KILLING GOPHERS AND SQUIRRELS 243 



The chief requisite for poisoning is to get the baits into the main 

 tunnel. If left in the lateral, where the gopher is working, the baits 

 are frequently pushed out with the soil, to be wasted, or possibly be- 

 come a source of danger to birds or other animals. Baits made of 

 pieces of potato, carrots, beets, raisins, prunes, shelled corn, and 

 green alfalfa have all been used with success. Baits of the first 

 materials should not be larger than a hulled walnut. The first five 

 are prepared by cutting a slit in the bait and inserting some strychnine 

 sulphate, about equal in bulk to half a grain of wheat. To prepare 

 .the grain or alfalfa, soak in a solution prepared as follows: 



Dissolve one ounce of strychnine sulphate in a quart of boiling 

 water, add a quart of thick sugar syrup and stir thoroughly. This 

 formula is sufficient to poison thirty-five pounds of grain, or thirty 

 pounds of green alfalfa. In treating alfalfa, add a little more water. 

 If a little borax is added to this syrup it will keep for several months. 



To locate the main tunnels, force a pointed stick into the ground 

 at a point midway between the last fresh openings. The poison may 

 be dropped through the opening made by the prod. This saves the 

 la ! bor of digging for the burrow. 



The ordinary gopher traps are usually effective when set in the 

 freshest openings. After setting the traps, the opening should be 

 closed or left with only a little light entering. 



On land that can be readily flooded, the gophers will be driven 

 to the surface where a small dog will make short work of them. 

 W. B. Parker. 



Killing Squirrels. 



Ground squirrels live in burrows which are, in the majority of 

 instances, not more than eighteen inches to two feet below the surface 

 of the ground, and run in general more or less parallel to the surface. 

 In some cases burrows may go deeper. 



Female ground squirrels have usually not more than one litter of 

 young in a year ; the number of young in a litter varies from four or 

 five to a dozen or more the average is about eight. The breeding 

 season begins in November and continues for several months, the 

 young being born between March first and June first; this period varies 

 somewhat in different localities. 



When the young are six weeks to two or three months old they 

 either leave the burrow in which they were born or are driven out by 

 their parents, and open burrows for themselves in some other locality. 

 The nearness of the new burrows to the place of birth will depend 

 upon how numerous other squirrels are, or upon the location of a 

 desirable food supply. 



Poison for Squirrels Barley is the best kind of grain to use. 

 Wheat, oats and other grains have been used, but extensive observa- 

 tion has proved that more uniform and better results have been ob- 

 tained by the use of barley than with any other grain. Further, it is 

 not so likely that it will be eaten by chickens, quail, pigeons, doves, 

 turkeys and other birds or fowls, nor by sheep or other animals, as 



