Thousands of squirrels are "swarming" one of America's nuclear bases, wreaking untold havoc as we speak

Not the bee ^ | 07/13/2025 | Mister Retrops

[waterhill]

Brunswick Stew anyone?

[Notthemomma]

These are not the typical tree squirrels you are thinking about. It’s a different breed of cat, if you will:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardson%27s_ground_squirrel

And BB guns generally lack the velocity or energy to kill small rodents. I’ve shot tree squirrels with my adult air rifle (Sheridan/Benjamin 5mm (20 cal) pellets) pumped up to about 800 fps and one will go through a tree squirrel but not exit, because the little critters are tough. A 22 cal rifle bullet will work just fine, but that has a danger range of up to 1.5 miles, so you don’t just give them nilly-willy to kids and tell them to blast away.

[Flaming Conservative]

Don’t they make rodent bait that has birth control in it?

[Dacula]

Funny story. Just after the birth of my son the in-laws came to visit. We were all blissfully sitting on the back deck enjoying the day with my ultra-liberal in-laws.

Then came a ‘tree-kitty’ and was trying to get at my birdfeeder. I proceeded to go inside and get my trusty BB gun and hit that critter square on with one shot.

It was one of my happiest days in my life and I will never forget the look on their faces. Priceless!

[MotorCityBuck]

I love that idea👍

[SuperLuminal]

Set a couple of dozen coyotes free inside the gates...
Squirrel population should shrink appreciably...

Coyotes do not like to fly and they won’t steal any planes...

[MotorCityBuck]

😄

[cephalopod]

I don’t laugh much, it’s not my nature. But that got a pretty good LOL from me. Good post.

[laplata]

Lol

[TigersEye]

I thought Rocky was on our side. Did Natasha seduce him into defecting?

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

These are not the typical tree squirrels you are thinking about. It’s a different breed of cat, if you will:

And BB guns generally lack the velocity or energy to kill small rodents. I’ve shot tree squirrels with my adult air rifle (Sheridan/Benjamin 5mm (20 cal) pellets) pumped up to about 800 fps and one will go through a tree squirrel but not exit, because the little critters are tough. A 22 cal rifle bullet will work just fine, but that has a danger range of up to 1.5 miles, so you don’t just give them nilly-willy to kids and tell them to blast away.

Correct. Ground squirrels everywhere are considered to be destructive pests and may be taken freely.

A better solution is to use the Squirrelinator. It's a no-kill trap that allows you to catch up to 20-25 squirrels at a time. It's a lot like the squirrel motel. They check in, but can't check out.

Once caught they can be dispatched using an optional water basin to drown them or by shooting them through the bars of the trap.

I've used mine a lot over the years and they're very effective.

[READINABLUESTATE]

My family has a ranch in NW South Dakota.
I have spent many summers out behind the barn up on the hill plinking prairie dogs long distance with a Rem. 220 swift, then later a 22-250.
It’s a blast!

Watch out for rattlers.

[rellic]

I was stationed there in the early 70’s.
Contrary to base regulations. Against regulations we kept guns in our rooms and killed about anything that moved in the way of rodents.
We did not have a rodent problem. The first sergeants didn’t see anything.
Today you have a Democrat problem too many women in positions of power they have no character for.

[waterhill]

Squirrel fried with biscuits and some of that speckledy gravy?

There are several species of ground squirrel in N. America. Seen them here in E.TX.

[Rio]

My hay crop is over-run with Belding’s Ground Squirrels. I just got one of these traps and boy does it work...

https://www.automatictrap.com/products/terratrap-gs-kit

[Ditto]

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

here is my solution: Recruit all the base family children 12-18 and put them through hunter’s education and 6 weeks of .22 caliber rifle training. The assign a rifle and ammunition and to work shifts covering a specific zone. Pay a bounty for all kills. It would be quite fun.

So, your solution for a squirrel infestation around base housing is to turn loose a bunch of teenagers armed with .22 rifles?

Doesn't seem very safe to me. What happens when someone gets shot?

A better solution is some Squirrelinator no-kill traps that can capture up to 20-25 squirrels at a time. Once captured, they can be drowned in the optional water basin or dispatched with a pellet gun/.22 rifle shooting straight down into the ground.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

The problem with poison is that once the squirrel dies, a stray dog or cat, or worse yet, a bird of prey gets poisoned when they eat the dead rodent.

Poison is illegal to use on squirrels in my state (Colorado) for this very reason.

[Beowulf9]

I actual was just going to do a ground squirrel painting. I think they’re cute. Should I put a mushroom cloud in there now?

Dr. Strangelove’s pet squirrel.

[rfp1234]

Cry havoc and release...