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Dana Sanchez Extension Wildlife Specialist Assoc. Prof. in Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife [email protected] http://fw.oregonstate.edu/content/extension-wildlife extension.oregonstate.edu Habitat, a biological definition Habitat is the combination of factors • biotic • abiotic necessary to produce – Occupancy, survival, and reproduction by members of a given species Needs provided by habitat: • • • • Food Water Cover Other species-specific needs 1 Conflicts arise when: • Animals get into & occupy structures • Animals eat what we don’t want them to: – Ornamentals – Personal food – Production crops (plant or animal) • Animals cause structural damage or loss – Structures or crops • Animals pose a physical risk – direct or indirect Basic tactics • Prevent the problem • Block • Deter • Remove the animal(s) *Change the game & combine tactics over time– – Remove the “draw”, increase the perception of risks/costs to the animal, and make it tough to access 2 How do you prevent & manage wildlife conflicts? • Learn about the life cycle of wildlife species • Assess your level of tolerance, resources, and possible neighborhood solutions • Think ahead and implement exclusionary measures for long-term success • Use multiple tools tailored to your situation Assessment • Are there health or safety concerns? • How serious is the problem? - insignificant, tolerable, beyond acceptable • What is the context? - For example is the problem limited to certain seasons? – Scale (your yard, your neighborhood, focal path or resource) • Is the conflict or problem likely to reoccur? Thinking about animals in space Home range of an individual Range or location of a local population Geographic range of the species (pygmy rabbit, Brachylagus idahoensis) Is shaded in gray. Selection of specific resources within a home range 3 Thinking about animals in time: Ground squirrels as an example of seasonality When to Use Specific Controls based upon activity periods and food sources of the California Ground Squirrel Winter Spring Summer Fall Major activity periods Adult Reproduction Juveniles Major food sources Green forage Seeds Best time for control Fumigation Baiting Trapping Prevent the conflict: An excellent solution, when possible • Institute exclusion solutions before the problems develop – Primary access point – Border of entire area – Around specific area of concern • Keep all food and garbage indoors or in wildlife-proof containers • Do not leave pet food out unattended • Consider short- and long-term solutions. Remember that hazing and/or trapping are only temporary solutions Why not just move them? • Low survival – Intra-specific aggression – Vulnerable to predation – Homing behavior = risks along the way – Likely to starve, do poorly • Disrupt resident population of natives • *Moving non-native invasives • Illegal in many cases • Disease transmission • Ethical issue of “moving the problem” 4 When you need help: Your District Bio and Wildlife Control Operators • Call ODFW HQ with your address to get District Biologist contact info: 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6000 • WCOs are trained and licensed by OR Dept. of Fish and Wildlife • Private individuals/companies that charge for services • Check for locale, specialties, estimates • http://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/license_permits_apps/wildl ife_control_operator_contacts.asp Raccoons: A case study in applying the basic tactics Prevent the conflict: Do not leave pet food out – It creates an excellent invitation! Reducing the allure from a skunk’s perspective • • • • • • • • • Remove lumber and junk piles Store garbage in tightly sealed cans Bring in pet food and water at night Use insecticides to control grubs in lawn Restrict use of bird seed Institute rodent control program Never leave out food for wild animals Remove downed fruit Place ammonia soaked towels in den 5 Blibbler, 2003 Joseph Blowers, White River Canyon, OR 2014 Fencing out deer family members • Should be a minimum of 6 ½ feet tall • Consider building to 8’ high • Metal fences are longerlasting and sturdier than polypropylene • Also: – – – Consider height Topography Maintenance A single electric wire along the top discourages deer from jumping over Charge has to be on for it to work Fence excludes predators as well Maintain bottom edge of fence: Fill in openings > 6” 6 Skunk Exclusion Skunks don’t climb high fences •Seal off foundation openings • Use wire mesh fence around garden and bury 1-2 feet in ground Excluding the diggers Wire mesh dug at least 1.5 feet into ground Create an apron bent at 90°and facing outwards How to keep raccoons out • Install hardware cloth – bury at least 6 inches down and 6 inches out from the building • Replace and reinforce damaged screen vents • Keep crawl spaces tightly covered • Secure pet doors at night or use electronic pet doors. Use one-way doors. • Secure openings in chimney caps • Adopt a noisy dog* to patrol the yard 7 Barriers for individual plants • Cloches: Bell-shaped protection, built out of milk gallons, pvc tubing, or other plastic • Tree guards Using the “landscape of fear” as an intervention: Raccoon denning deterrence • a radio set to a talk station and /or • a strobe light placed in an attic or crawl space Why does timing of deterrence make a difference? • Most raccoon young born March-June • Weaning occurs 3-4 months of age – Juveniles may start moving out July-Sept Deter by taste • Commercial products are available – Most need reapplication after rain – Vary in effectiveness • *Non-commercial options may be available (hydrolyzed casein) • Check out the research by APHIS - A great source of current research! 