Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Decontamination Of A Histoplasma Capsulatum-Infested Blackbird Roost: Use Of A Sprinkler System To Apply Formalin, A.R. Stickley Jr., J.R. Pruitt, C.E. Hume, T. Pass Ii, C.H. Gayle

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

When disturbed, blackbird/ starling roost sites can be sources of locally severe outbreaks of histoplasmosis; therefore decontamination with formalin is sometimes prudent. We describe the use of a $5000 sprinkler system for spraying formalin on a Histoplasma capsulatum-infested roost site. This system precludes direct worker involvement in the application of this hazardous chemical to the area. Analysis of soil samples collected and cultured both before and after formalin treatment confirmed the eradication of H. capsulatum from the 1.3 ha site. Cost was approximately $17,000 with sprinkler system provided at no charge.

Status Of Mesurol® As A Bird Repellent For Cherries And Other Fruit Crops, Mark E. Tobin, Richard A. Dolbeer

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

A single application of Mesurol at 1.5 Ib (Al) /ac to ripening cherries reduced bird damage in a field test in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York, 1986. Treated trees averaged 8.9% damage compared to 17.5% damage for untreated trees. An average of 7.4 birds flew into treated blocks per 15-min count versus an average of 19.8 birds that flew into control blocks. These results support the various evaluations over the past 15 years of Mesurol as a bird repellent for fruit crops. The consensus of these tests is that Mesurol often provides an effective nonlethal means of reducing conflicts …

Bait Stations For Controlling Voles In Apple Orchards, Mark E. Tobin, Milo E. Richmond

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Bait stations made with polyvinylchloride (PVC) pipe were compared with hand-broadcast applications of rodenticides for achieving long-term control of pine and meadow vole populations (Microtus pinetorum and M. pennsylvanicus, respectively) in two apple orchards in the mid-Hudson Valley of New York. The stations were constructed of three pieces of 1.5-in diameter PVC tubing joined together in the shape of an inverted "T". Roofing shingles were placed over the entrances to some of the bait stations to encourage use by voles, while others were left uncovered. All stations were tied to trees, with no attempt to place them near …

Landowner Perceptions Of Beaver Damage And Control In Arkansas, T.B. Wigley, M.E. Garner

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Landowner perceptions of damage caused by beavers (Castor canadensis) and of beaver control programs in Arkansas were determined by mail survey. Beavers were present on lands owned by 36% of the 1,716 respondents. Girdled timber, blocked culverts and flooded timber were the first, second and third most common damages reported, respectively. Thirty-two percent of all respondents and 90% of those with beavers reported at least one form of damage. Four percent of land owned by respondents was flooded by beavers. Of landowners with beavers, 50% described damage as substantial or severe, and 46% perceived damage as unreasonable. At …

Control Of Ring-Billed Gull Colonies At Urban And Industrial Sites In Southern Ontario, Canada, H. Blokpoel, G.D. Tessier

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

At eight urban or industrial sites in southern Ontario colonies of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) were controlled to ameliorate problems caused by the adults and their young. At the Nanticoke Generating Station on Lake Erie a growing colony was eliminated by collecting eggs and subsequent harassment of adults. One colony at the Stelco Yards in Hamilton Harbor was eliminated by installing a gull exclosure and collecting eggs from nests outside the exclosure and another was controlled by frequently destroying nests and eggs. At Toronto Island Airport an incipient colony was controlled by collecting eggs and harassing adults. At …

Use Of Drc 1339 To Control Crows In Three Roosts In Kentucky And Arkansas, Frank L. Boyd, Douglas I. Hall

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Field tests utilizing DRC 1339 (3- chloro-4-methylbenzamine hydrochloride) 98% concentrate on whole kernel corn for crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) control were conducted in January and February 1981 in Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky, and in 1982 in Ashdown, Arkansas. Treated bait was placed in staging areas near the roosts after pre-baiting indicated good acceptance at the sites. The rate of acceptance varied with bait placement. Best results were obtained when bait was placed on bare ground at habitually used staging areas close to the roost site. Population reductions of up to 25% were obtained with limited baiting. DRC 1339 appears …

The Critter Control Concept Approaches Of A Firm Specializing In Nuisance Wildlife Control, Lynn Braband, Kevin Clark

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

The private sector has been involved in certain aspects of nuisance wildlife control for some time. Examples include commensal rodent control by pest control companies, capture of nuisance furbearers by trappers, and repair of structural damage by carpenters. Social trends, such as increased urbanization, increased population of certain wildlife species, and decreased government funding have combined to provide increased opportunity and need for the private sector in nuisance wildlife control.

