Growing population of little rodent at city parks, cemeteries
has some upset
– leaves others smiling
They’re on lawn chairs, park benches, railings. They stare you down and dart off. They have the nerve to gnaw nuts atop tombstones.
Wait long enough and you’ll see – squirrels are everywhere this spring.
But are the foraging rodents really a pest, or are they getting a bum rap?
At Gavilan Hills Memorial Park on First Street, fresh patches of soil lay scattered around grave stones, a sign of the tug-of-war with the burrowing brand of the creatures.
Joann Kessler, who was sitting quietly Wednesday by the grave of her husband, said she doesn’t know if gophers or ground squirrels are to blame for the holes.
“It bothers me,” she said. “I was surprised when I pulled up to see, but I know this is not anybody’s fault. It’s nature.”
At neighboring St. Mary Parish cemetery, Ramona Salas was less forgiving.
“They dig lots of holes and sometimes when I walk I lose my balance and fall,” she said. “It would be nice if they fixed this.”
But outside of patching holes – which maintenance workers were doing this week – it seems little can be done to discourage the squirrels.
County vector control only enters the situation in cases where rodents pose a public health threat. And the city does not get involved unless they become a major nuisance. About 15 years ago, the school district hired a pest control company because gophers and ground squirrels had turned Gilroy High School’s ball fields into an obstacle course of ankle-twisting holes.
But the latest surge of squirrels is no worse than what other cities are seeing with the onset of spring, according to Bill Headley, the city’s parks and facilities manager.
“They’re creatures of habit and evolution,” he said. “They’re opportunists. As soon as the weather changes they come out.”
This time of year, Christmas Hill Park is a notorious squirrel hangout.
Busy with a game of horse shoes, Nick Carabajal Sr. didn’t notice any.
“They get into my plants at home, but my rabbits do the same stuff,” he said. “They’re not bad around here.”
And some people welcome the squirrels.
A little ways off at the children’s playground, resident John Silva said the creatures are among the best things about the park. His 4-year-old daughter Lauren agreed.
“I saw squirrels over there,” she announced, clearly delighted. (P.S. She doesn’t like lizards. Or snakes.)
Silva said his 8-month-old, Carlie, brightens up when she sees squirrels dart around.
“We actually enjoy them – their behavior and how they bounce around and stuff. They’ve always been a pleasure,” Silva said. “Now rats, that’s a different story.”
