Ground Squirrel Control, Trapping & Removal Services
We can rid you of Ground Squirrel problems safely and efficiently
Many species of ground squirrels live in the United States. This ensures that, while some species will always be more common regionally than others, there is almost always a type of ground squirrel that can thrive close by. The most economically important species are the Franklin, Colombian, Washington, Townsend, and California varieties, as they tend to cause the most damage. While the pests are reservoirs for diseases, such as plague, these pests can also cause significant damage to yards and homes with their extensive burrowing.
APPEARANCE
While ground squirrels vary in appearance based on their species, they have some features in common. Measuring between 6 and 11 inches long, these pests may have short or long furry tails, dark or light markings, and brown coats with hints of red or gray. They are distinguished from tree squirrels, a close relative, by their tails. While all ground squirrels have tails, none are quite as large and bushy as a typical tree squirrel’s. Behavior can also help to tell them apart. While a frightened ground squirrel will instinctively retreat to its burrow, tree squirrels escape by climbing.
DIET
Ground squirrels feed on a variety of both plant and animal materials, including insects, earthworms, young birds, mice, seeds, fruits, nuts, and plant roots or foliage. At the end of summer, these pests spend a considerable amount of time gathering and eating food to bulk up for the winter. Since most hibernate underground through the worst of the cold weather, they need fat reserves in order to survive. Most species will also store food in large, buried hoards.
HABITAT
Some variety of ground squirrel can be found in most states, though they are particularly common in the western two-thirds of the country. Open grasslands, dry grain or hay fields, meadows, and pastures are their preferred habitats, though they also enjoy the well-watered and smooth ground of residential lawns. Here, they dig elaborate burrow systems that may be up to 4 feet below the soil and extend 30 feet or more in length.