8 Hazing: Deter with shock and awe • Water scarecrows • Rubber bullets (permit from ODFW) • Bangers, screamers, shell-crackers, propane cannons. • Need a permit from State Fire Marshal, signed by ODFW biologists. • Call Oregon State Fire Marshal at: (503) 373-1871, x272 or x274 Scarecrows – localized deterrence Motion activated water deterrent Element of surprise Can be effective against birds, deer, turkeys May need multiple scarecrows to cover your garden area Assess foot traffic and wind… Must maintain battery or solar panel Removing animals • Species ID is very important – Management status and options – Approaches and tools – Seasonality and timing 9 In Oregon, raccoons are classified as a Furbearing Mammal and are therefore protected (OAR 635-0500052) A permit from ODFW is available for live trapping. Transported raccoons are required to be euthanized after transport. Most folks use a .22 while it’s in the live trap. Wildlife diseases prevent ODFW from allowing relocation (e.g., distemper) Management tools rely on diagnosis/ID of critter at work Townsend’s mole Pocket gopher Vole (meadow mice) Gophers Moles -Eyes not visible -Eyes are visible -Mounds are round -Mounds are crescent shaped -Tunnels are visible when they are shallow -Tunnels not visible -Plug or open hole is visible in fresh mounds 10 Northern Pocket Gopher • Burrowing rodent • Herbivores that prefer roots, bulbs, tubers • Does not hibernate • Young born Feb. to June Moles • Insectivores • Prefer moist, loose soils of the sort favored by grubs and earthworms • Townsend’s Mole (8-9” long) is likely to eat plant tubers and roots Mole Control L-shaped hardware cloth with edges 812” deep Treat lawn for grubs to reduce main food source for the moles Actively harass moles so they will seek homes elsewhere (stomp on runways) Trap – lethal removal Why is it hard to poison a mole? 11 Pocket gopher mounds Extensive burrowing Notice the lumps in soil and plug in burrow entrance Voles •Short lifespan: 2 to 16 months, but high reproductive potential (Mar-Oct/Nov) •9 species in W OR; Gray-tailed and Townsend’s most common •Reach 5 to 7 inches long at maturity, dep. on the species •Create extensive tunnel systems, or “runs” •Damage gardens by eating tubers, seeds, and bulbs (prefer grasses) Signs that voles are at work 12 Meeting the vole challenge • Exclusion is difficult for larger areas of herbaceous plants – Creation of barriers can work, esp. around orchard trees • Rodenticide baiting allowed, but follow the rules! • Let nature help – Consider increasing natural predation: – Raptor perches – Don’t persecute other small- & medium-sized predators Ground squirrels California ground squirrel at Otter Rock, OR By Celeste Ramsay, 2014 , CCL Breeding season:Feb through March* Gestation: 25-35 days *Farther south the species breeds year-round. Litter size estimate for Oregon is 3-7 (avg 5) Colonial: multiple squirrels use each burrow system Openings 4”, rip to 20”+ to disturb Hibernate, but some young active year-round Estivation by adults for up to 1 week/bout Developed for California regs http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7438.html Toxicants as tools • READ THE LABEL. FOLLOW THE LABEL. • Fumigants or gas cartridges, when lit, burn through rodent tunnels producing carbon monoxide which kill rodents. • Please keep in mind secondary impacts of pesticides, because chemicals have no knowledge of what has swallowed them. – Improper application of zinc phosphide bait for voles kills 1000s to >10,000 geese per event – Usually 1-2 events per year in OR – If rodents are likely to have sub lethal doses of toxicants onboard, think about what other (living) tools you’re trying to employ (Your dog? Owls? Hawks? Foxes? Etc.) 13 Keep Wildlife WILD! Habituation can be deadly, damaging, and dangerous • “Fed bears are dead bears” • A wild animal is always a wild animal • Habituation often centers on food – Decreased fear of humans – Increased aggressiveness for food or space – Competition/elimination of domestic “competitors” – Disease or waste products – Prey species attract predators – Other risks… 14 Enlisting your help against: Invasive Species “Nonnative organisms that cause economic or environmental harm and are capable of spreading to new areas of the state. Term does not include humans, domestic livestock or nonharmful exotic organisms.” SQUEAL ON PIGS! 888-268-9219 http://www.dfw.state.or.us/conservationstrategy/invasive_species/feral_swine.asp Steps to opportunity enhancement • Discover what exists and where • Keep species and scale in mind • • • • • – Mapping can help: structures, soil, light, existing vegetation Evaluate – What are the possibilities? Visualize and sketch Strategize – Time, energy, $, and scale Implement! **Keep an eye to NOT CREATING ecological traps or advancing invasions 15