Squirrels are wreaking havoc in Pismo Beach, and the federal government told the city it should do something about the problem.
“Their tunneling moves water through and out of the bluffs and helps accelerate the collapse of the bluffs,” Public Works Director Rosemarie Gaglione told the Pismo Beach City Council at its April 16 meeting. “FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] made a comment about that when they were here at one of our sites, that we needed to take care of the squirrel problem because it was impacting the bluffs.”
Pismo Beach Public Works used to control squirrels using bait until two years ago when the council directed staff to nix that method. Council members were concerned that the toxic bait would be ingested by other animals that weren’t being targeted. State law also banned the use of bait.
Squirrels, categorized as rodents, became protected from a set of rodenticides thanks to Assembly Bill 1322—the California Ecosystems Protection Act of 2023. The bill added diphacinone to the existing pesticide moratorium to better protect wildlife from unintentional poisoning.
One poison, Rozal, passed state muster. However, Pismo Beach staff recommended against applying Rozal because it cannot be used in walkways within 50 feet of dwellings, water, or where there are lots of people.
“Rozal is primarily designed for agricultural settings, not park settings,” the staff report said. “Additionally, Rozal is a food chain poison, meaning that, for example, if it is ingested by a squirrel and a bird eats the squirrel, then the bird becomes poisoned as well.”
Enjoying two bait-free years, the local squirrel population exploded. Assistant City Manager Mike James told New Times that multiple factors contributed to their rise in Pismo Beach.
“Squirrels are natural to the local ecosystem with ample amounts of food and water; there are a limited number of natural predators like coyotes, foxes, and hawks in the area,” he said. “There is an extensive habitat where the squirrels dig burrows and forage, and there are park patrons that feed the squirrels daily.”
The city also found its current practice of carbon monoxide poisoning—done every two weeks—to be ineffective, especially near bluff locations. Multiple openings typical of squirrel tunnels allow the gas to escape.
Birth control by trapping squirrels during their breeding times twice a year also wouldn’t work, according to the city, because there are no such approved methods in the United States.
“I believe … the only option we have at this point, is shooting or gas chamber,” Public Works Director Gaglione said.
The Council of Veterinarians that advises the state recommends both. Councilmember Stacy Inman rejected the idea of shooting.
“I’m sure the police chief doesn’t want the shooting of squirrels in our parks,” she said.
Per the Council of Veterinarian’s second recommendation of mechanical control, captured squirrels would be placed in a small gas chamber concentrated with carbon monoxide to “put them to sleep.” Regulations prevent the city from transporting the squirrels elsewhere and setting them free.
City Council directed staff to pick the method that professionals thought was best. Assistant City Manager James told New Times that while staff is still determining how to proceed with the council’s direction, it believes employing mechanical control during breeding time is the most efficient solution.
Staff is also working on a public education plan to inform people about the dangers of feeding squirrels because of their disease-carrying potential, as suggested by Councilmember Marcia Guthrie.
“I’m sad there’s no adopt-a-squirrel program,” Councilmember Scott Newton said. Δ
This article appears in Apr 17-27, 2025.
You fail as a writer when you don’t note the context of something was said. “I’m sad there’s no adopt-a-squirrel program,” Councilmember Scott Newton said. This was said as a joke. Please correct your article.