Critter Control, Inc. has sought to bring an integrated and specialized approach to nuisance wildlife control. Our general approach includes consultation on the nature of the nuisance situation, removal of …

The Problem Of Planting Louisiana Swamplands When Nutria(Myocastqr Coypu) Are Present, W.H. Conner, J.R. Toliver

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Logging of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) in the swamps of the southeastern United States is once again becoming common and an area of particular concern in Louisiana is the regeneration of cypress in its natural environment. One way to ensure the proper stocking of cypress is to plant seedlings, but nutria usually damage or destroy newly planted seedlings and are a deterrent to cypress regeneration in flooded areas. In 1985 cypress seedlings were planted in a flooded logged area and in an area where flooding was preventing the establishment of natural seedlings. Nutria destroyed 86% of the seedlings in …

Effectiveness Of Human Hair, Bgr, And A Mixture Of Blood Meal And Peppercorns In Reducing Deer Damage To Young Apple Trees, Michael R. Conover, Gary S. Kania

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

We evaluated the ability of three repellents [human hair, Big Game Repellent (BGR), and a mixture of blood meal and peppercorns] to reduce deer damage on young apple trees in two Connecticut orchards. Most of the deer damage consisted of winter browsing on dormant apple buds. Little browsing occurred on leaves or buds during the growing season and only a few cases of pre-rut rubbing of trees were observed. In one orchard, buds were browsed during the winter on 52% of the untreated control trees, 45% of the trees sprayed with BGR, and 40% of the trees containing a hair …

Catch Effectiveness And Selectivity Of Several Traps, Edward P. Hill

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

The effectiveness and selectivity of several traps and trap Modifications were field-evaluated and compared in Alabama from 1977 to 19B0. No. 220 Conibear traps placed in baited open-end boxes (TB) on the ground posed a hazard to dogs and were not recommended for general use in terrestrial sets. They may be effective to control feral dogs in special situations or areas. TB devices attached to tree trunks 1 m above the ground eliminated the hazard to dogs, but rendered the trap ineffective for taking small mammals.

No. 220 Conibear traps with selective position treadle triggers placed in trail water-sets were …

Status Of The Coyote In The Southeastern United States, Edward P. Hill

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

The range of the coyote (Canis latrans) in the southeastern United States, particularly east of the Mississippi River, has recently expanded. Although populations were present in Arkansas and Louisiana in the 1960s, only isolated individuals were known to exist east of the river before 1975. In addition to Arkansas and Louisiana, the present range includes Mississippi and Alabama, the western three fourths of Kentucky and Tennessee, Northwestern Florida, south-central and northwest Georgia and scattered portions of Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Peninsular Florida. Recent literature indicates that several releases have influenced the rate of …

Methiocarb-Treated Rice Seed Applied After Field Draining Fails To Repel Blackbirds From Sprouting Rice, N.R. Holler, P.W. Lefebvre, R.E. Matteson, G.R. Gunknecht, R.A. Dolbeer

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Blackbirds, primarily Agelaius phoeniceus, cause extensive losses to sprouting rice in southwestern Louisiana. Methiocarb applied to seed prior to planting at rates above 1.0 g a.i./kg rice (0.1%) has provided excellent protection to sprouting rice in Louisiana under conditions of high bird pressure. To reduce treatment costs, some farmers have used over-flights of methiocarbtreated seed applied at low rates to part of the field after draining. This study showed this technique was not efficacious under conditions of high bird pressure. Four fields treated in this manner suffered 98% loss of sprouts compared to 100% loss in four untreated fields. Large …

Use Of Soybean Fields In Eastern Virginia By White-Tailed Deer, Linda A. Lyon, Patrick F. Scanlon

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) use of soybean fields in Virginia was observed during the 1983 and 1984 growing seasons. Total deer observed and deer seen per observer-hour were both greater in 1983 (199 and 2.1, respectively) than in 1984 (122 and 1.8, respectively). The number of deer seen per observer-hour was related to crop phenology; it was highest during the early vegetative stages and decreased when the soybean plants entered reproductive growth stages. Most (90%) deer were sighted within 50 m of edge cover. In both years, the number of adult does seen was about 3 times the …

