Gray squirrels pesky garden visitors

In the evening, I like to sit on the back porch after the sun has set and watch the wildlife, well except for those darn gray squirrels. In the June edition of the Nevada Home Magazine that came in The Record-Courier, there was an article about "Dealing with Critters in Your Garden." I was so thankful to read it and find out that it was the gray squirrels that had made this huge dirt mound in my back yard.

Wendy Hanson, who wrote the article, said how they love to eat lush green vegetation. Not only that, but she said that the ground squirrels don't leave footprints. Well how are we supposed to know they are the problem? Darn, maybe I should have a rock yard for landscaping, except that it would use too much air conditioning in the summer.

I can see the gray squirrels in the back of the property where the chickens used to live. They run around for several hours until it is too dark for me to see them anymore. I know where they live. There is a huge burrow back behind the fence. I tried to put a hose down there and flood them out to deter them, that didn't work.

I borrowed a live trap, which sounded like a great idea. I baited it with some chicken scratch. Yes! I caught one, but before I could get it out of the trap, my dog Frosty brought it to the door for me with only half the tail left. Thank goodness, it was dead. Yuck. I had to use five plastic bags to pick it up in my hand and get it into the trash can and it smelled by Sunday.

I don't know how you get rid of the squirrels in your yard, but all I can say is I don't want them in mine. They are definitely too destructive. Here are some phone numbers in case you have questions:

n University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, (775) 784-4848.

n Nevada Department of Agriculture (775) 688-1180.

n Nevada Department of Wildlife (775) 688-1500.

Support your area fire departments

I want to extend thanks to the Gardnerville Ranchos and Ruhenstroth for such wonderful fire department benefit dinners last weekend. For our community, we should all support the fire departments with every benefit they hold. It's a great way to show that we appreciate all the time they spend to help us. I know if there was an emergency at my house, I'd want the Johnson Lane Volunteer Fire Department to be here right now.

n Lisa Welch is a Johnson Lane resident and can be reached at 267-9350.