Black-tailed Prairie Dogs

Overview

Prairie Dogs can be found in the western plains states of the mainland U.S. and Canada.  There are over 4 species (Genus - Cynomys) in North America:  Black-tailed, White-tailed, Gunnison’s, and Utah.  Of these, the Black-tailed Prairie Dog is the most prevalent, causing the widest impact.

Prairie Dogs cause economic damage impacting ranchers and landowners.  In combination with “Special Local Needs” 24 (c) labels in several states including CO, KS, NE, and WY, Rozol® Pocket Gopher Bait – Burrow Builder Formula may be used as part of a control program.  Check with your local Department of Agricultural for the latest information, as labels change frequently.

Damage

• One prairie dog consumes up to 2 lbs. of vegetation per week.

• An active prairie dog colony can cut grazing capacity by over 50%.

• 250 prairie dogs can consume as much forage as one cow/calf unit (CCU).

• Pastures with 20% of area occupied by a colony reduced the estimated value of livestock weight gain by over $14 per steer. In pastures with 60% occupancy, value per steer was reduced by $37 or 14%.¹

• Prairie dog infested rangeland brings 50% less rental income.

• Prairie dog grazing can reduce land value in excess of 35%.

• Land that has been devastated by a colony can take up to 20 years to recover to full
  grazing capacity.

*Approved under Special Local Needs (SLN) 24c Prairie Dog Bait label for use in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Wyoming only.

¹USDA Agricultural Research Service & Colorado State University, Dept. of Biology - Are livestock weight gains affected by black-tailed prairie dogs? (Justin Derner, James Detling, and Michael Antolin) Frontiers in Ecology & Environment. 2006 4(9) pp. 459-464

Steps to a Successful Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Control Program

• Apply between October 15 and March 15 or
  before spring green-up of vegetation.¹

• For best results, apply in the absence of green vegetation or immediately prior to bad weather (rain or snow). This will increase the chances the prairie dogs remain in the burrow with the bait, and further promote feeding.

• Bait must be applied at least 6 inches down prairie dog burrows, measuring from the portion of the burrow that is farthest back into the tunnel. Usually this will be the top part of the burrow. Do not apply to soil surface. If bait is spilled on the surface, it must be collected and disposed of.

• For best results, be exceedingly thorough for the first treatment and treat EVERY burrow - mark treated burrows to ensure that you miss none. (Alternatives to mark treated burrows include dragging a chain, using a “foamer”, or setting out flags).

• If adjacent properties are infested, discuss treatment practices with neighboring land-owners. Consider treating properties at the same time to create buffer zones to reduce chances of re-infestation.

• When treating , think like a “hunter” - find the active burrows, by verifying tracks, mound repair, or fresh droppings after a light rain or snowfall.

• Check your colonies about one month after the first treatment, and re-treat any burrows that may remain active or have been re-invaded.

¹Check with your local weed board and see your state’s 24c label for exact dates.
It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Follow all applicable directions, restrictions and precautions on the EPA-registered label and 24c label.

Endangered Species Considerations: The killing of an endangered species during baiting operations may result in a fine under the Endangered Species Act. DO not use this product within Prairie Dog towns in the range of the blackfooted ferret or other endangered species without first contacting endangered species specialists, at the nearest regional office of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Proven Control

Charlie Lee, Extension Wildlife Specialist; Kansas State University, March 2004

Rozol Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Whitepaper

Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait – Burrow Builder Formula Specimen Label

Rozol Prairie Dog SLN 24c CO label

Rozol Prairie Dog SLN 24c KS label

Rozol Prairie Dog SLN 24c NE label

Rozol Prairie Dog SLN 24c WY label

Helpful Application Tips & Tools

For information on acquiring a baiting unit for your ATV or pickup like the one pictured Please contact: Bob’s Baiter (785) 821-0042

Comparative Toxicity

Source: EPA Potential Risks of Rodenticides to Non-Target Birds & Mammals (W. Erickson & E. Urban) EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides & Toxic Substances, July 2004,Table 48, p.101 and Graph 5, p.102 Comparative Analysis Model Summary Values For Overall Risks to Birds and Mammals.

