US Nuclear Missile Base Swarmed By Squirrels

Newsweek

01-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A U.S. nuclear missile base has been invaded by a predator capable of mass infrastructural damage: squirrels.
Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota has been overrun with Richardson Ground Squirrels, known to personnel as "dakrats," which have been a recurring issue at the base for decades.
Writing about the dakrats in 2009, Vicki Johnson, an engineer at Minot AFB, said: "Newcomers to the base often are delighted by the cute little critters, affectionately known as 'Dakrats,' they find popping up in their yards as spring approaches. For those who have lived here a little longer, the delight has faded, and the critters are no longer welcome."
Minot Air Force Base has been contacted via email for comment.
Main image, a retired Minuteman 1 missile stands at the main entrance to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on June 25, 2014. Inset, a Richardson's ground squirrel, otherwise known as a "dakrat."
Main image, a retired Minuteman 1 missile stands at the main entrance to Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota on June 25, 2014. Inset, a Richardson's ground squirrel, otherwise known as a "dakrat."
Main: Charlie Riedel, File/Main: AP Photo, Inset: Minot Air Force Base
Why It Matters
Squirrels may seem like cute, harmless creatures, but they can wreak havoc on base housing and carry disease, posing a risk to service members and their families.
They also cause structural damage to the base, which just received an $850 million upgrade for its nuclear weapons capabilities.
What To Know
Minot AFB is home to two branches of the U.S.'s Nuclear Triad. The term Nuclear Triad refers to America's air, land and sea nuclear launch capabilities.
It houses 26 B-52 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons and 150 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles.
Despite its key role in the U.S. nuclear deterrent, the base has for several years had periods of being overrun with squirrels.
Its existence in remote North Dakota led to the elimination of natural predators, meaning the squirrels can reproduce en masse.
Regular pesticides do not work on these squirrels, and spraying more toxic poisons around the base is against federal law and could harm the children of service members who live on base.
On June 23, the base posted to Facebook announcing it is rolling out a three-step approach to handle the latest rodent invasion. The first is to have residents trap the squirrels in their backyard.
The second is "a more comprehensive trapping plan and increased traps for resident use," and the third is a long-term approach for "increased resourcing for fall and spring mitigation efforts to significantly decrease the on-base population."
Comments under this Facebook post from people who served on the base in the 1990s show the dakrats were an issue then, too.
The concerns about how much damage squirrels can do to housing at the base come at the same time as the Department of Defense said they are moving money away from Army barracks repairs into funding operations along the southern border.
As Minot is an Air Force base, it is unclear if funds for base repairs resulting from squirrel-related damage are similarly impacted by the DoD's budget plans.
What People Are Saying
Minot Air Force Base statement on Facebook: "The health, safety, and welfare of base residents is paramount. Action has been taken to direct Minot AFB Homes to implement a more concerted effort to address the issue."
Airman 1st Class Josh W. Strickland wrote in 2019: "One lone intruder. No problem. Ten thousand intruders is a different story entirely, especially when they are rodents."
What Happens Next
The three-pronged approach to tackling the rodents is expected to go on for the rest of 2025.