GROUND SQUIRREL

Richardson’s Ground Squirrel, or more commonly known as a gopher, or prairie gopher, is a burrowing rodent that dwells in colonies. They can be often found on pastures, cropland, and parkland regions around Calgary. The adults are 12 inches long with dark brown upper side and tan coat underneath. They have a short tail that is constantly trembling, which is why they are often called the ‘flickertail’. Ground squirrels also hibernate during the winter months.

Richardson’s ground squirrel, or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus. Like a number of other ground squirrels, they are sometimes called “gophers”.

Native to the short grass prairies, Richardson’s ground squirrel is found mainly in the northern states of the United States, such as North Dakota, and in southern Canada, such as southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. The range of this animal expanded as forests were cleared to create farmland. They are not simply restricted to prairie; sometimes adapting to suburban environments, causing them to be seen as pests because of the burrows they dig. It is not unusual to find squirrels digging tunnels under the sidewalks and patios of urban homes.

Typical adults are about 30 cm long. Weights vary greatly with time of year and with location: at emergence from hibernation the squirrels weigh between 200 and 400 grams, but by the time they hibernate again this may have risen to nearly 750 g. Males are slightly larger and heavier than females on average. They are dark brown on the upper side and tan underneath. The tail is shorter and less bushy than in other ground squirrels, and the external ears are so short as to look more like holes in the animal’s head. Behavior is more like that of a prairie dog than a typical ground squirrel. The tail is constantly trembling, so the animal is sometimes called the “flickertail”.

Richardson’s ground squirrels appear to live communally, but they organize their social structure around female kinship.

Gophers can cause a significant amount of damage by burrowing. The holes and dirt mounds can cause damage to mowers and become a stepping hazard to people and pets.

NORTHERN POCKET GOPHER

Northern Pocket Gophers are a rodent that lives underground in tunnels. They are a solitary animal that can cause damage to trees and shrubs through feeding on roots and tubers. Their tunnels can also cause extensive damage with large dirt mounds. The pocket gopher does not hibernate and offspring are raised underground in a nesting chamber.

Pocket gophers are common and destructive rodents found throughout the agricultural zones of the Prairies. Often a young Pocket Gopher looking for its own place to live will invade rural and residential areas. Pocket gophers, commonly misidentified as moles, are burrowing rodents that feed on the roots of vegetation. Pocket gophers are grayish-brown in color with short legs and stout bodies. Their bodies are 12 to the cm long with a cm nearly naked tail. They have large claws on the front feet and chisel-like front teeth, both ideal for digging and gnawing. Pocket gophers have small eyes set far apart and their ears are almost absent. Their lips close behind the teeth, allowing them to cut roots or dig burrows without getting soil in their mouth. They get their name from the fur-lined cheek pouches they use to carry food and nesting material.

Pocket gophers spend most of their life underground. Each pocket gopher has its own extensive burrow system containing tunnels, a nest, and a food storage area. A single pocket gopher burrow system may include as much as 240 meters of tunnels that are 6 to 12 cm in diameter. The feeding tunnels are generally 10 to 20 cm below the surface but nesting and food storage areas may extend 2.5 meters below the surface.

They are most active in the spring and fall when they collect food for storage. During winter and the heat of the summer, they retire to the lower portions of their burrows. Pocket gophers are extremely unsociable and will fight one another upon meeting, except during the mating season. In the Prairies, mating occurs in May and June, with the young being born 30 to 40 days later.

OUR PEST CONTROL PROCEDURES

The Absolute rodent exterminators will begin by inspecting the exterior of your property and assessing the extent of the infestation. We use two different methods to treat the area: Baiting the burrow and above ground bait stations.

An anti-coagulant poison is used to bait the burrow. This is a short-term tactic as the bait is exposed to the elements and can deteriorate. Once the gopher ingests the poison, it will cause death within three to five days.

Bait stations are also used as an effective long-term and preventative approach. The bait stations protect the bait for an extended period of time and expose rodents 50 to 100 feet away.

All the work we complete is crucial to achieving full control of your property and are noted in our service report. The service report and invoice are directly e-mailed to you from the technician prior to leaving the property.

To receive a free consultation and quote based on your level of infestation and size of a property, please call our local exterminator (403) 238-7400. We can customize a program fit for your needs and pest issue.