Ground squirrels are digging around all my fav trees and shrubs and the foundation of the house.

[Shades-of-Oregon]

@ducks4you Thank you for your suggestions if it were a small area and small plants hardware cloth would help.

By the way just want to mention I used to have ducks Rouin’s and Pekin’s. They are great at clearing out bugs & great watch dogs too!

The ground squirrels are excavating around the entire house foundation , large tree roots , under huge shrubs and many plants that are smaller are gonners. Lost 3 trees, and several more trees are showing signs of stress.

I’ve tried setting up traps with water buckets feed and used sprays to deter squirrels. Cats don’t help with these ground squirrels . Nothing is working. Since the rain has hit our areas I have no choice but to use live traps. I do have a bobcat surveying the property I have seen around thru an encounter to close for comfort.

I have ordered bird feed and the Squirrelinator trap which is touted to catch several at a time . The problem I have is once the squirrels are caught, what to do with them? Not puttin them in my vehicle … from past experiences to transport or to bug neighbors.

Stay tuned for the next ‘Saga of the Squirrelinator traps’.

 

[R2elk]

@ducks4you Thank you for your suggestions if it were a small area and small plants hardware cloth would help.

By the way just want to mention I used to have ducks Rouin’s and Pekin’s. They are great at clearing out bugs & great watch dogs too!

The ground squirrels are excavating around the entire house foundation , large tree roots , under huge shrubs and many plants that are smaller are gonners. Lost 3 trees, and several more trees are showing signs of stress.

I’ve tried setting up traps with water buckets feed and used sprays to deter squirrels. Cats don’t help with these ground squirrels . Nothing is working. Since the rain has hit our areas I have no choice but to use live traps. I do have a bobcat surveying the property I have seen around thru an encounter to close for comfort.

I have ordered bird feed and the Squirrelinator trap which is touted to catch several at a time . The problem I have is once the squirrels are caught, what to do with them? Not puttin them in my vehicle … from past experiences to transport or to bug neighbors.

Stay tuned for the next ‘Saga of the Squirrelinator traps’.

If they are tunneling, you can get the smoke bombs fro TSC. Light it, put it down a main burrow and starting filling in the holes that the smoke comes out from. The smoke will kill any gophers trapped inside.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

R2elk. Thank you for your suggestion will try that idea . If I can fill in all the holes fast enough, will they escape and dig out?
I found this on you tube. I know where the tunnels are it’s wort a try. This guy doesn’t fill the holes.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

And here’s another way to catch gophers . Very interesting. I just put the hose down the hole as they come up wack with a shovel. I catch quite a few that way over the years.

 

[R2elk]

R2elk. Thank you for your suggestion will try that idea . If I can fill in all the holes fast enough, will they escape and dig out?

The main point in filling or rather sealing off the holes is to keep the smoke from disippating into the air. If they get a good enough dose of the smoke, they won't be digging anywhere.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Yes of course I have tried the smoke bombs . I ordered more hoping to cover the majority of holes before I ignite the smoke bomb. I saw a new trick on utube to use a leaf blower on low to push the smoke thru the tunnels faster.
Slick idea. Anxious to give it a try. Thank again.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Caught 2 belding ground squirrels that were tearing up around the entire foundation of the house, a 55 year old weeping cherry tree, lost 2 Italians cypress and other trees. Belding squirrels are legal to trap in Oregon. I used ‘The Squirrelinator”, baited the live cage placed under a tree , in one day caught the 2 destructive little…buggers…

They are so destructive my garden looks literally like swisscheese. Lost annuals and perennials. Two tiny lil critters have the destruction energy of a bull in a China shop.

I’m not holding my breath more will come around soon enough. The joys of living in rural Oregon next to a forest.

 

[catjac1975]

Any one have experience with eliminating ground squirrels in the PNW region.
I found a unique live trap that catches several squirrels in one trap in a few days time on YouTube available on Amazon. For $60. Then what do ya do with the squirrels in the trap? Like put them in your car and let them go to irritate someone else. I have dogs and cats and horses so poisons are out.

I just sprayed my trees and shrubs and areas around tunnels and holes with a squirrel liquid product with mint oil and caster oil a mix of other oils that are supposed to deter them. It’s not working but many area of my garden is basically torn up and plants lost. I have sprayed trees that the squirrels use to get up on the roof.

I have been thinking about hiring a professional company if any one has a reference for one plz let me know.

Any other suggestions I would be happy to hear what has worked for you.
Thank you in advance for any advice to have these squirrels removed.

Cathy

Euthanize them humanely and leave them out in a field for the raptors.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Posting the difference between a squirrel and a chipmunk. They are both always up to no good in my garden.

Pic - Yellow Pine chipmunk about the size of a rat with striped back markings on yellow brown coat, white stripes around the eyes, with long fluffy tail. Perky ears like a mouse.

Below pic - Belding Ground Squirrel is 2 and 1/2 to 3 times the size of a chipmunk, without splotches, stripes or blotches. With a white ring around the neck area when mature, and a stubby flat tail. Flat ears close to the skull.

 

[nanets]

Peanut butter is up the ramps on the rock lift and even spread peanut butter inside the sides of the bucket above the water line, hard to see in pics. Didn’t have any sunflower seeds just used unsalted hazelnuts and walnuts . The birds ate them all. Had to reset all the bait at the traps at dusk last night and the traps did not work yet. Haven’t given up yet will try again. Get some sunflower seeds .
Thanks.

Try taking a coke can and attach a line through the center of the coke can and attach ends to the bucket where the can is suspended in the middle of the bucket. Smear peanut butter on the coke can. They will smell the peanut butter and try to climb on the can . Then they will fall in the water.