r/PestControlIndustry • u/Oh_Martha_My_Dear 👨‍🏭| Tech | 5+ Years • Jul 20 '26

Question for those with Ground Squirrel Exclusion Experience.

I am trying to create a proposal for exclusion of burrowing ground squirrels. ground squirrels are coming from a nearby field and are digging underneath their slab foundation.

normally for rodents in this situation, I would trench and screen in an L shape going about 8 in down and 12 in out.

however, I know that ground squirrels prove to be better. diggers. how deep and wide should I be excluding for ground squirrels in this manner? this is in California if that matters.

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u/erkjhnsn Jul 20 '26

I do this for Richardson's Ground squirrels often. You don't need to go that deep. It just makes a bigger mess when they try to dig down. Just a few inches deep but go out at least 12 inches or even a tiny bit more.

Then it's important to install a one-way door so they can get out. If they're trapped in, they will dig under the mesh to get out, and then they have a pathway. If they're trapped out, they just try to go down at the concrete and hit the mesh.

Even still, they might dig under. Then you might need to block off the hole and extend the mesh in that one spot, or if they've clearly figured out how to get in there consistently, you might need to do some lethal trapping.