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April 13, 2009 in City
Spokane parks detonating ground squirrels
Thriving rodents digging up Finch Arboretum
Staff writer
Ground squirrels sit by a burrow in Finch Arboretum in Spokane Monday, April 13, 2009. Parks officials have turned to lethal means to deal with the thriving squirrels, which eat tree roots and create walking hazards with dozens of random holes.
(Full-size photo) (All photos)
Hundreds of ground squirrels have invaded Finch Arboretum and are turning the grounds into Swiss cheese.
Even worse, it’s breeding season.
Spokane Parks officials are mounting a counterattack with a commercially available weapon – the Rodenator Pro — that injects their burrows with propane and oxygen and sparks an explosion that shakes the ground and collapses their furrows.
It also turns the little critters into fertilizer.
“Something needed to be done,” said parks worker Doug McKay after detonating one hole on Monday.
Normally, ground squirrel populations would be kept in check by natural predators such as hawks, snakes and coyotes. But urban development has altered the natural ecosystem, allowing the rodents to thrive.
They’ve been a problem at the arboretum for years, but the population really started exploding about two years ago, said gardener Sally Sullivan.
“They are all over the place,” said Steve Nittolo, the city’s horticulture supervisor.
He and Sullivan estimated that the arboretum has 200 to 300 of the squirrels, which can be seen scurrying across the grounds or bobbing their heads out of their holes to keep an eye out for trouble.
The squirrels love the cultivated spaces where newer trees are growing, and their burrows damage tree roots in the arboretum’s large collection of species. In addition, the holes drain away sprinkler water, preventing it from soaking into the ground evenly.
Last year, one elderly man tripped in a hole near the parking lot and both he and his wife tumbled to the ground, Sullivan said.
Nittolo said he received one complaint a year ago from a neighbor concerned about the spread of disease from the squirrel infestation.
Parks officials are warning residents to be careful when they walk through the arboretum because of the holes.
According to the company’s Web site, the Rodenator causes “an instantaneous underground shock wave of concussive force that eliminates the pests and in some (species specific) cases collapses some of the existing tunnel structure thus preventing immediate reinfestation.”
Because it uses propane and oxygen, the Rodenator causes no environmental problems, unlike poisonous chemicals. Also, it leaves the rodents in the ground to decompose.
The Rodenator attacks have been stepped up in recent days in an effort to reduce the population before breeding increases their numbers.
Police have recently responded to the arboretum after receiving reports from neighbors who heard the explosions, and parks officials want residents to know that the noise is coming from the Rodenator.
“The hope is to manage the population prior to their reproductive cycle,” according to a park press release on Monday.
Mike Prager can be reached at (509) 459-5454 or by e-mail at mikep@spokesman.com
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meshuggahman on April 13 at 1:00 p.m.
I thought it was a serious crime to detonate any form of explosives in city limits. Oh, I forgot, the rules ONLY apply for EVERYONE else. City officials are gods right?
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Bart Mihailovich on April 13 at 1:40 p.m.
“That's not drunken Spokane police officers, that's the Rodenator Pro.” zing!
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garlandcoug on April 13 at 2:11 p.m.
“Art becomes life”…See Caddyshack
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time_baron on April 13 at 2:19 p.m.
Time to call the Dog-Gone Prairie Dog Control Company of Cortez, Colorado. They use a giant vacuum cleaner to humanely suck out the varmints and release them elsewhere. It's ecological too. See:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi…
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hollytm on April 13 at 2:37 p.m.
I'm sorry, I just have to chuckle. Anybody see Caddyshack? Blowing up squirrels just seems a bit mean. I can't help but think about what happened years ago to some folks in Oregon when they tried to get rid of a dead whale by blowing it up. That definitely didn't go well.
It just seems that there would be a better way, and with the coolness factor of squirrels going up every day in the eyes of kids, y'all are going to look like a bunch of bullies!
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IHike4Fun on April 13 at 3:13 p.m.
This sounds like a pretty humaine way to do it to me. I tried a 'have-a-heart' trap once and I'll never do that again. It was like an Alfred Hitchcock movie. The animal became so terrified being trapped (probably like the vacuum they use in Cortez) that it squeezed through the mesh and got trapped on it's hips. It slowly died in agony over night. I went back the the snap traps. Quick, painless, sure.
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luvcomments on April 13 at 4:21 p.m.
Sounds like a very gently misleading announcement that they will all be buried alive.
