Why you got to gimme a fight?
Can't you just let it be?
Hi five 'bro!
Posted on 08/20/2005 3:53:24 AM PDT by Cowman
No squirrels allowed, Paso Robles schools say
Paso Robles Public Schools may put an end to its overpopulation of the rodents with a $2,000 extermination system that involves propane
By Monika Tjia
The Tribune
On any given day, a dozen squirrels scamper on the field at Pat Butler Elementary in Paso Robles, slipping in and out of holes the size of softballs. That may soon end.
The Paso Robles Public Schools is considering buying squirrel extermination systems called the Rodenator Pro for its more than 10 campuses.
The $2,000 system exterminates the critters by releasing a mixture of propane and oxygen into a hole and lighting a fire. It was demonstrated by a Pinedale, Calif., distributor at Pat Butler Elementary last week.
The school has 90 percent of the squirrel problem in the district, said Ashley Lightfoot, the district's director of business operations. With construction around the school, the squirrels escape to the campus' open field.
The field is used frequently for after-school activities, such as soccer and youth football.
"Every year I get complaints from parents who are concerned" about the holes, Lightfoot said. "We haven't had any broken ankles. ... That's what we're trying to avoid. We don't want to wait until we do."
It's also crucial to control squirrels, Lightfoot said, because the critters can be rabid and carry disease.
In two hours last Thursday, the propane mixture was released in 30 to 50 already-open holes. When ignited, Lightfoot said, it sounded like an M-80.
Nearby resident Mary Golich heard the explosions and doesn't advocate the Rodenator Pro.
"They need to go through that to exterminate squirrels?" Golich asked. "It sounded like an invasion."
The school currently uses gas bombs. The Rodenator Pro has a good track record, Lightfoot said, citing the Fresno School District's report of an 80 percent reduction in squirrels.
It is not known how extensively a system like Rodenator Pro is used in the county, said Marty Settevendemie, a deputy agriculture commissioner for the San Luis Obispo County Agriculture Department, explaining that it's not regulated because it's not a pesticide.
Over the next few weeks, school officials will monitor the field. On Friday, Lightfoot examined the area and found three squirrels scurrying around.
If the district board decides to purchase the system, Lightfoot said, it will be used a couple of times a year when school is not in session. Nearby residents will be notified in advance.
Monika Tjia covers the North County for The Tribune. Reach her at mtjia@thetribune news.com or 238-2720, ext. 22.
Yes, but I would rather have my kids playing after a little transient noise than have them playing on residual poisons. What's not to like about this? (...unless you are a squirrel, that is).
"Fire in the hole?"
literally...
My wife stopped me before I could try this on gophers. They were all over our and the neighbor's yard. She figured I would lift their house about three feet with the amount of gas and explosive material I was using. Was in college and working with explosives at the time and it seemed an excellent experiment. Usually after a couple of beers.
Tried it on a garden once and sure beats tilling.
[Freepmail me to get on or off this Not-A-Ping-List.]
Just remind her that overkill gets the job done better.
Sounds like and excellent idea to me.
Sounds like and excellent idea to me.
Rattlesnakes work, too. They love ground squirrels. Kids could have a round-up when they come back for school.
Or,
Local NRA might offer firearm and hunting courses, arm the kids with .22s, have some fun at shooting small moving targets.
Or,
Invite Cindy Sheehan et al to hold an anti-war rally. The sound of her voice will drive off the little rodents lickety-split.
Why you got to gimme a fight?
Can't you just let it be?
Hi five 'bro!
All right,all right, I'll ask: "They protest tasty-fried chicken, but when it comes to Wacco-ing a bunch of squirrels where's PETA now?
We had a problem with chipmunks making holes in our front walk and my husband fixed it by peeing in them :lol:. (late at night, after some beers, when the neighbors couldn't see, and WITHOUT the front porch light on).
It (surprisingly) worked - the little buggers moved out and we filled in the holes.
Maybe the school could get the football team out there, after feeding them a bunch of tea and coffee?
LQ
Tried it on a garden once and sure beats tilling.
LOL!
Reminds me of a story that PJ O'Rourke wrote called "Once We had a Farm" where he and some of his roommates used to play with dynamite. Until one day, of course, they got a little too stoned, and. . . well, find the story and read it. Well worth it, with a hilarious ending, written so well you feel like you were there to see it.
![](http://scd.mm-a1.yimg.com/image/3876999")
So this contraption burns them alive?
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