Question
stephen,

hope you can help ?  i have just about a 1/2 acre lot my home sits on.  there are a tremendous amount of squirrels in the neighborhood.

is there anyway i can keep them out of my trees and especially my yard. they are eating the leaves from a lot of the bulbs i have planted and other planted flowers/plants.

i've been thinking about some of the so called "electronic" repellents.. .you know the ones that emit some type of magnetic/ultrasound.  just don't know if i believe they work ??? i've read about possibly spraying the plants with some type of pepper oil ?  any suggestions ?

also, i've experienced what must be a family of moles... front, side, back yard seems to be a lot of burrowing just below the surface.

by the way, i'm in south georgia...

any help, point us to some good websites or give us your own suggestions...

i really hope you don't suggest trapping the squirrels, i'm thinking there are too many for that to be feasible ...

thanks for your help...

Answer
Squirrel populations are cyclical unless people have bird feeders etc. Then the populations explode. Remember, nature believes in supply-side economics. WHere there is a supply, there will be a demand to meet it. In other words, if you have food in your trees or areas, you will have squirrels. No food, no squirrels. It is that simple. Trapping is an excellent idea. You don't need zero squirrels, you just don't need many squirrels. I have explained other options below. Mole control is below the squirrel control statement.

Squirrels in Tree

You have a couple of options and none of them are magic bullets.
First, trap the squirrels and dispose of them in accordance to state law. If you say that they will just come back then remember the same argument applies to your grass. Why cut it if it will just grow back? To learn how visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/graysquirrelbooklet.htm  and pick up a copy. But no matter what you need to reduce other food sources for your squirrels. Visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/solutions.htm click on prevention strategies.

Second, if the tree stands alone away from structures or trees close enough for the squirrels to jump to. You could try to use porcupine wire or aluminum flashing around the truck to prevent the squirrels from being able to climb the trunk. Visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/feedbirdsnotsquirrels.htm   there is a picture there of how to put the flashing on. Visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/porcupinewire.htm as well.
Sonic devices don't work because they can't hear in the ultrasonic range. Of all the studies done, none have proven they work. Mothballs won't work either unless you have them in high enough concentrations that you can't live in the house either. By the way they may also cause cancer and are extremely flammable. We don't recommend them.  Music may work but it can also force them to live in another, quieter part of the attic. Read my article on harassment at the link above. For resources on to why ultrasonics don't work visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/ultrasound.htm

Don't bother with so called smell repellents either.  Visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/repellents.htm to learn why repellents often don't work the way people wish they did.

Getting rid of moles

Before anything make sure the problem you are complaining of is moles and not pocket gophers or voles. If the latter two visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/solutions.htm and click on the appropriate species. Moles eat insects and worms. Voles eat plants and will work above and below ground. Pocket gophers eat plants and make numerous boils on the surface of the ground and live primarily in the Midwest to the west of N. America. Moles are twice the size of mice and rarely if ever come to the surface. Voles are the size of mice. Voles will use a tunnel dug by a mole. Make sure you know what the problem is. By the way, if you have moles you don't have many of them. On average, you will have 3 moles per acre. But remember they can dig 100 feet per day depending on soil conditions.
First, don't bother with poisons, chewing gum, thumpers, sonic devices mothballs etc. Visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/ultrasound.htm and http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/repellents.htm There is little to no concrete evidence that they work. Gas bombs tend not to work because the tunnels are too long and the moles are too fast. It is like trying to push smoke through a 30 foot straw, very hard (mole tunnel networks are much larger than 30 feet). People who think they work often don't know that during dry periods moles move deep into the soil so they won't provide visible damage until rain or watering of the lawn. If you aren't sure if the tunnels are still being used, roll down the tunnels and wait to see if they reappear. The piles of dirt are indicative of deep tunnels as opposed to surface tunnels. You need to trap these with scissor traps or No-mole traps next spring after the ground softens. Surface tunnels can be trapped with harpoon, scissor, Nash traps or Nomol. Traps can be obtained at http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/moletraps.htm
As for pets being used to control moles, I have my doubts. Certainly cats and dogs kill some but I question they would ever be efficient enough to satisfy the lawnowner.
There is a new pesticide on the market called Kaput but I have questions concerning its efficacy. By that I mean I would like to see dead moles autopsied to determine they were killed by the poison. The only registered repellent on the market is called Mole-Med It essentially uses Castor bean oil to allegedly drive the mole away. The evidence for this product is also debated.  I don't know if castor oil kills worms which are the primary food source for moles. There is no scientific evidence that any plant, chewing gum or thumping device will keep moles away.

The only concretely effective method (ie. dead moles) to control moles is trapping. 2. Use proper equipment such as harpoon, Nash or scissors traps or Nomol?traps. Traps cause minimal damage to your lawn and certainly not as much as a mole will. Nevertheless if you are worried about the traps damaging your lawn use harpoon traps. All the damage they do is poke holes into the grass. Nomol traps are the safest if you worry about pets etc. Third, get proper training, visit http://www.wildlifedamagecontrol.com/molecontrol.htm .  Many people mistakenly think that trapping is not effective because they tried it and it didn't work. What those cynics need to realize is that the trap is only as good as the trapper who uses it. Training and proper instruction is critical to success. Learn mole biology. The primary diet for moles is NOT grubs (although moles eat them, grubs are not their primary food. Their primary diet is earthworms. So even if you get rid of grubs you may still have moles who are seeking worms. Can removal of grubs work? Yes if you don't have enough worms to justify the mole's digging. However, I have heard that grubs are becoming resistant to some of the pesticides and/or that homeowners are not following the directions of the poison.  You can see my bias against unnecessary poisons. If you choose to use poisons contact your local garden supply. They should know what is effective in your area. The beauty of trapping is that it works, is safe and is poison free. As for prevention, the only thing guaranteed to work is to pave your lawn which is certainly not cost effective or environmentally sound. Finally, make sure trapping is legal in your state. Unfortunately, states like Washington and Massachusetts have listened to animal rights protest industry groups and banned mole trapping through the ballot box.


Disclaimer: As with any activity, remember that animal damage control comes with its own risks and problems which can include but are not limited to legalities, health threats, and personal liabilities. Be sure to follow all state laws governing wildlife and make sure you have a thorough understanding on how to resolve the animal damage complaint. My advice is only as good as your understanding of me and my understanding of your situation. If you have any questions be sure to write back.