Here at Smith’s Pest Management, we help homeowners in California keep these pests away for good.
In this blog, we share our professional ground squirrel control tips so you can quickly reclaim your yard.
Ground squirrels can be incredibly destructive to yards and gardens with their constant digging. The holes and mounds they create are not only unsightly, but dangerous tripping hazards. Their burrowing can also undermine the foundations of buildings, patios and decks. Getting these pesky rodents to stop excavating your outdoor space can be challenging, but there are some effective strategies and repellents you can try.
Why Do Ground Squirrels Dig?
Ground squirrels are prodigious diggers because they construct elaborate underground burrow systems where they live, sleep, store food, and raise young. The burrows provide shelter from predators and harsh weather. Their digging habits are natural behaviors that can’t be completely stopped. But there are ways to discourage ground squirrels from tunneling in areas you don’t want them to disturb.
Effective Ways to Deter Ground Squirrels from Digging
Remove Food Sources
Ground squirrels are opportunistic feeders that consume a wide variety of vegetation, seeds, nuts, fruits, and even buried table scraps Eliminating readily available food sources can make your yard less attractive
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Pick up fallen tree fruits like apples daily.
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Remove veggie gardens and nut trees that provide a squirrel buffet.
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Take down bird feeders that they might raid
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Keep compost bins sealed to contain food waste.
Modify Landscaping
Certain types of landscaping invite ground squirrels looking for places to burrow
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Avoid flowerbeds or shrubbery up against the house, as they offer shelter.
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Replace ground level mulch beds with gravel, pavers or concrete to remove diggable soil.
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Cut grass short to eliminate shady cover.
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Remove brush and rock piles they may nest under.
Harass with Sprinklers
Motion-activated sprinklers can startle ground squirrels and keep them off lawns. Set sprinklers to spray problem areas and tunnel entrances. The sudden bursts of water will condition them to avoid those zones.
Apply Repellents
Smelly or spicy repellents make an area inhospitable for ground squirrels. Apply them anywhere you notice evidence of digging. Reapply after heavy rain.
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Castor oil and chili powder mixtures
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Ammonia soaked rags placed in burrows
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Cayenne pepper sprays
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Predator urine like coyote, fox or bobcat
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Scent repellents with coyote, garlic or mint oils
Install Physical Barriers
Barriers make it hard for ground squirrels to gain access to areas to dig. Use them around gardens, yards, or between properties.
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Hardware cloth or chicken wire fencing, buried at least 12 inches deep
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Wire mesh baskets around plants
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Paving stones around foundations to remove soil
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Gravel walkways in trouble spots
Scare Tactics
Making your yard an uncomfortable place will send ground squirrels looking for a quieter home.
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Set up owl statues, scary decoys, or mylar tape on stakes to frighten them.
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Install ultrasonic pest repellers that emit high frequency sounds.
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Play talk radio or set up mirrors to make open areas seem unsafe.
Limit Water Sources
Eliminating easy water access forces ground squirrels to dig deeper tunnels to find moisture underground.
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Dump small decorative ponds or bird baths.
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Fix leaky hoses, spigots and sprinklers that create puddles.
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Move water sources like fountains away from digging hot spots.
Use Traps Humanely
Live traps let you remove and relocate ground squirrels unharmed. Bait with peanut butter and set near burrows. Check traps twice daily and release at least 5 miles away. Be sure it’s legal to relocate squirrels in your area first.
When to Call in a Professional Exterminator
For severe ground squirrel infestations, it may be necessary to contact a professional pest control company. They have access to fast-acting rodenticides and fumigants that are more effective for large populations. However, always opt for humane exclusion and deterrence methods before poisons.
Signs you need professional help include:
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Squirrels have tunneled under foundations or concrete.
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Multiple litters of young squirrels observed each season.
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Holes appearing daily despite your efforts.
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Burrows too extensive to be managed DIY.
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You are overwhelmed and unable to tackle the issue.
A professional can survey your property, identify all the burrows, and implement a treatment plan tailored to your situation. This often involves a combination of exclusion, habitat modification, repellents and elimination tactics. With their help, your yard can be ground-squirrel free.
Prevention Tips to Keep Ground Squirrels from Returning
After successfully sending ground squirrels packing, take proactive steps to keep them from burrowing in your yard again:
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Walk the perimeter daily checking for new holes and immediately filling them in.
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Maintain fencing, mesh and other barriers to prevent access.
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Continue applying smelly repellents around the property perimeter regularly.
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Monitor for signs of reinfestation like claw marks on plants.
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Erect owl decoys and mylar tape on stakes to deter scouts.
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Avoid piles of construction debris or junk that could provide shelter.
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Seal external vents and openings in sheds, garages, etc. to block entry.
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Keep vegetation trim and lawn areas open and sunny.
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Promptly repair any water leaks or malfunctioning irrigation.