Avian Toxicity

IBID, EPA, July 2004,Tables 28 & 31, pp. 59 & 67.

MammalianToxicity

IBID, EPA, July 2004, Tables 9 & 10, pp. 24-27.
¹Table 48, p. 101 and Graph 5, p. 102 Combined, weighted primary & secondary risks to birds & mammals.

• A small one-quarter pound bird must eat more than four times (4x) its body weight to consume a lethal dose, 50% of the time with Rozol,while itwill succumb after just a few pellets of zinc phosphide.

• Rozol is four times (4x) more effective on voles than diphacinone.

• Since voles are burrowing rodents, they often die underground, particularly when the onset is slow as with anti-coagulants. This reduces the potential of a secondary toxicity hazard, as to a scavenger or raptor.

• Acute toxicants such as zinc phosphide can cause sudden death leaving dead rodents exposed to scavengers.

 

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Pocket Gophers

Overview

Pocket Gophers can be found in most states of the mainland U.S. and Canada, but are primarily concentrated west of the Mississippi River in the plains states  There are over 17 species (Genus - Thomomys)  in North America.  Rozol® Pocket Gopher Bait is a General-Use Product formulated on food-grade winter wheat grain and approved for the control of Pocket Gophers on lawns, golf courses, rangeland and non-crop areas.

Damage

• Pocket gophers can cause major damage to grassland, lawns and golf courses.

• An active infestation can reduce forage capacity up to 49%.

• Pocket gophers can damage underground utility cables, irrigation systems and farm buildings, leading to substantial crop and farm production losses.

• Gopher mounds damage farm implements, slow harvesting and can injure livestock.

• Gopher digging brings fresh seeds to the surface, facilitating infestations of noxious weeds, which may be toxic to livestock.

• The high plains suffer up to $30 million in annual losses due to pocket gophers.

 

 

Helpful Application Tips & Tools

Spoon Application:

With a long-handled large spoon, carefully remove the plug on the flat side of the fan-shaped mound, on either side of the tunnel. Carefully insert 1/2 cup (3.4oz. or 108 gms.) of bait as far down the burrow as possible. Close the burrow opening, being careful not to cover the bait with soil.

Probe Application:

Using a metal rod, probe 6-12 inches deep to locate the main tunnel. Drop 1/2 cup (3.4oz. or 108 gms.) into the tunnel and cover the hole so that no light enters the tunnel system. Make 2-3 treatments per burrow system. Maintain a constant supply of bait in the burrow system for as long as there is gopher activity. Do not apply bait on the surface of the soil.

The right and the wrong ways to use a probe for poisoning gophers are shown to the right. Be sure that bait is in the main runway - not in the laterals or imbedded in the bottom of the runway.

Baiting Using a Burrow-Builder:

Apply when soil conditions allow formation of good artificial burrows.

Make artificial burrows at the same depth as natural burrows, perpendicular and about 20-30 ft. apart.

Apply at 6-8 lbs. per acre, picking up any spilled bait. See entire label.

For information on acquiring a burrow builder-type applicator like the one pictured, please contact:

All American Ag -
The Verminator
Sales (509) 520-4055
Msg (509) 394-2910

 

Rozol Pocket Gopher / Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Control Brochure

Rozol Pocket Gopher 2lb. Pouch Sell Sheet

Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait Specimen Label / MSDS

Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait – Burrow Builder Formula Specimen Label

 

 

 

 

 

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Voles

Overview

Voles can be found in every state of the mainland U.S. and Canada.  There are over 23 species (Genus - Microtus in North America. Voles are frequently mistaken for shrews, field mice & deer mice. While similar, distinguishing features include longer, coarser hair, and a larger head size.

