California Ground Squirrel Photo Credits: Used with permission from Univ. of CA.
Statewide IPM Project
Biology
Diurnal
Primarily vegetarian
Have low free-standing water requirements--they can easily live on metabolic water and moisture from vegetation. They can survive on very dry rangeland sites with no available water and no rain for 4-6 months. When they drink water, their consumption is estimated at 30-50 ml/day.
Hoards and caches food
True hibernator
Average 7 young per year--born in mid-April. Young emerge
from den in mid-May.
Signs
Easily recognizable due to their foraging activity.
ground squirrel burrow Description: shows 2 to 3 inch wide burrow in close mown
grass Photo Credits: Dallas Virchow
Damage
Will eat bird eggs
Can significantly depletes the forage for livestock
Consumes all grains, and a wide variety of other crops, such
as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, apples, apricots, peaches,
prunes, oranges, tomatoes, alfalfa, sugar beets, beans, and
peas.
Trees damaged through gnawing
Habitat Modification
Squirrels can be excluded from buildings with the same techniques used to exclude commensal
rats (see Rodent-proof Construction and Exclusion Methods). Use sheet metal cylinders around tree trunks to prevent loss of fruit or nut crops.
Otherwise fencing is not often practical.
Disc tilling
Repellents
Limited effectiveness
Trapping
Very effective
for
medium to small populations
Modified box, pocket gopher traps have been very effective.
Scientific
Name: Spermophilus beecheyi 
for
medium to small populations
UC-Davis