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Consider solar-powered ultrasonic stakes if land allows.
When Ground Squirrel Tunnels Aren’t a Problem
Not all ground squirrel burrows need to be stopped. Squirrels aerate and mix the deep soil with their extensive digging, which is beneficial in natural, unmanaged areas.
Leave their tunnels be in locations like:
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Open fields away from buildings and infrastructure.
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Forests and nature preserves where you don’t walk.
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Orchards and gardens where their foraging may be desirable.
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Large rural properties where holes aren’t a hazard.
Unless they are causing direct issues, such as under patios or around building foundations, enjoy watching the antics of these comical critters. Their tunnels support other species like burrowing owls who take over abandoned burrows. With some creative landscaping and deterrents, you can peacefully co-exist with ground squirrels.
Frequently Asked Questions about Stopping Ground Squirrel Digging
What is the most effective way to get rid of ground squirrels in your yard?
A combination of exclusion, removing food sources and harborage, deterrents, and population reduction is most effective. Start with exclusion like fencing, then modify landscaping. Use repellents and harassing devices, along with trapping or professional extermination if needed.
What scent will keep ground squirrels away?
Strong scents that natural predators produce are good squirrel repellents. Some options are coyote, fox or bobcat urine, ammonia, garlic, mint, and citrus. Castor oil and pepper spray mixtures also deter squirrels with their powerful scent and taste. Reapply smelly repellents frequently.
What is the best bait to trap ground squirrels?
Good baits for trapping ground squirrels include peanut butter, nuts, seeds, fruits like berries and melon, and whole grains like oats, wheat and popcorn. Meat baits are not as effective for these vegetarian rodents. Use small amounts just to lure them into the traps.
Will mothballs keep ground squirrels away?
Despite widespread belief that mothballs (naphthalene) repel burrowing pests like ground squirrels, they are not an effective or legal repellent. The strong fumes can disperse into soil and vegetation, contaminating them. Mothballs are also toxic to pets and beneficial wildlife.
What home remedy will get rid of ground squirrels?
A homemade spray of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, dish soap, and water can be applied to deter ground squirrels from digging in areas. Castor oil and chili powder mixtures also work when sprayed into burrows and tunnels. These irritants must be reapplied frequently to remain effective.
How do you kill a ground squirrel naturally?
There are no truly natural ways to kill ground squirrels. While predators like hawks, foxes and coyotes hunt squirrels, relocating them to your yard is not legal. Poison baits also kill indiscriminately. Trapping and euthanizing humanely is the most natural lethal method, but check local laws first.
Ground squirrels can certainly be a nuisance, but with persistence and a multifaceted approach, you can reclaim your yard and garden. Combining deterrents, exclusion and removal tactics will convince these diggers to move their burrows elsewhere so you can enjoy your outdoor space again.
Ground Squirrel Exclusion
We do not offer ground squirrel exclusion at Smith’s Pest Management, but we will let you know if we think it would be a good idea for your property.
We want to make your property less appealing to ground squirrels while making it as peaceful and lovely for you as possible.
Ground squirrel-repellent plants
Some people recommend planting barriers of ground-squirrel-repellent plants like narcissus, castor bean, or crown imperial plants. Unfortunately, that won’t work to keep these pests out of your yard. Because they are so flexible, ground squirrels will figure out how to avoid or get into certain areas from below.
People think they’ll shoot ground squirrels with a pellet gun or 22. Some think throwing repellent down their holes works. Some people think that they can get rid of ground squirrels by taking the exhaust pipe from their car and putting it into their tunnels.
Unfortunately, none of these things work.
There are times when ground squirrel populations are so big that treating a few burrows in any way won’t make a difference.
In fact, doing so will create a vacuum effect. You’ll leave just enough empty burrows for ground squirrels from nearby to move in and start having babies, which will make your problem worse in the long run.
Here’s what we’ve found to be true in our field experience:
When you have rodents that live in large groups and dig holes, like ground squirrels, you need to plan how you will get rid of all of them within a football field’s worth of yards around your property, or about 100 yards in each direction.
You’ll waste a lot of time and money on control methods that don’t work if you can’t deal with the problem on that scale.
We don’t want friends to waste money on bad things, so we’re going to tell you the truth: killing ground squirrels one by one is not a good way to keep them under control.
Instead, you should use a baiting program and make sure there is enough food (1/4 lb per animal is a good starting point). Let that bait program run for an entire summer or two to control your ground squirrels.
If you’re going to try trapping ground squirrels, make sure you have a good euthanization program available. According to California law, if you catch a ground squirrel, it must either be euthanized (drowning is not an acceptable method) or set free in the same area where it was caught.
So the myth-busting here is as follows:
Eliminate the population effectively and quickly, whether with bait or extensive trapping. If someone tells you that treating a few burrows is enough, don’t believe them. Also, don’t waste your time relying only on hazing, noisemakers, or repellents.