Vole Taxonomy & Behavior / Technical Sheet

Rozol Vole SLN 24c WA Label

Vole Map

Voles can often be found in wild and landscape environments with rock structures nearby.  Vole activity is more frequently visible during winter months and in the spring, immediately after snow melt.  Voles cause economic damage in many areas, some of the more important of which include:  Orchards, Commercial Nurseries, Christmas Tree Farms & Forestry Plantations.  Rozol® Vole Bait is registered for use in these usage segments in select states.

Damage

• Voles can cause extensive damage to orchards, ornamentals, and tree plantings by gnawing on roots, ­­on the bark of seedlings, and mature trees (girdling).

• Voles consume foliage, seeds, stems, bulbs, small roots, and girdle large roots. This gnawing disrupts the trees flow of nutrients and water. Voles can kill trees and smaller plantings, as well as facilitate foliage and production loss, and the onset of root disease by exposing vulnerable tissue and creating air pockets.

• Pine vole damage is more difficult to detect because it occurs underground.
  By the time orchard agronomists note weak, unhealthy trees, often root damage is extensive. Root-chewed trees are stunted, spindly, and have less foliage.

• In a 1987 study on McIntosh orchards in New York, densities of up to 400 voles per acre led to major orchard losses. During the second year, the ­­highest vole population reduced fruit yield by 65.5 percent and increased undersized fruit from 3.1 to 57.5 percent. These factors resulted in a reduction in income of $2,745 per acre.

• Pine voles build extensive runway and tunnel systems.

• Voles inflicted varying degrees of damage on 40-50% of grass seed acreage (a $300mm a year crop) in the Willamette Valley, leading to stand loss as high as 60% during 2003.

• Meadow Voles (Microtus pensylvanicus) can cause unsightly runway damage to lawns & golf courses.

Disease

Voles are known primary and intermediary hosts for a number of transmittable pathogens impacting humans, pets, and livestock. These include: Creutzfeldt-Jakob strains of spongiform encephalopathy, Hantavirus (Prospect Hill strain), Hemorrhagic Fever (HFRS), Hyatid Disease (tapeworms), and Lyme Disease, along with transmitting foot & mouth strains to livestock.

Helpful Application Tips

 

Orchards

Approved in the Following States: ID, MD, MI, MO, NC, NY,OH,OR, PA, SC,VA,VT,WA,WV

Dosage Rate:

• 1-1/2 ounces in each active hole, trail or runway at each tree site (10 lbs./acre)

• (20 lbs./acre) Pine voles all states except ID, OR,WA

• (10 lbs./acre) Meadow voles all states except OR

• (10 lbs./acre) Mountain voles ID, OR,WA only

Special Instructions/Directions for Use: For control of pine, meadow or mountain voles in fruit tree orchards (bearing & non-bearing).Apply after fall harvest (including drops) before new spring growth, and when three days of rain-free or snow-free weather are expected. Do not apply over bare ground or crops not specified. Do not allow animals to graze or clean up drops in treated areas. Do not use hay cut after application for feed or bedding. Apply only by hand spot baiting and ground broadcasting, (except NY andVT).

Hand spot baiting: Place 1-1/2 ounces of bait in each active hole, trail or runway at each tree site (10 lbs./acre). Cover each placement with grass or shingle to avoid exposing non-target organisms.

Ground broadcast baiting: Using a commercial spreader, apply 10 lbs. per acre, unless prohibited by your state (see above). If populations are high, make a second application 1-2 months after the first. The maximum application rate is 40 lbs./acre per year for pine voles, and 20 lbs./acre per year for meadow and mountain voles.To avoid exposing non-target organisms, clean up any bait in piles for reuse or disposal according to the “Pesticide Disposal” section of the product label.

