Ventura County’s Pesky Squirrel Problem

Squirrels can be deceptively cute. Especially when they’re accustomed to people and not very shy, they m

ay not seem like much of a danger 

or threat. Their seeming harmlessness can even encourage some people to feed them. What many people might not know is that squirrels are still rodents, and these animals can spread a host of diseases to people and be a threat to a property’s integrity. The most common type of squirrel in Ventura County is a major nuisance, and it’s best not to encourage it to stick near your property.  

The California Ground Squirrel

Near the coast, there aren’t as many squirrel species to deal with; however, the one species that thrives in this environment, the ground squirrel, can inflict significant structural damage and threaten the health of county residents. The ground squirrel has mottled brown fur with some white and gray markings on the back. Their bellies are lighter brown, gray, or white, and they have white rings around each eye. With somewhat bushy tails and a head and body shape similar to a prairie dog’s, they can grow up to 20 inches in length.

While ground squirrels can climb trees, they prefer to retreat to burrows, usually about 4 inches in diameter and between 5 and 30 feet long. Most of the time, burrows are built within a few feet of the surface. They can be single-squirrel dwellings or community burrows with more complex branching systems and several squirrel residents.

Part of the reason ground squirrels can be so destructive is because of their intense love for fresh fruits and vegetables. While they mostly eat green grass and herbs before hibernation, they can switch to seeds, grains, and nuts and wreak havoc on a fruit tree. In gardens, vegetables in the seedling stages are preferred. Not only can they pick gardens and fruit trees for fresh foods, but they can also rip the bark off of trees, eat parts of it, burrow into and around the roots, and gnaw on sprinkler heads. As chewers and tiny little robbers, squirrels are problematic, but as burrowers, they can make mowing the lawn and maintaining the landscape over their holes and mounds more than a pain.

Aside from creating constant inconveniences, ground squirrels can spread dangerous diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, rat-bite fever, Chagas’ disease, and can be carriers of the bubonic plague. Among other diseases, they can also be vectors for disease-carrying pests like fleas and ticks.