How the City of Industry is dealing with ground squirrels to avoid damage to the dam

Sage Environmental Group is assisting at the Tres Hermanos Ranch to access damage that ground squirrels have caused to the dam at the Arnold Reservoir on the ranch. A natural, pesticide-free, method of eradication was proposed by Sage biologists. Attracting birds of prey to hunt and kill the invasive rodents, avoids use of poisons which could enter the food chain.

“We are trying to address it in a way that is biologically sensitive,” said Alissa Cope, environmental planner and owner of Sage Environmental Group.

Drawing in birds of prey presented a challenge in the reservoir area that is surrounded mostly by grasslands. Sage proposed construction of a series of 23' wooden perches that can be used by birds to rest and spot prey. In mid-December four perches were installed to attract birds that pass overhead in the flyway over Tres Hermanos.

Learn more about the eradication program in this recent article published in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. http://www.sgvtribune.com/how-the-city-of-industry-is-dealing-with-ground-squirrels-that-have-overwhelmed-tres-hermanos