Ground Squirrel VS Tree Squirrel: Getting to know the family
The California Ground Squirrel and the Western Tree Squirrel are two of the most common types of squirrels found on the West Coast of the United States. While they are both from the same family (Sciuriade) they are actually distant cousins. In this article we will learn to identify them both and determine which of these two little critters may be the perpetrators causing damage to your business, property, or garden.
Ground Squirrel VS Tree squirrel: Biology
We take for granted that these cute little scurrying creatures can be found on every continent except for Australia and Antarctica. While it may seem obvious what squirrels are, you may find here a few surprising facts that could end up saving you money in damages and help you protect your garden or crops.
What exactly are squirrels?
When you think of squirrels, you most likely picture a cute little tree climbing critter with big eyes, a puffy tail, and a horde of nuts hidden somewhere nearby. Although this is correct in a general sense, squirrels are part of the Rodentia order. This means that though they may not be as un-attractive and EEK! inducing as their rat and mouse cousins, they are considered pests who also carry diseases and can cause untold property damage if left un-checked.
Lets take a moment to get to know the two creatures in question:
Tree Squirrels
There are four types of tree squirrels found in California:
- Eastern fox squirrels – These guys are one of the larger tree squirrel species. They can be identified with a brownish/gray fur and a typically reddish/brown underside.
- Eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) – These little guys are smaller than the fox Squirrels. They usually have more typically grey fur with a white underbelly. Eastern Grays have a more pointed snout and pointier ears than fox squirrels as well. Endemic to these squirrels is also a genetic mutation that allows for a completely black coat, but these are more often found in colder climates.
- Western gray squirrels (Sciurus griseus) – If you close your eyes and imagine a squirrel, then more than likely you are imagining a Western Gray Squirrel. These guys are the largest of all the tree squirrel species. They have a gun-metal gray top fur, long bushy tails with black flecks that are S shaped, and large ears that turn brown in the winter.
- Douglas squirrels (Tamiasciurus douglasii) – Sometimes referred to as the Chickaree, these smaller squirrels change color during different seasons. During the summer they are grayish or almost green/brown on their backs with a pale orange underside. Their winter coats are brownish gray on the back with a solid gray underside. They have a prominent white eye ring.
There are two types of Ground Squirrels found in California, Otospermophilus beecheyi and Otospermophilus douglasii.
A Ground Squirrels’ back is a mottled gray and brown while their underside is a grayish yellow. Their tails can be bushy and often it is this characteristic which might cause you to confuse them with Fox Squirrels.
The California Ground Squirrel is common on the Western Coast of the United States. While mostly found in California and Oregon, they have begun to widen their territories into Baja California and Washington state as well.
One simple way to tell the difference is when a ground squirrel is spooked it will run for the safety of its underground burrow instead of climbing to the heights of the treetops.
Ground Squirrel VS Tree Squirrel:
Not the cuddly kind of cute
Diseases and Parasites
Most pests we encounter, whether in the wild or on residential/agricultural properties, can be a nuisance because of the damages they cause. This is not the only reason to rid your home or business of pests though. Most vertebrate pests, including both Ground Squirrels and Tree Squirrels, often carry diseases and transmit them through bites, scratches, feces, urine, and even via the parasites that can be found living on their bodies.
Not only do all types of squirrels carry diseases such as Leptospirosis, Tularemia, Salmonellosis, and Rabies, but they also are usually infested themselves with lice, ticks, mites, and a host of other ectoparasites. These crawlers who call critters home can transfer dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease if a close encounter with one of these cute little rodents occurs.
Ground Squirrel VS Tree Squirrel: Habits of a Menace
Squirrels are scatter hoarders.
This means that they collect their nuts, fruits, seeds, and stash stockpiles in different locations. This is to prevent having one single cache of food from being raided by larger animals. Typically, these cached locations are within small holes dug into soft soil (think of that beautiful freshly mown yard or even your perfectly tilled garden patch).
Ground Squirrels also hoard their food caches, but typically within their network of tunnels. A ground squirrel burrow can be between 5 and 30 feet long dug 2.5 to 4.5 feet beneath the surface, depending on the size of the colony. They typically dig their burrows along ditches or fence lines around buildings, inside and along the edges of crops, and on un-cultivated land. They will travel a hundred yards or more to eat and gather food.
This burrowing causes much of the damage that residential property owners will be concerned with, but make no mistake, it is not the least of an agricultural property owners’ worries either. Ground Squirrels bring soil and rocks to the surface when burrowing. This creates unsightly mounds and are hard on maintenance and harvesting equipment for crop/orchard focused agriculture.
