The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-07-15
EFFECTIVE METHOD
TO EXiERM|NATE
SQ|RR[L PEST


The following pnique method of
exterminoaing squirrelsd is publishe
in the Spokane Review from Troy,
Idaho: -
Charles Lacey, a well known farmer
and mine owl mr., living about Is miles
northeast of Troy, in the Mica noun
tain section, has an o original and
unique method of Riding his farm of
grain squirrels and similad pests that
make their home in the ground. z z
For years Mr.. Lacey HIS b en- act
ive'y engaged in prospect ng ard de
veloping mines in var;o 8 parts of tie
United States and is thoroughly
the use Of giant powder generally
He also has knowledge Of the proper
ties Of dynamite, which ! d up to a
discovery that may revolutionize the
fighting Of squirrel pests in the Inland
empire.
MI. Lacey's method, as explain d to
a Spokesman Review correspondent
who visited his farm a few days ago.
10 as follows:
He cuts of a small piece Of expo
sive from the stick, say about two or
three incres long. This piece IS hasti-
" lighted with a match and thrown
as far as possible into the hole the
entrance Of which is quickly filed up.
II there are several hoes a few feet or
yards away these are watched closely
and closed up with Dirt as soon as
smoke begins coming out. 1t is sur
pris'ng how much gas and smoke is
produced by the little chunk of dyna
mite. After the smoke and gas is eff
fectually confined to the holes no more
attention is necessary.
The squirrels are asphyx atnd in an
instant, 30 deadly is tn gas; nor will
any other squirrels burrow into the
holes. MI. Lacey stays there are holes
hus treated ON his place sew n or
eight years ago and none nave ever
been opened up by other squirrels.
He has opened up some Of these hol 8
weeks after trs ating them in this way
and could detect a slight odor of gas.
Another interesting discovery was
n connectian with this. Mr.. Lacy
ook tho correspondent to a hole where
\ few minutes before a squirrel WIS
,heepirg. A small pee # dynanite
was lighted and thrown into The hole
Prest ntly smoke was seen emerging
from several holes around them. This
proved that a den of squirrels WAS be.
'ng treated. Mr.. Lacey then took a
spade and began digging, runni g the
soade down about a foot into the soft
turf. In less than 10 minutes he dis
covered the nest The SQUIRRELS were
d ad. Every squirrel( and Mr.. Lacey
says he has never seen an exception)
was sitting up rigid, with paws held
up against its face. filed with dirt and
mouth filed with dirt.
The squirrels were taken fir m the
nest and laid on a stump in the open
life. Their death is almost instantane-
air, An hour or two later, or examint
ton they showed not the leost sign Of
life. Their death is almost 'nstanta-
neous, Mr.. Lacey thinks, as he has re-
fpeatedly opened the holes immediat ~
efter the treatment and found the
Squirrels, sometimes as high as six.
old and young, certainly dead.
In addition to it's being an easy
method, it 10 absolutely safe as far as
stock is concerned, and is not danger
GUS to the operator. other man a sharp
headache If operations are carried on
any length of time without a rest. MIR.
Lacey does not work at this more than
ha'f an hour at a time.
In this way the farm can be rid -
the destructive pests at a small cost.
A 1O-pound box contains thirty sticks
each about eight inches long. Thes
can be cut up into lengths of Two or
four inches, al desired. Thus 20 to
100 holes or dens can be tr, ated At a
cost Of $1.40 to 81 60. In place CT
killing one squirrel at a time, "a - the
case with poison or a gun, whole" Gers
and families are killed at ono, and
with little labor to the operator. The
dynamite burns readily and totally ur
solves in gas and smoke.
This method would be valuable 70
Inland Empire farmers, especially
those ON the prairie, where the squirrel
dens follow the fence rows. In an
incredibly short time the farm will b
rid Of the pests, except for wandering
bands. and these can be handled easily
The main advantage Of the meth d lies
in the fact that q hole once treated
is forever free from future inhabitants