How To Keep Ground Squirrels From Burrowing Under The Foundation Of A House

Having any kind of animal living under your house is less than restful. On top of the noise and mess factors, there is a small risk the animals may cause structural damage. Ground squirrels, a group that includes chipmunks and prairie dogs, are among the animals quite likely to burrow under a house. They are naturally tunnelling animals and often lose some fear of humans in residential areas. The only real way to stop ground squirrels' burrowing is to construct a physical barrier. Repellents are only a short-term solution and won't stop particularly determined squirrels from deciding your house is ideal to nest under.

Step 1

Dig a trench 1 foot wide and at least 1 foot deep around the outside of your house. A deeper trench may be needed because chipmunks, for instance may burrow 2 or 3 feet down.

Step 2

Bend the wire mesh into the trench so that it runs down the side of the trench next to the house and then across the bottom in an L shape. Larger sizes of wire mesh will keep out squirrels but one advantage of using a 1-inch or ½-inch size is that it also keeps out smaller rodents such as mice, voles and rats.

Step 3

Fill the trench in and tread the soil down firmly.

Step 4

Remove grass and weeds as they grow back over the trench to make the border around your house less appealing to squirrels. Paving or gravel makes a permanent, squirrel-unfriendly border.