The Nutty Things You Can and Can’t Do to Squirrels in Missouri

Don't take this the wrong way, but I am a fan of squirrels. However, even I admit they can be a nuisance. Did you know the state of Missouri has a long list of things you can and can't do to these little critters? Let's take a look at the nutty do's and don'ts.

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To be clear, this is not my list of squirrel do's and don'ts. This comes directly from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The fact they had to make this long list means Missourians have tried a lot of things they shouldn't with squirrels. (*ahem*)

Let's start with the don'ts

Missouri Department of Conservation says don't believe the old wives tale about putting moth balls in your attic or crawl spaces to keep squirrels out. They say "naphthalene they contain is toxic". So that's a DON'T.

They also say don't use "Commercial spray-on repellents". They call their effectiveness "questionable" and will be useless after a good rain anyway.

It's also recommended to not use body-gripping traps.

Now let's mention the things Missouri will let you do to squirrels

If you have nuisance squirrels, the state of Missouri loves it when you contact professional wildlife removers. They use humane ways to get squirrels out of your place.

They also say you're allowed to shoot squirrels with BB guns, but frankly this has always seemed a bit cruel to me. I would put this in my don't list, but I'm not the state of Missouri, so you do what you think is best.

Missouri adds this to the "do" list during deer hunting season:

During the November and antlerless portions (in areas where open) of the firearms deer season, squirrels may be hunted only with a .22 caliber or smaller rim-fire or a shotgun and shot not larger than No. 4.