Vole Agronomist Whitepaper

 

Christmas Tree Farms, Commercial Nurseries & Tree Plantations

Approved in the Following States: NC, OH

Dosage Rate: (See “Orchards” section)

Special Instructions/Directions for Use: For control of pine, meadow or mountain voles in Christmas tree farms, commercial nurseries and tree plantations. Apply when three days of good weather are expected. See Special Instructions/ Directions for Use in “Orchards” section.

 

Forestry Plantations

Approved in the Following States: ID

Dosage Rate: 2 tablespoons in each active hole, trail or runway at each tree site (10 lbs./acre).

Burrowing Owl Protection: Determine the locations of any active burrowing sites. Contact the Idaho Dept. of Agriculture for information on burrowing owls, and if considering use on the Birds of PreyWildlife Area.

Special Instructions/Directions for Use: For control of pine or meadow voles in forest plantations. Do not apply over bare ground or crops not specified above. Apply only by hand spot baiting. Do not graze animals in treated areas. Do not use hay cut after application for feed or bedding.

Hand spot baiting: Place about 2 tablespoons of bait in each active hole, trail or runway at each tree site. At sites where bait is removed, add bait for 5-7 consecutive days. Do not exceed 10 lbs./acre. Cover each placement with grass or shingle to avoid exposing non-target organisms. If populations are high, make a second application, not to exceed 10 lbs./acre. The total bait application must not exceed 20 lbs./acre per year. After treatment program, collect unconsumed bait and dispose of according to the “Pesticide Disposal” section of the product label. See entire label.

Vole Control Brochure

Specimen Label / MSDS

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California Voles

Overview

Six species of voles of the genus Microtus occur in California. The California vole (Microtus
californicus) is the most widespread vole in the state, found along nearly the entire length of the
coast range, and is responsible for the majority of damage to vegetables.

These voles are grizzled brownish with scattered black hairs on their backs; and gray hairs below, with hairs often white-tipped. They possess a relatively long, two-colored tail and pale feet, and can reach 5 to 8 inches in length from head to tail. They typically weigh from 1 1/2–3 1/2 oz (42–100 g).

Voles are prolific breeders with females maturing in 5 to 6 weeks and having 5-10 litters per year. Litter size ranges from three to six. However, voles seldom live past a year.

Damage & Disease Transmission to
Artichokes / Vegetables

Voles are feed on a variety of grasses, herbaceous plants, bulbs, and tubers. They usually consume bark and roots of trees, only in the fall or winter, when other food sources are less available. In California, they cause notable damage on the following vegetables: artichoke, beet, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, lettuce, turnip, sweet potato, spinach, and tomato.

California voles are known carriers of the hantavirus and probable carriers of other diseases as well. Vegetable growers are concerned that California voles, along with slugs & snails, can also transmit, through gnawing and saliva, e. coli. and other bacteria.

Rozol® Pellets are registered for use only within the state of California for the control of California voles (Microtus californicus) in artichoke fields. When used for this purpose, Rozol Pellets are a Restricted-Use Product, and may be sold and used only by Certified Applicators, or persons under their direct supervision, and only for uses covered by the Certified Applicator’s certificate.

Helpful Application Tips

Use Rozol pellets as an alternative to Chlorophacinone treated artichoke bracts only during the period from October through March if artichoke bracts are not available. Place about 3 to 5 grams of bait (approximately 1 level teaspoon) per artichoke plant, on bare ground in infested areas. Apply bait near vole burrow openings or runways located between artichoke plants. Be careful to place bait so that it does not directly contact any part of the artichoke plant. If necessary, make second and third applications at 21 day intervals. Do not exceed three applications made at minimum 21 day intervals. Do not apply this product by any method not specified on this label. Do not broadcast bait. See entire label.

Sources: Paraphrased from UC-Davis Pest Notes: Authors: T. P. Salmon, Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, UC Davis; and W. P. Gorenzel, Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, UC Davis. Editor: B. Ohlendorf.