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lewis on April 13 at 4:52 p.m.
Spokane is the death town, anything that moves spokane doesnt want they just kill it………yuck
On the other hand two hundred squirrels versus thousands of dogs and cats every month, what has spokane become? no one is safe here not even the cute little squirrels.
why doesnt the city just have the swat team take them out they need something to do, besides make stupid comments at trials.
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mjwilson4978 on April 13 at 5:12 p.m.
I agree with time_baron, call DGPDC, and use the vaccum.
Squirrels are happy critters who adorn our parks and wilderness. Their pictures are on calendars, statues are produced in their honor.
What is this a communist city, just go in and cruelly eliminate an animal instead of using an eco-animal friendly method and relocate.
The squirrels are having their babies now, I guess you'll be happy to slaughter them too.
Discusting.
If this is allowed to happen, I'll be boycotting Spokane parks and telling everyone I can how inhumane Spokane officials are.
I hope others will boycott Spokane too if this atrocity is allowed to happen.
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david clark on April 13 at 8:32 p.m.
These are not cute little tree squirrels that one usually sees in city parks. They are an infestation of ground squirrels that are killing the trees in the Arboretum. If your houses became infested with mice or rats, are you telling me you wouldn't clean up the problem?
Protect the Arboretum. Kill out the rodent infestation!
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daoldone on April 14 at 3:27 p.m.
How dare you kill what nature has put there for you to enjoy ,you use the holes and the waste as a problem for the citizens but dont dogs dig holes????As for people trippin in the holes what about the rocks -you could stub your toes better remove all of them and dont dogs poop all over the ground???Or is it that people pick up dog crap and you dont have a squirrel crap pick,er,upper?????It is down right cruel to kill like you do.How would you like someone to come into your house and gas you first then blow you and your house up .dont sound so good and why do you do it because you planted some trees(in a state with allmost too many trees) and they might be eating the roots.Lets be real there are birds landing on the limbs and making them weak and the birds are poopin on the ground hey WE GOTTA KILL THEM ALL…maybe fill the air with gas then ignite the gas….. stupid people,they were here first.But we can wipe them out so lets do it…stupid government officials……
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flutieflakes on April 14 at 9:46 p.m.
If this is the most cost-effective way of dealing with this, I'm all for it. But that's a big “if”.
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nslopeofw on April 15 at 9:29 a.m.
Why don't all you “save the squirrels” people head on down to the park and trap and release all the fuzzy little friends? If you are not willing to do that, then don't worry how they get rid of them.
All full of advice, but unwilling to help? Too bad, its not your decision. Maybe we should just leave the holes, so someone can file a lawsuit. Then you can cry about the taxpayer money paid out.
I just love the eco-nut crowd. You don't want to kill anything, but are the first in line to protest cutting down a majestic tree for progress. These rodents are KILLING the tree's. Maybe you aught to protest the rodents.
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Kommonsense on April 15 at 12:55 p.m.
It's about time. I will take my kids down there and educate them on how we keep nature in balance and how effecitive of way this is to rid the park of these pests. The tress will benefit from the fertlizer that will be created. It's a good thing! Good job parks department!
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pocketlama on April 15 at 11:23 p.m.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pocketla…
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jmeckel on April 16 at 12:36 p.m.
There are some places that actually pay hunter's to go out and shoot the ground squirrels for target practice. These animals are rodents. They hurt the ground and plants trying to grow. I bet all the pro-ground squirrel folks also are in favor of wolves being left alone. Maybe they ought to get out in the real world and see what is going on.
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howie59 on April 17 at 3:47 p.m.
I would suggest that all those who feel sooo sorry for the poor little ground squirrels submit their names and addresses to the parks department. Then the parks department can live trap the lovely little critters, with all their fleas, ticks, and diseases, and distribute them to the lawns and gardens of all the squirrel-lovers. Let's see how much they enjoy tripping over the burrows, and seeing their bulbs, flowers, trees and shrubs die.
Bring on the Rodenator!
BTW, I remember my dad shooting them many years ago because they were causing problems on our cattle ranch. Ever seen one up real close? The cuteness factor is minimal, and you can see the fleas and lice crawling off them as soon as the blood starts to cool.
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Squirrel_protector on May 06 at 12:47 p.m.
Those despicable bandits from the Parks Department MUST be punished for their mass-murder of the adorable, innocent, defenseless, beautiful squirrels!
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