There’s a certain expectation that surrounds America’s nuclear missile bases: stoic concrete, high-security fencing, a kind of gravity that’s hard to shake, even in the imagination. It’s the last place you’d expect the phrase “overrun” to be used, let alone regarding an unruly horde of rodents. Yet, as Newsweek reports, Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota currently finds itself tangled in a persistent struggle—not with foreign adversaries, but with wave after wave of Richardson’s ground squirrels, or “dakrats” as some locals and personnel have (not-so-affectionately) dubbed them.
From Novelty to Nuisance
The life cycle of a dakrat at Minot AFB seems to begin with a warm welcome—at least for newcomers. Drawing from reflections by engineer Vicki Johnson, cited in Newsweek’s piece, those just arriving at the base are often “delighted by the cute little critters” that pop up come spring. Predictably, this charm fades once residents experience firsthand the havoc the squirrels can unleash on lawns, insulation, and peace of mind.
According to Newsweek, these squirrels aren’t just a passing annoyance. They damage housing, chew through important infrastructure, and even carry disease, sparking real concern for the health and welfare of service members and their families. The outlet also notes that these incursions feel all the more ironic—and perhaps surreal—considering the recent $850 million investment to upgrade the base’s nuclear weapons capabilities. In a place built for the gravest of threats, pest control is the problem that won’t quit.
Defenseless Against the Defenseless
Delving into the context, Newsweek details that Minot AFB houses not only a fleet of 26 B-52 bombers capable of delivering nuclear payloads, but also 150 intercontinental ballistic missiles, making it a key pillar of the nation’s so-called Nuclear Triad. Despite these formidable credentials, the humble squirrel is thriving for a distinctly un-strategic reason: Minot’s remote location has long since eliminated many natural predators, giving the dakrats free rein to reproduce en masse.
The struggle to contain them is compounded by regulation. Newsweek explains that common pesticides are ineffective, and federal laws block the use of more dangerous poisons—protecting both the environment and the young families living on base. So, the front lines in this rodent war look less like the silver screen version of nuclear security and more like neighborhood backyard battles. In its June 23 Facebook update cited by Newsweek, the base described a three-part plan: asking residents to trap squirrels in their own yards; rolling out a base-wide trapping program with more resources; and committing to a long-term reduction strategy, especially during the fall and spring booms.
A Recurring Saga—and a Budgetary Blind Spot
The outlet reveals that this is hardly a new challenge for Minot’s residents or leadership. In a detail highlighted by Newsweek, comments under the base’s recent Facebook post show that airmen and officers have been grousing about dakrat domination since at least the 1990s. The persistence of these squirrels seems almost mythic—a constant in a world otherwise marked by change.
Newsweek also draws attention to the financial backdrop. Their report points out that, around the same time as Minot’s latest squirrel onslaught, the Department of Defense announced the redirection of funds away from Army barracks repairs to border operations. As the article carefully notes, it’s not currently clear if Air Force bases like Minot will face similar constraints in repairing squirrel-induced damage, creating a shadow of uncertainty over how—or when—the problem might be truly resolved.
“Ten Thousand Intruders”: The Human Toll
The impact of the squirrels is not just physical, but visceral. A base statement posted on Facebook, quoted by Newsweek, puts a fine point on it: “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.” The sentiment is echoed with more earthiness in an earlier remark from Airman 1st Class Josh W. Strickland, cited in Newsweek: “One lone intruder. No problem. Ten thousand intruders is a different story entirely, especially when they are rodents.” It appears pest control is now a core competency for those keeping the nuclear deterrent safe in North Dakota.
Looking ahead, Newsweek notes that the current three-phase plan is intended to last through the remainder of 2025, making this not so much a quick-fix crisis as a seasonal, possibly endless marathon.
At the Edge of the Absurd
There’s something deeply, almost comically American about a fortress of strategic weaponry being forced into community-wide rodent roundups and mitigation committees. As Newsweek lays out, years of upgrades and millions spent on infrastructure can be undone, at least in part, by a population explosion of invincible squirrels—force multipliers by persistence alone.
It’s a story that invites a bit of perspective: how often do we imagine our greatest risks are dramatic, calculated, and asymmetric—only to discover, again and again, that the daily battle is against a persistent, indomitable, and frankly unimpressed little mammal? The squirrels aren’t just thriving; they’re reminding everyone at Minot that sometimes, defending the home front is an exercise in unpredictability.
If you were drawing up a list of existential threats for your next national security tabletop exercise, would you include “dakrats”? Maybe you should.
