Our region’s diverse agricultural products are raised in environments that see constant competition with wildlife species. Traditional and exotic livestock, nuts, fruits, nurseries, and fuelwood and Christmas tree farms face issues presented by various wildlife species. The hardy and invasive California Ground Squirrel can cause extensive crop and infrastructure damage.
California Ground Squirrels are found throughout California and many parts of Northwestern Nevada. This species is highly invasive and has been shown to cause harm to human agricultural processes and also a wide variety of native plants and animals that find competing with the aggressive ground squirrel difficult.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture classifies them as a pest species. In addition to the damage they cause to crops, they carry fleas and ticks that can infect livestock and humans with pathogens that can cause serious diseases.
Ground squirrels dig burrows that damage terrain and undermine surfaces that then provide habitats for other harmful animals and insects. In addition, their digging weakens soil, potentially causing livestock and workers to suffer injury by falling through the top layer of soil above burrows. They often dig near walls and support poles, weakening barns, and storage buildings.
It has been found that ground squirrels constantly search for accessible food sources, especially in places where their natural predators are not prevalent. That means livestock feed, commercial crops, agricultural by-products, and trash are highly attractive to them. They rapidly reproduce when they find adequate shelter near convenient food sources, making them among the pests we are asked to deal with most often.
If you choose us to help you solve your ground squirrel problem, we will begin by conducting a full professional inspection of your property. There are some common signs we find that indicate the extent and nature of particular infestations. We will then discuss our findings with you and create a plan that best addresses how to eliminate them depending on the time of year and weather conditions. Ground squirrels have a fairly short mating season, but their behaviors change substantially around the time they are mating and raising litters.
Humane ground squirrel management does not include relocation. Individual squirrels released in strange locations often die from starvation or exposure. If they survive, they have found another place to invade that only restarts the disruption of natural species and ecosystems. Releasing invasive species also creates a higher risk of spreading dangerous diseases.
Our wildlife control and exclusion processes comply with county, state, and federal agricultural laws and regulations and follow best practices for protecting commercial activity and preserving and fostering our region’s indigenous wildlife species. We use humane methods to remove wildlife and find that exclusion is the best preventative measure when possible.
Gold Country Wildlife Control proudly serves the foothills of Northern California and parts of Western Nevada from our headquarters in Grass Valley. You can rely on our commitment to total customer service to ensure complete and professional wildlife control. Contact us today with questions about California Ground Squirrel and other wildlife species control for your farm or ranch.
