Q. I am wildlife biologist and a gardener. You should retract your statement about poisoning ground squirrels as the poisoned bodies will appear in the food chain of hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, and snakes.
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| Ground squirrel harvesting of nuts from almonds |
A.
You are right. Poisoned carcasses of any animal can enter the food chain of
other animals. It is important to make sure that individuals are following all federal,
state, or local laws or ordinances pertaining to the use of a pesticide (whether
it is used to kill weeds, insects, protect plants from diseases or terminate
the life of a critter) and that any pesticide is used as a last resort. Make
sure to read the pesticide label and follow its directions.
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| Ground squirrel looking for handouts at Hoover Dam |
Ground squirrels can rob a tree of
almonds overnight. One method to avoid this from happening is to harvest the
nuts earlier in the calendar year and dry them in a protected location.
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| Harvested table grapes by a ground squirrel. I challenged him/her/it and saw it jump from the grape vine about 2 pm in the afternoon |
There are different ways to eliminate
ground squirrels. Pest control companies exist that focus on “humane methods” and
market these options for concerned gardeners. I would refer anyone interested
to follow the advice given by the University of California regarding
controlling ground squirrels (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7438.html). Please remember
that trapping and releasing an animal to another area is illegal in most states
and potentially cruel.
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