Specimen Label / MSDS

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Mountain Beavers

Overview

Mountain Beavers, also known as “boomers” can be found in North America. The two main ranges of mountain beavers are from Merritt, British Columbia to Rio Dell, California and from Mt. Shasta, California to western Nevada. Presently, they may only be controlled using baits on the western portion of the Cascade Range in Oregon, Washington. There is only one known Genus, species in North America Aplodontia rufa, with two sub species.

Mountain beavers are primarily dark brown, and do not have the traditional flat beaver tail. They have strong incisors. Their head is flat and wide and their nose is slightly arched. The body is covered with coarse, dull fur. Underneath the fur is a sparse covering of guard hair, which is dark red of grayish brown in color. They have short limbs and their total length is 12 –19 inches (30 - 47 cm). For perspective, they are most similar to woodchucks and porcupines. (Carraway, 1993).

Mountain beavers are not as social as other rodent preferring to live in solitude. They vocalize in the form of whistles and “booming” sounds, hence the nickname. Young are active foraging within 6 – 8 weeks. Females do not typically breed until their second ovulation, with one gestation per year, and lifespan is typically 5-6 years.

Damage

Mountain beavers have damaged an estimated 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) of commercial coniferous tree species in western Washington and Oregon. Much of the affected land has the potential to produce timber values of over $10,000 an acre*. The damage period extends to about 20 years after planting. Mountain Beavers cause economic damage by clipping and topping off new seedlings, girdling trees & roots, leading to stunted growth and production losses in forestry plantations. This is of particular concern in areas undergoing reforestation, and also includes recreational land. In combination with “Special Local Needs” 24 (c) labels in Oregon & Washington, Rozol® Pellets may be used as part of a control program. Check with your local Department of Agricultural for the latest information, as labels change frequently.

Helpful Application Tips

Do not tear open the packets of bait. Place one unopened packet of bait inside two feeder holes or active runways of each active mountain beaver burrow system, (i.e., one packet per hole or runway; two packets per burrow system). Insert bait packets at least 12 inches into hole or runway.

Applications made between October and February have been found to be the most effective at reducing damage to tree seedlings planted in late winter or early spring. Baiting from mid-May to mid-September, when juveniles mountain beavers are present, is not permitted due to concerns with the secondary poisoning of non-target animals. See entire label.

*Source: Carraway, L.N.; Vects, B.J. (1993, April 23). "Aplodontia rufa." The American Society of
Mammaolgists, 431.

Rozol Mountain Beaver Technical Sheet

Rozol Pellets Specimen Label / MSDS

Rozol Mountain Beaver SLN 24c OR Label

Rozol Mountain Beaver SLN 24c WA Label

 

I’m used to trapping….Should I be concerned with using a poison?”
How might this impact other wildlife?”

Comparative Toxicity

Source: EPA Potential Risks of Rodenticides to Non-Target Birds & Mammals (W. Erickson & E. Urban) EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides & Toxic Substances, July 2004,Table 48, p.101 and Graph 5, p.102 Comparative Analysis Model Summary Values For Overall Risks to Birds and Mammals.

Avian Toxicity

IBID, EPA, July 2004,Tables 28 & 31, pp. 59 & 67.

MammalianToxicity

IBID, EPA, July 2004, Tables 9 & 10, pp. 24-27.
¹Table 48, p. 101 and Graph 5, p. 102 Combined, weighted primary & secondary risks to birds & mammals.

• A small one-quarter pound bird must eat more than four times (4x) its body weight to consume a lethal dose, 50% of the time with Rozol,while it will succumb after just a few pellets of zinc phosphide.

• Rozol is four times (4x) more effective on voles than diphacinone.

• Since voles are burrowing rodents, they often die underground, particularly when the onset is slow as with anti-coagulants. This reduces the potential of a secondary toxicity hazard, as to a scavenger or raptor.

• Acute toxicants such as zinc phosphide can cause sudden death leaving dead rodents exposed to scavengers.

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