Replies

To be fair, the bulk of those were killed with a restricted pesticide called “Phostoxin,” which is aluminum phosphide in tablet or pellet form. You can find MSDS and EPA registration labels online.

When it is dry, it is inactive. Upon exposure to water vapor or liquid water, it out-gasses a very potent poison, phosgene. Phosgene was used in WWI in trench warfare, and is yet another gift to modern civilization from German chemistry labs.

Anyway, the way in which I used it was simple: I’d mark off a 20 to 40 acre piece of ground in the morning, then walk across this area exhaustively during the day, flagging every active squirrel burrow I could find. This would typically number between 100 to 400 holes that I’d find.

Then, come late afternoon, the squirrels would go down into their holes for the night. I’d then re-cover the 20 to 40 acre piece, this time with an ATV carrying the phostoxin, some water in a sprayer, some newspaper to stuff in the holes if it was windy, sometimes a shovel, trowel, etc to disperse the mounds they’d toss up. I’d go to a flagged hole, put a couple tablets down the hole, put some water on them and pull the flag.

Lather, rinse, repeat... lots of times.

Come next morning, a 40 acre area of the field that had been a hive of activity the day before would be a ghost town. Absolutely nothing moved.

I would then start flagging the next 20 to 40 acres.

Shooting ground squirrels was entertainment for us farmers. We called it a “productive waste of time.” Productive, because every squirrel that you shot was a benefit for you, the farmer.

A “waste of time” because the squirrels are so numerous in alfalfa fields that you will never, ever shoot them all out. You won’t even come close.

Even today, visiting friends with whom I farmed in Nevada and shooting squirrels on their outfits is hugely entertaining. But no one is fooling anyone — only poison and plague can eliminate them.