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Vertebrate Pest Management
Chapter 18
Vertebrates
• Animals with an internal skeleton made of bone are called vertebrates.
• Vertebrates include:– Mammals
• Raccoons, opossums, deer, rodents
– amphibians;
– reptiles;
– birds; and,
– fish.
Before Starting with a Management Program
• Determine what kind of animal is doing the damage.– Identification is essential for effective management.
– Signs may offer clues to identification.
• Determine cost of control verses damage.
• Determine aesthetic, recreational and legal status of species involved.
• Determine effect of control on nontarget animals and the environment.
Population dynamics and pest management
• Population dynamics:– How populations change in relation to the
environment.
– By manipulating habitat some pest can be managed without resorting to chemicals or traps.
– Each area has a limited carrying capacity
Carrying Capacity:
• Is determined by by three limiting factors:– Food
– Water
– Shelter
• Control of these factors can manipulate the population density.
Managing vertebrate pests• Steps to effective rat and
mice control:– Eliminate harborage(shelter)
– Rodent-proofing structures
– Eliminate food and water
– Killing the rodents• Rodenticides
– Anticoagulant
» Warfarin
» d-CON
– Nonanticoagulant
» Cholecalciferol
» Bromethalin
» Zinc phosphide
• Trapping
• Electronic sonic repellers
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Anticoagulant:• Warfarin and d-CON is used for controlling
rats and house mice in and around homes, animal and agricultural premises, and commercial and industrial sites.
• It is odorless and tasteless and effective in very low dosages.– Action is not rapid; usually about a week is
required before a marked reduction in the rodent population is noticeable.
– Rodents do not tend to become bait-shy after once tasting warfarin; they continue to consume it until its anti-clotting properties have produced death through internal hemorrhaging.
– Repeated ingestion is needed to produce toxic symptoms.
Anticoagulant: Coumarin• Coumarin is found in many
plants, including lavender, woodruff, and sweet clover; and also in strawberries, apricots, cherries, and cinnamon. Coumarin smells like vanilla but what little flavor it has is bitter. This may serve to repel some insects. It is found in high percentages in the tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata, Fabaceae (Pea) Family). Tonka bean extract is commonly used to adulterate vanilla in Mexico.
Cholecalciferol• Cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides are
used to control mice and rats.– Rodents generally die within 2 days following
ingestion and do not appear to exhibit bait shyness.
– Cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides increase absorption and serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus.
• Trade names of the cholecalciferol-containing rodenticides include: – Quintox® – Ramapage® – Ortho Mouse-B-Gone® – Rat-B-Gone®
Bromethalin
• is a highly potent rodenticide that provides a lethal dose to rodents in a single feeding.– Death occurs within 24 to 36 hours after ingestion.– It is a pale, odorless, crystalline solid compound in
the diphenylamine family. Its mechanism of action is to uncouple oxidativephosphorylation in the mitochondria of the central nervous system--causing damage to nerve axons, inhibiting neural transmission and leading to paralysis, convulsions and death.
Zinc phosphide• Zinc Phosphide is an inorganic
chemical that is used to control rats, mice, voles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, nutria, muskrats, feral rabbits and gophers.– It may be formulated as a grain
based bait, as scrap bait or as a paste.
– Rodenticide baits usually contain 2.0 percent of zinc phosphide.
– Zinc phosphide reacts with water and acid in the stomach and causes severe irritation
Bats• Pro:
– Eat insects.– Do no damage to
structure.
• Con:– May be noisy– Carry parasites– Produce guano– May transmit rabies
• Control:– Exclusion
Cimex lectularius(The Bed Bug)
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Mole or Gopher?Diet Mole or Gopher?
Digging Habits
Mole or Gopher?Appearance
Mole or Gopher?Digging Habits
Moles
Shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbst)
Coast mole (Scapanus orarius)
Broadhanded mole
Townsend mole Moles• Contrary to popular belief, moles do not eat
the roots and bulbs of flowers and vegetables.
• In fact, they may benefit these plants by feeding on grubs and worms that can damage them.
• However, the tunneling activities of moles may disfigure lawns and gardens.
• Since mole damage is usually isolated and of little economic consequence, localized control techniques are more practical than a wholesale eradication program.
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Moles
• Moles have enormous appetites and may eat up to 100 percent of their body weight in a single day.
• Moles feed primarily on insects that feed below the ground.
• Moles eat mostly white grubs, earthworms, beetles, and assorted larvae.
