Every homeowner has, at one time or another, had to deal with squirrel activity. The most common problems in our area relate to the gray squirrel occupying an attic or the walls of a home. Gardeners will also face conflict with these squirrels when fall bulbs disappear, or when a prize tomato vanishes.

A certain amount of control for squirrel problems in your house can be accomplished by trapping; this should be followed by a program for prevention. Live traps can be purchased at hardware stores, or rented at the Woodlake Nature Center. Ideally, the trap should be baited with nuts and placed at the exact location of undesirable squirrel activity-this may be in the attic, or near an outside wall opening. If you were to set the trap at random points outside the house, there is a strong possibility that you will trap other wildlife instead. Avoid trapping a nursing female, she will leave behind her young and these babies are capable of performing their own chewing damage, especially when faced with starvation. Make sure that you thoroughly check the squirrel damaged areas in your home for nests. Poisoning squirrels is against the law . If you suspect that a dead squirrel has been poisoned, keep dogs, cats and other wildlife away from the remains. Dispose of the squirrel in a safe manner such as through your municipal garbage collection. Local ordinances forbid any shooting/discharging of firearms in the City of Richfield. Complete removal of a squirrel population for a long period of time is unrealistic. When one family moves out, others move in. The most effective control strategy for squirrels is through prevention.

Prevention of squirrel damage in the home or garden relies on a "squirrel-proofing" program. Use hardware cloth to seal outside entry points into your attic or walls. Trim any branches that are close to the house; squirrels can easily leap six feet or more and will use low-lying branches as their travel lanes. Squirrels can gain entry through a water damaged roof and ladders would need to be used for an inspection. (Refer to the Yellow Pages under the category of "Pest Control Services" if you feel that a professional inspection would be safer in assessing squirrel damage.)

If there are high populations of squirrels in your area, begin to look for their food sources. Are they dining at your bird feeder? Squirrels eat acorns, walnuts, and hickory nuts; but any type of seed nearby such as birdseed, will further encourage their presence. Wild bird feeders are perhaps the most desirable sources for squirrels. Consider other offerings of wild bird food if the squirrels are becoming a nuisance. For example, plant trees and shrubs that produce berries, or leave the spent flowers on perennials for the winter months. Wild bird stores sell special feeders that are helpful in discouraging squirrels.

In order to minimize squirrel activity in your garden, place hardware cloth over newly planted bulbs. Remove the screen when the bulbs emerge so that the foliage is not stunted. For safety, you may want to spray paint the hardware cloth with a bright color before securing it to the ground over the bulb plantings. This will serve as a reminder to remove the metal squirrel guard in the spring, before any lawn equipment hits it.

In the summer, more conflicts occur with our attempts at vegetable gardening near squirrel populations. Barriers are the best method of prevention; use poultry netting secured with sturdy poles to enclose individual plants or entire areas. Some gardeners have had luck with blood meal, mothballs and dog or cat hair to act as repellents for squirrels. These need to be reapplied frequently, about once each week, and immediately after a rain.