GROUND SQUIRRELS???? warning to all BYC'ers

[GiddyMoon]

We just got an order of castor bean pods off ebay this morning...we have an acre and they make holes everywhere and eat everything...I am dropping pods down their holes today. Another trick, take a 5 gallon bucket, fill it half way with water, pour black oil sunflower seeds all over the top of the water to make it look like solid seeds, put a plank of wood up and over the top with a few seeds on it to encourage the squirrels to go for a swim..they are cute and we love watching them..but they are very destructive critters.

 

[carrlr]

When I saw the title I thought it was going to be a recipe for Ground Squirrel.

Squirrels, ground squirrels, gophers, mice, rats....I hate them all. Hope you get that one and the rest of it's family that was probably about to dine on baby rabbit when you scared it off.

 

[cdnley]

Oh thats sad and gross!

We have the 13 lined ground squirrels here. Funny little story (not to thread jack) but one day a few years back I was driving and accidentaly ran over one (I tried not to). Now I am a tender heart so I turned around and picked it up as it was still alive and put it in my truck. As I was driving home it revived somewhat and hid under the seat. I came home and opened the door and it jumped out, unfortunately it had a run over leg so it was dragging its hind quarters somewhat. It scampered into the tall grass and that was the last I saw of her for that summer. Fast forward to the next summer we had one living in our walkway..then I see about 6 babies and the mom who had a bum leg, it was touching. Now we have a few here!

These guys we have here are smaller than the Richardson ground squirrels and make tiny little holes that are flat to the landscape (no mounds). I feed them so much bird seed all the time. I hope they wouldn't turn evil one day, yikes!

 

[infernoflower]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loathes squirrels! I've gotten in touch with my inner child and busted out the slingshot. Works pretty good too.

 

[GiddyMoon]

Be very careful about feeding them and encouraging them to come closer to the house. These guys are VERY destructive. We have only lived here 3 mths and within the 3 mths they came out of hibernation, they have made new tunnels equaling almost half an acre, riught up to our door. They eat your electrical wiring, your plants, they cause lots of problems..not to mention, as I am walking out in the yard, there are so many holes the ground sinks!

 

[Mattemma]

I have not had the squirrels attack,but darn if they aren't good at getting to seed. I bought some BOSS and kept it in plastic jars with screw on lids on my back porch. The squirrels have either chewed off and/or screwed off the lids and happily ate the expensive seed. It is time for the squirrels to go before they damage more or kill something. I have the tree ones.

 

[KYChickenlady]

Squirrles burned my house down. I have a vendetta against them already so now I shall expand it. "A hunting we will go,,, A hunting....."

 

[Carrie Lynn]

What kind of squirrel exactly, is a "ground squirrel"?
We have the large brown fox squirrels, and the small, sassy, ominivorous red squirrels in my residential neighborhood.

 

[schellie69]

I have tree squirrels and they were eating my eggs last summer. i am getting a BB gun this summer I bet they would try and eat my baby chicks.

so I guess I am going hunting. I have to be careful I live in town so no shooting guns.

 

[carrlr]

http://www.google.com/search?q=ground+squirrel&hl=en&prmd=ivns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=7BWvTauaAoqugQem65H3Cw&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=876&bih=926

i believe this is what they are talking about....as you can see it really depends on your location....