Moles
• Moles are usually solitary, although females and young may share the same burrow.
• The tunnels that the mole makes while searching for food may be used only once or may be traveled repeatedly.
• Moles may be active during any time of the day and seem to prefer cool, moist soil (the same as that preferred by grubs and earthworms).
Controlling Moles• Trapping• Soil Insecticides• Mole baits• Castor-oil• Fumigants and gas
bombs• Mole plants,
chewing gum, and mothballs.
Controlling Moles• Trapping• Soil Insecticides• Mole baits• Castor-oil• Fumigants and gas
bombs• Mole plants,
chewing gum, and mothballs.
Lethal Mole Control
• Lethal traps are usually of three types:– harpoon,
– scissor-jawed,
– and choker.
Controlling Moles
• Trapping
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Biological Mole Control
• Biological, nonlethal mole control may be achieved by eliminating the food source.
• This can be accomplished by using insecticides for controlling grubs.
• White grubs may be controlled naturally by introducing milky-spore disease into the soil.
• While these techniques may be effective, they are not quick. It may take some time before the food supply is reduced enough to affect the mole population.
Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)• Traps
– Most successful when mounds are formed
– Locate main runway– Place two traps in
runway
Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)• Follow Calendar
– For most successful control techniques
Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)• Traps
– Most successful when mounds are formed
– Locate main runway– Place two traps in
runway
Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)
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Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)• Baits
– Locate tunnels
– Bait in two or three places
Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.)
• Fumigants
Voles (Microtus spp.)• All are plant feeders
• Proficient burrowers
• Damage orchards by feeding on trunk and roots.
• Tunnel through vegetable and flower gardens
• May use mole tunnels.
Voles (Microtus spp.)• Management
– In orchard: control vegetation around trees.
– Mow grass between trees.
– Avoid loose mulch around trees.
– In Gardens: keep area around gardens free of tall grass.
– Fallen seeds from bird feeder attracts rodents
Voles (Microtus spp.)• Biological
• Mechanical
• Chemical
Ground Squirrels
• Management and Controls– Exclusion of
buildings– Use metal guards
around fruit and nut trees.
– Trapping effective with small numbers
– Rodenticides are effective if legal
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Ground SquirrelsTree Squirrels
• Squirrels become a problem when they attack fruit, nut and vegetable crops.
• Control:– Use metal tree
guards
The Truth About SquirrelsMountain beaver (Aplodontia
rufa)• Become pest when
they feed in reforestation units, Christmas tree farms, yards, and gardens.
• Control: Use cage trap
Deer and Elk• Three species of deer:
– Whitetail
– Blacktail
– Mule deer Mule deer
Blacktail
Whitetail
Deer and Elk• Two species of
elk:– Rocky Mountain– Roosevelt
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Elk in the Rogue ValleyDeer Damage-Browse
Deer Damage -Rub Twig Dammage
Deer Management
• Deer resistant plants• Repellents• Scare devices
– Mechanical– Dogs
• Exclusion– Fences– Netting
Deer and Elk
• Effective commercial repellents include Deer-Off and Deer-Away.
• One of the most effective homemade repellents can be made by whipping one part whole eggs with four parts of water. – Apply on a dry day with temperatures above freezing.– This egg spray does not readily wash away and is not harmful to
plants.
• Apply or hang repellents within the new growth. Young trees should be treated completely, but older trees may be treated only on the branch tips.
• Re-apply the repellent every 30 days.• No repellent will be active forever and deer may get used to egg
sprays. When this happens, try other measures and be persistent.
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Motion DetectorsMotion detectors will set off sprinklers to frighten deer or other animals. They often get accustomed to this type of device.
The critter gitter sets off a variety of high frequency sounds and blinking red lights.
Deer and ElkHerding breeds of dogs
– Abruzzese – Bearded Collie– Collie (rough)– Belgian Tervuren– Bouvier des Flanders– Briard– Belgian Sheepdog– German Shepherds– Old English Sheepdog– Cardigan Welsh Corgie
Deer and Elk
• Electronic pet barriers are useful at excluding deer in areas where damage occurs. Dogs fitted with electronic collars enclosed in an area by a wire that activates the collars have reduced deer damage dramatically.
Deer and Elk
When using an electronicpet barrier, the following points are vital.
– 1) The wire that activates the shock collars does not have to be buried.
– 2) Herding breeds of dogs (e.g. border collies) have been more reliable than confirmed deer-chasing mongrels.
