13 Striped Ground Squirrels v Hugels

So I've browsed permies for a few years looking for anyone else with this problem, and I haven't really found any that pertain to this exact rodent. If you don't have them, 13 striped Ground squirrels are not exactly like other burrowing animals. The biggest difference is that they don't just make burrows for habitation, but make tons of additional escape tunnels in their territory that they can quickly retreat to in case of danger.

While some people say that rodents in a hugel means you have too much open space within it, I can tell you it makes no difference to this little beast. I've attached two pictures of their burrows in my hugel, and two other pictures of their tunnels in the ground, which is absolutely not hollow! I don't care if they burrow in the lawn or garden because they do provide some benefits, but they are turning my hugels into
swiss cheese. If you fill their tunnels up, they'll make new ones, so I imagine they would do the same if I put fox urine into their holes like I've seen suggested for other burrowing rodents, though I haven't actually tried. To be clear, I just don't think they're attached to these burrows and are making them just as quick-getaway passages. I'm at my wits end here.

Do you or any neighbours have cats? If not, I would suggest you give them a try. Adopting an outdoor cat, or a "barn cat," may be a suitable tactic.

Here at Wheaton Labs, the cats claim the territory and there are no ground rodents to speak of. And we have loads of hugels.

I don't have a good answer, but I ran into one of these cuties for the first time last summer at Wisconsin Point near (or in?) Superior, WI.

Stephen B. Thomas wrote:Do you or any neighbours have cats? If not, I would suggest you give them a try. Adopting an outdoor cat, or a "barn cat," may be a suitable tactic.

Here at Wheaton Labs, the cats claim the territory and there are no ground rodents to speak of. And we have loads of hugels.

Sadly I had a really bad experience with this. We used to bring our cat Lola out to the garden with us. She absolutely loved it, and I never felt that she or any local birds were in any danger as long as we were there supervising. Unfortunately, this resulted in her being very comfortable outside. With our other indoor cats, they would occasionally get out due to a door not closing all the way or my space cadet mom getting distracted by sonething and leaving a door open, but they were always too scared to go more than 50 feet away from the house. Lola was no longer afraid of the outdoors, and one day she slipped out the door without anyone noticing. We found her much further from the house than we'd ever taken her, mortally wounded, most likely by a car. I could really use my new cats' help and I know they would love being out there, but that was seriously one of the worst days of my life, and I'm no stranger to losing pets or even loved ones, but THAT one in particular just haunts me like no other. Believe me, I am definitely considering employing my cats for their pleasure as much as mine, but any other solution would be preferable.

Maybe another predator then! I built some snake habitat by setting a big flat flagstone across some smaller round rocks where it could get hit by the sun. It creates warrens underneath and basking space up top.

See https://permies.com/wiki/108012/pep-animal-care/Snake-Lizard-Habitat-PEP-BB for ideas.

Christopher Weeks wrote:Maybe another predator then! I built some snake habitat by setting a big flat flagstone across some smaller round rocks where it could get hit by the sun. It creates warrens underneath and basking space up top.

See https://permies.com/wiki/108012/pep-animal-care/Snake-Lizard-Habitat-PEP-BB for ideas.

I'll try it!

Gopher Snakes can be handy around a garden! I have also, when favorite crops were snarfed, made special custom dens in the top of my hugel/compost loaves. Especially in the early spring, when it's still pretty cold, in a heating-up compost loaf, I will make a fine little rodent room in the top, lined with shredded paper, wool trimmings, anything COZY! And then I'll roof that part of the loaf with a flattened waxed broccoli box. SO: compost thermometer shows heat, and there's a cozy dry bedchamber. The huegel kultur mound is maybe 40 inches tall minimum. Then take your antique solid-forged Allen hoe (looks like an arrow head, pointed, with kind of "ears" at the top) and, file it sharp with a  bastard file (diagonal cut, eh? in heraldry, a "bar sinister" black diagonal line on the shield denotes illegitimacy in the line) so if you ever watched a Dudley Doright episode with the evil villain Simon Bar Sinister, now you know! He was a real bastard!) OK, then walk softly up to the compost pile, and with one of the "ears" hook the cardboard "roof off the roof as you say "LANDLORD! RENT'S DUE!!" as you rapidly chop the soft nest and contents into the compost pile. My foes were large fat voles for the most part, and they composted well when properly shredded.

I have not had that problem.  I doubt that those critters live in my part of the country.

I second the suggestion of getting a cat.

I also thought of this thread that might help solve your problem:

https://permies.com/t/248652/Pee-Sticks-Gopher-Tunnels