks, usually a 1"x4" board, so when they get in the tank for a drink, they can get back out and not drown. If the tank was empty, they could easily jump out, but because of the water, they can't.

 

[Carol Dee]

Good Luck. We fought groundhogs one summer. Hope to never have to repeat that!

 

[baymule]

While looking for more info, I ran across several different people posting that they threw red pepper flakes and cayenne powder down rat holes and the rats left. Others said they put lye in the runs and rats lick their feet and die, but that sure doesn't sound very organic to me.

If they are IN the beds and they got in by digging in the top, what about pulling the plants out, covering the beds with wire so they can't escape, and running a hose from a car tail pipe? That'll wipe 'em out.

 

[Smart Red]

@baymule, good idea, but I doubt the carbon monxide would be considered suitable for organic gardening.

No one mentioned the most obvious -- cats. I'm not sure what you're calling ground squirrels. Around here they are also called chipmunks. For years I've had many of these pests digging holes throughout the yard and sometimes digging up my flowers. Son brought his two cats out to control pests in the wood shop where we heat with corn.

Since these two stepped outdoors, (with a little help from my Lab and granddaughter's cat) there are so few chipmunks around that the acorns are piling up in great numbers where usually the ground squirrels have them long gone by now. The ground squirrels that are picking up acorns now come from across the road and off the neighbor's property. Many of these don't make it back home. Of course, the two brothers taught themselves to hunt in tandem. One catches the prey's attention and the other creeps up from behind. Seldom does the prey get away.

A fenced in area would be best, but get two or three feline friends, set up a cozy place for them, and provide just enough feed to keep them around -- and just a bit hungry. They should quickly make a difference. The chipmunks that don't get caught will move away.

 

[Smart Red]

I have heard good results with the bucket and rat-plank system, but never tried it myself.

 

[grow_my_own]

These are definitely actual ground squirrels and are not chipmunks. I am frustrated that I will not be able to get to the garden until Wednesday at the earliest because I'm working my other job Monday & Tuesday. I am going to try the hot pepper trick. The bucket of water thing would be great in a small area but would be ineffective with the size of this garden and all the critters now living in it.

I also noticed that one of the crops in the garden they haven't even touched is the basil, so I'm going to harvest the basil and shove all the roots and stems and unusable parts down into their little tunnels and see how they like it.

There is a winery cat that lives there and has caught a few of the squirrels, but this squirrel population has grown exponentially in the last 6 weeks.

I think that between using hot peppers and traps and just plain old digging into their tunnels with a shovel, I should be able to get them out in a week or so.

Getting them to not come back is going to be tricky.

 

[bobm]

A ground squirrel is NOT a chipmunk size, more like a couple pounds. Cats are effective only on the smaller juveniles. Leg hold traps are effective on catching a few ... one at a time, but there are many more down in the tunnel. Now if one is lucky enough to get them to move out, guess where they will move to ... where they came from ... the vinyard to join their parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters , cousins, inlaws and outlaws already there of course ! To give you the scope of the ground squirrel problem in my neck of the woods... the County Ag. Dept. has 2 full time agents mixing rolled barley grain with Warfarin + blue dye and helping with over the counter sales to customers.