– 3) The dogs must be trained to the wire initially. Visual indicators of the position of the wire help train the dog.
– 4) Male dogs (2 or more) are better than female dogs.– 5) The dogs must be housed and fed within the wire.– 6) The number of dogs needed per unit of area is
unknown. Two dogs may protect 15 acre research plots. Long term effectiveness is unknown.
Deer and Elk
• Fences protecting individual plants or small groups of plants should be at least four feet high. These enclosures are effective because deer avoid tight, penned-in sites. Garden netting may protect flowerbeds and other low-growing plants.
4ft High ?
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Deer Cages Netting
Deer and ElkUsed for deer, elk,
bison, ostrich, wildlife control, and security fencing.
Wire mesh fences are more effective than wood fences, although not generally 100 percent effective.
Deer and Elk
Vertical wire garden fences should be at least eight feet high.
Deer and Elk
Slanted fences should lean away from the Garden at a 30 to 45 degree angle from the ground and should be at least six feet high. This creates both a physical and psychological barrier to deer. Electric fences also can be used.
Deer and Elk
• Tubes placed around the trunks of larger trees will help prevent trunk damage.
• Tubes will not prevent trunk damage when bucks use the trees to scrape the velvet off their antlers.
• Fencing trees may help keep deer away.
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Wireless Deer FenceThese fence posts attract deer to them with a pleasant scent then shock them when they touch the top ball.
These posts have been tested for five years and have proven very effective at keeping deer out of yards
Placing three or four around your yard near favorite plants or gardens works well
Rabbits• Rabbits eat a variety of
herbaceous and woody plants.
• Exclusion with 2 ft high chicken wire fence is usually effective.
Raccoons and
Skunks• They are vectors of
rabies.
• They raid gardens and orchards.
• Control:– Metal guards
– Radio
– Dog
Opossums
• Opossums are omnivorous feeders.
• May nest under houses.
• Control:– Metal guards
– Radio
– Dog
Birds• Birds cause
problems by their:– Roosting
– Nesting• Droppings
• Disease
– Feeding habits• Cherries
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Strawberries
Birds
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Birds
• There are two main diseases that can breed within pigeon droppings. These diseases are actually funguses known as Histoplasmosisand Cryptococcus.– When pigeon droppings are disturbed, small
particles become airborne which may contain these funguses.
• Histoplasmosis primarily affects a persons lungs, and symptoms may vary greatly. If symptoms do occur, it is usually between 3 to 17 days after exposure and will appear as a flu-like respiratory illness.
• Cryptococcus is an encapsulated fungus that also enters the body through the respiratory system. Once in the lungs for a period of time, the organism will then spread through the blood stream.
Diseases Associated with Pest Birds
• Bacterial –– Paratyphoid, Vibriosis, Salmonella, Listeriosis
& Pasteurellosis
• Viral –– Encephalitis, Meningitis, Newcastle Disease &
St. Louis Encephalitis
• Fungal –– Histoplasmosis, Candidiasis,
Sarcosporidiosias & Blastomycosis
• Protozoal –– Toxoplasmosis, Trichomoniasis & American
Trypansomiasis
Corrosion of Surfaces• Bird droppings are very acidic and
can eat away at construction materials.– An accumulation of droppings can
shorten the life span of a roof considerably.
– Buildings with a bird problem have to be cleaned, painted, and repaired more often.
• Droppings will also eat into the protective coatings on automobiles, boats, and airplanes.
Protecting Against Bird Bombs
• Bird droppings are very acidic (pH 3.5 to 4.5).– When they fall on your paint, the acid begins to
burn and etch the paint surface.
– The longer the bird droppings remain, the greater the damage.
• To limit the damage when you get hit, you need to remove the offending slime as quickly as possible. Don't wait.
Birds: Pigeons Control
• The number of pigeons that occupy an area depends upon the availability of food, space, and shelter.
• If some pigeons are shot or poisoned, more pigeons will only take their place, bringing the flock back to its original size.
• Any successful method of bird control must concentrate on prevention and making the location inhospitable to birds.
Birds
• PollyNet can be used to exclude birds of all sizes from problem areas that would be difficult to protect with other bird control methods.– Strong, lightweight netting is made of UV
stabilized polypropylene, making it tough and durable, yet inconspicuous from normal viewing distances.
– It can be easily installed on, over, or around an extensive list of openings, objects and structures.
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RoostingBirds
• Called "porcupine wire" these stainless steel strips are the most effective and the longest lasting bird and animal barrier.
The End
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