Dealing With Squirrels in Texas Landscapes

Fall is the Time to Make Sure Yard Squirrels Can’t Get into a House

Sep 9, 2009

When cold weather approaches, squirrels look for a warm place to hide and that could include an attic. Gardeners can do a few preventive things to keep squirrels a bay.

Texas has two kinds of squirrel groups to contend with. Ground squirrels are found in south and west Texas and tree squirrels in east and central Texas. Cute as squirrels may be to watch as they cavort about, squirrels can damage landscapes and homes. There are several ways to try to control squirrels, but they are cagey little devils and a gardener may need to try several methods at the same time.

Texas Wildlife Damage Management Service— a cooperative program between the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and United States Department of Agriculture—offers two articles: one on tree squirrels and one on ground squirrels that describe their physical characteristics, their habitat and behavior.

What Damage Can Squirrels do to Texas Landscapes and Homes

Squirrels have been reported to dig garden plants and chew the bark from trees. Ground squirrels can damage plants and fruit trees by chewing bark and sometimes even girding the tree which can cause the tree’s death. Ground squirrels eat garden vegetables and have been reported to chew plastic sprinkler heads.

The burrows of ground squirrels can be destructive making it difficult to mow and presenting hazards to people or animals crossing the yard.

Tree squirrels eat nuts, fruits, berries, bird seed from a bird-feeder and vegetables in home gardens. However tree squirrels save their worst damage for inside the home. A squirrel in the attic can chew wires, stored items, and leave an unpleasant trail of their presence. Squirrels have been known to cause power outages and fires because of their chewing habits.

Finally, squirrels are associated with some diseases that can be communicated to humans and pets. A major concern, because of its consequences, is plague that can be transmitted to humans by fleas carried on the squirrels. According to the Texas Department of Health, Zoonosis Control Division (no date available), “Plague is a disease caused by bacteria (Yersinia pestis). It occurs naturally in parts of western Texas. It primarily affects rodents (such as rats, squirrels, and prairie dogs), but it can affect cats and people.”

Controlling Squirrels in a Landscape

The Texas gardener has several options to control squirrels in the landscape including:

In urban areas, the animal control or animal care officer available through the city may help with trapping and removing squirrels from property. Exterminating services are available throughout the State with professionals skilled at dealing with squirrel infestations.

A word of caution: squirrels are smart and clever so many control techniques may fail or need to be tried together to get control.

So, enjoy the squirrels in the landscape, but do so smartly. If squirrels are trying to enter the house, deal with that problem quickly and professionally.

The copyright of the article Dealing With Squirrels in Texas Landscapes in Landscaping is owned by Barbara Brown. Permission to republish Dealing With Squirrels in Texas Landscapes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.