Ground squirrels overrun North Dakota city, frustrating officials
The Richardson’s ground squirrel, a one-foot-long rodent weighing less than a pound, is wreaking havoc in Minot, North Dakota. Known for its relentless tunneling, the small mammal has spread from vacant lots to city neighborhoods, and its population has exploded over the past two decades.
City officials now face a daunting challenge: controlling an infestation that may rival or even exceed Minot’s human population of nearly 50,000, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“It’s like one guy standing against a massive storm,” said Joshua Herman, owner of Herman Pest Control Services, who is leading eradication efforts. “If I’m trapping but my neighbor isn’t, well then, we’re really not going to get anywhere with it, long-term.”
Richardson’s ground squirrels have been an issue in Minot for more than 20 years, but the situation has worsened in recent years, according to Minot Street Department Superintendent Kevin Braaten.
“Gosh, there’s got to be tens of thousands of them in the area,” Herman estimated.
The city, nestled along the Souris River and surrounded by farmland and prairie, acknowledges complete eradication is impossible. Instead, officials hope to reduce the numbers to manageable levels.
“I don’t see the population ever going to zero,” Braaten said. “I mean, it’s almost impossible by the numbers that we have.”
Ground squirrels are native to the northern Plains and have long been part of the ecosystem. In the countryside, predators like coyotes, badgers, owls, and snakes help keep populations in check. But within Minot’s residential and downtown areas, these natural predators are scarce, allowing the rodents to thrive.
Greg Gullickson, a biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said the squirrels are drawn to urban environments because of fewer grasslands and abundant manicured lawns.
Officials and pest control experts are now experimenting with traps and carbon monoxide treatments, but success will require a citywide effort.
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