The feeding habits of a ground squirrel are also a major cause for concern. Though they may feed on crops and vegetables in the garden all year round, it is when the hoarding for winter begins that the damage to crops and gardens can nearly double.
Ground Squirrel VS Tree Squirrel:
the common thread of damage
Ground Squirrels and Tree Squirrels are completely different animals. They occupy different habitats, have different feeding habits and are genetically unique.
The only traits they have in common are the types of damage they inflict on property and crops or vegetation:
- Gnawing on electrical wires, plastic irrigation lines, wooden or vinyl siding. They also strip the bark of trees in an act called girdling, to reach the sugar and calcium located in the phloem of trees. This can kill trees and destroy vine plants relatively quickly as well.
- Digging holes in gardens and lawn soil to hide caches of food or to create burrow systems.
- Feeding on crops and vegetation for sustenance and gathering large quantities.
Managing Infestations
Whether you are a weekend gardener or have multi-acre crops/orchards of a squirrels favorite foods there are options for dealing with a squirrel infestation.
In the case of Tree Squirrels, it is imperative to clearly identify the species in question, as each Tree Squirrel has different requirements and possible permits needed to enact pest control measures. Eastern Fox Squirrels are the only tree squirrel species in California that do not a require a hunting license or trapping permit. To help adhere to the specificity of Government regulation, if you have a problem with any type of tree dwelling squirrel you should contact our professionals at Got Gophers to find the proper solution.
Let us look at the ways in which a squirrel infestation can be dealt with:
Biological Control
Squirrels have a variety of natural predators. Coyotes, Rattlesnakes, Eagles, and Hawks all eat squirrels. Although, it is rare that these predators cull enough of a colony to save home gardeners and agricultural operations the cost in time and money from damages.
Fumigation
In the case of ground squirrel’s fumigation is an option, but there are drawbacks to the method.
Because a specific soil density and moisture is required to contain the poisonous chemicals within a fumigant, the method is usually restricted to springtime when soil moisture is highest.
In drier climates it is usually never recommended as the fumigant leaks through cracks in dry soil making it less effective. Another time restriction is during times of hibernation, if you attempt to fumigate a ground squirrel colony during hibernation it will be a waste of money, as ground squirrels plug their sleeping dens with soil and the fumigant will not reach them.
In addition to time specificity there are also regulations in place to protect humans and domestic animals. Fumigants cannot be used within a hundred yards of a building, barn or other structure used to house humans, pets, or livestock. Because of this, fumigation is rarely the best solution for residential targets of a ground squirrel infestation.
Trapping
As with most vertebrate pests Trapping is the best solution to managing an infestation. The traps used always depend on the pests in question and the specific circumstances in question.
There are a variety of traps available to deal with a squirrel infestation, and their use is dependent on certain factors such as colony population, location, terrain, and proximity to humans/domestic animals. You should always consult with a pest control professional before trying to DIY pest control.
It is not recommended to use Live Traps to handle squirrel infestation issues because there is the problem of pest disposal. The laws regarding proper vertebrate pest disposal are stringent.
IT IS ILLEGAL TO RELOCATE WILDLIFE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA WITHOUT A PERMIT.
This is why we highly recommended consulting a professional pest control company if you are experiencing any type of pest infestation.
Got Gophers provides trapping, exclusion, and habitat modification services to serve clients ranging from weekend gardening wizards to large scale agricultural operations who are experiencing tree or ground squirrel infestations.
Ground Squirrel VS tree Squirrel:
What is the big deal?
So, what can we take away from all of this?
- The greatest difference between the various Tree Squirrel species and the California Ground Squirrel is obvious. Ground Squirrels are burrowing animals, whereas Tree Squirrels build their large leafy nests in the crooks where thick branches sprout from the trunks of trees.
- To the untrained eye, all squirrels may look the same but there are a variety of tree and ground squirrels, each having its own unique habits and appearances.
- Each squirrel species may be unique, but their typical rodent habits make them all similar in the way they cause damage to property, gardens, and agricultural operations.
- Not all squirrels are seen as pests in the eyes of the law. Ground Squirrel control is not regulated in the state of California, but some of the extermination tools may have regulations you might not know about.
- There are many types of Tree Squirrels and not all of them have pest status in the lawbooks. Therefore, it is very important to have a professional identify and advise before trying to control an infestation yourself if that is even a viable option.
If you believe you have a Squirrel infestation, are experiencing similar squirrel related pest damage, please contact Got Gophers as soon as possible so we can send one of our professionals to help assess the situation and come up with a plan of extermination, exclusion, habitat modification and success for your home or property.