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Journalism of Courage
The situation in Minot, North Dakota’s fourth-largest city, has dramatically worsened due to the unexpected rise in ground squirrels activities. Weighing less than a pound and measuring just a foot in length, these small creature are expert tunnellers and have become a serious nuisance.
According to an Associated Press (AP) report, Richardson’s ground squirrels have been burrowing across the city – from vacant lots to busy urban areas – causing widespread disruption. Over the past two decades, their population has surged, and even pest control efforts have failed to control.
“…even the pest control guy leading the charge acknowledges that it will be difficult to turn the tide against the rodent,” the report said. Speaking to AP, Joshua Herman, owner/operator of Herman Pest Control Services stated that fighting the squirrels is akin to “one guy standing against a massive storm.”
“If I’m trapping but my neighbour isn’t, well then, we’re really not going to get anywhere with it, long-term,” Herman said, reports AP.
Minot Street Department Superintendent Kevin Braaten stated that ground squirrels have been an issue in Minot, a city of nearly 50,000 people, for at least 20 years, but the problem deteriorated in the last few years. It is still unclear about how many squirrels live in Minot but it’s being estimated to be more than the city’s population.
The officials know that they can’t get rid of the squirrels, but hope to simply get the rodent numbers down. “I don’t see the population ever going to zero. I mean, it’s almost impossible by the numbers that we have,” Braaten said.
Herman further added that these squirrels damage driveways, sidewalks and lawns; create tripping hazards with their holes and can harbor disease from fleas.
Along an apartment building, the squirrels had dug under a concrete slab and against the foundation. Nearby in a vacant lot, the rodents popped in and out of holes, reports AP.
Herman, however, stated that not everyone sees the squirrels as a pest. “people have sabotaged, stolen or thrown out his traps. They occasionally confront him when he shoots at ground squirrels with an air rifle, scolding him for hurting the wildlife,” Herman told AP.
(With inputs from AP)
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