Homeowners and gardeners often call or email us asking for recommendations for pest control for their homes and gardens. Squirrels and Chipmunks are very cute on TV, but when they are gnawing through the walls of your house to winter in your attic or growing fat on the produce from your garden, they become a nuisance extraordinaire. Here are some great options from our product line to take care of unwanted yard pests.
The Umarex Fusion
Rifles are hard to beat for accuracy. A homeowner with a large yard would be best suited with a rifle that has the power needed to humanely dispatch small game from some distance. Rifles are also much easier to steady than handguns. The Umarex Fusion takes these two benefits and adds a third, virtuously recoilless CO2 power. The Fusion is powered by two 12 gram CO2 cartridges. CO2 guns are very smooth shooters and don’t require a whole lot of strength to operate. The Fusion shoots .177 caliber pellets at velocities up to 750 Feet per Second.
The Umarex Surge Max
Also in the Rifle category is the Umarex Surge Max. This break barrel Turbo Nitro Piston rifle produces quite a bit more velocity than the CO2 powered Fusion. The Surge Max will launch a pellet at up to 1,000 Feet per Second with great accuracy. The gun is powered by a gas piston rather than a traditional spring. This helps produce consistent velocity needed for longer shots and reduces vibration for smooth shooting.
The Umarex Trevox
Folks who live on smaller lots or who desire to be less conspicuous might be inclined to use an air pistol to take care of unwanted attic guests. The quiet shooting Umarex Trevox is the hot ticket for this job. Like the Surge Max, the Trevox is powered by the Turbo Nitro Piston for excellent power, smooth operation, low noise, and great accuracy. The break barrel design is easy to cock with the large SilencAir device at the muzzle. It is available in .177 and shoots pellets at around 500 Feet per Second.
The Umarex Strike Point
The Umarex Strike Point is a pneumatic pump pistol that is available in both .177 and .22 caliber. The Strike Point easily pumps up to shoot .177 pellets up to 650 Feet per Second and .22 pellets will launch up to 520 Feet per Second. This gun is exceptionally quiet with its SilencAir technology and accurate in its vibration-free air power action.
The Browning 800 Express
The Browning 800 Express combines some of the features found on the Trevox and the Strike Point to make a hard-hitting, versatile spring powered air pistol. The 800 Express is a break barrel pistol that uses a powerful traditional spring to launch pellets down range with authority. This gun is available in either .177 or .22 caliber. The .177 caliber version will shoot up to 700 Feet per Second and the .22 caliber version will shoot up to 600 Feet per Second.
Bonus: Airsoft Pistols
Bonus recommendation. We have also received several requests for “less-than-lethal” methods of running off pests. For this task, a CO2 powered airsoft gun would be an excellent option. The 6mm plastic (biodegradable BBs are available!) are much larger in physical size but at the same time, they are much lighter than a steel BB or lead pellet. This means that there is much less energy delivered to the target. Airsoft guns are not toys, though. Take my word for it, these things HURT when a shot is delivered to the skin even from some distance away. Because of the physics involved, round projectiles like airsoft BBs are harder to shoot with a great deal of accuracy at longer distances. You can be soda can accurate up to about 15 yards or so, but not pin-point accurate. If this is more what you are thinking, check out our Heckler & Kock USP CO2, the Umarex Combat Zone Enforcer, or the Elite Force 1911 A1. These airsoft guns are reliable, accurate, and easy to use and there is much less risk in killing a small animal with these type guns.
As a footnote and conclusion to this blog entry, remember that CO2 guns do not like to have the CO2 left in them. For pest control, we always recommend pre-staging a new CO2 cartridge in those type of guns. This allows for somewhat quick access to the gun and will keep the CO2 seals healthy for a long time. Don’t let the squirrels eat your tomatoes crop or chew a hole in your biggest investment! Take control of your pest issues and gain marksmanship skills at the same time with an airgun that suits your needs! Check the guns mentioned above out at our web store.
Mark Davis, avid outdoorsman and family man, is the Social Media Specialist at Umarex USA.