A State-Administered User-Pay Program For Nuisance Wildlife Control, Dale W. May

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

In recent years Connecticut, like many other northeastern states, has experienced dramatic suburban encroachment into woodland and farmland areas. The expansion of human population and the accompanying habitat alteration have resulted in a substantial increase in the frequency of wildlife/human conflicts. The Department of Environmental Protection's Wildlife Bureau, mandated to respond to the needs of the people as well as the wildlife of Connecticut, is the state agency given the responsibility of controlling nuisance wildlife problems. Although the Wildlife Bureau provides free technical assistance and educational material, in many cases landowners are either unwilling or unable to resolve nuisance wildlife …

Research Needs In Education And Research Institutions, Jay B. Mcaninch

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Research to support wildlife management programs has traditionally been conducted by scientists in education and research institutions. Much of this work has resulted from state and federal agency program needs or has been funded by state or federal agencies upon solicitation from scientists at these institutions. Regardless of the origin of the research, these institutions have primarily provided the investigators and staff for conducting research on animal damage problems. The priorities, duration and depth of the efforts have been dependent upon the commitment to damage control research by the investigator and the quality of funding support.

Wolf, Golden Eagle, And Coyote Problems In Montana, B.W. O'Gara, W. Rightmire

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

The average annual reported loss of sheep and lambs to predators in Montana from 1982 through 1986 was 46,000 animals worth $1,980,000. During recent years, coyote predation has been the single most important cause of death for lambs. Coyotes accounted for 80% of the predator kills during 1985 and 72% during 1986, and 8,321 coyotes were killed by ADC during those 2 years. Aerial gunning accounted for more than half of the kills. During the first year of a study on a ranch in western Montana without predator control, coyotes killed 8% of the ewes and 27% of lambs. Predation …

Lethal Roost Toxicants For Control Of Starlings And Blackbirds, Denver L. Otis

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Roosting congregations of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and several blackbird species (Icteridae) cause several millions of dollars in losses to agricultural crops throughout the United States. In addition, they are responsible for a variety of nuisance problems, human and livestock diseases, and human safety hazards. Dozens of tools have been developed for alleviating these problems, some of which are nonlethal techniques aimed at either roost dispersal or site specific protection of the problem site. Lethal baiting techniques for use at staging areas or at the problem site have also been developed. However, the most controversial solution involves the use …

Coyote Control Techniques And Their Applications In The Eastern United States, Rick D. Owens

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Conflicts between coyotes and man's activities are varied and include such problems as predation on livestock, agricultural crops, and other wildlife, as well as threats to human health or safety. Formerly restricted to the Great Plains, the coyote's adaptability has enabled expansion of its population throughout most of the United States, Canada and Mexico. This expansion has occurred in spite of large-scale control and/or eradication efforts.

In the West, coyote management includes non-lethal as well as lethal techniques. Non-lethal approaches, which have resulted in varying degrees of success, include the use of guarding dogs, fencing, and shedding. In many instances, …

Effects Of Differential Pine Vole Populations On Growth And Yield Of 'Mcintosh’ Apple Trees, M.E. Richmond, C.G. Forshey, L.A. Mahaffy, P.N. Miller

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Pine voles (Microtus pinetorum LeConte) were maintained as known populations (0, 269, 538 and 1075/ha) in wire mesh-enclosed blocks of 'Mclntosh'/M26 apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh) for 2 years. There was little measurable effect of the voles on growth and production the 1st year, but during the 2nd year the highest population was associated with the death of one tree; severe reductions in growth, yield, and fruit size; a 78% reduction in crown bark weight, 56% loss of fibrous roots, and a dramatic reduction in the value of the crop. Although the low and the medium …

The Use Of The T-Culvert Guard To Protect Road Culverts From Plugging Damage By Beavers, K.J. Roblee

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Since 1978 there has been a continual effort by Region 9 of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to develop devices capable of protecting road culverts from plugging damage by beavers (Castor canadensis). Various protective devices were developed. The most successful was the T-culvert guard. Trial installations of T-culvert guards were made at 4 sites experiencing beaver damage. T-culverts consisted of a 4 ft. or larger diameter culvert and a smaller diameter culvert which connected it to the road culvert . Directions for construction, installation and maintenance of T-culverts are given. Costs for a typical 4 …

Cooperative Beaver Control: Usfws-Adc And Private/Industrial Landowners, K. F. Rohr

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Beaver populations in North Miss, and West Tenn. have increased rapidly, Pelt trapping has been the major control method in the past. With low demand and poor prices for southern pelts, this activity is almost nonexistent today.

Landowners, both private and industrial, have tried several control methods with limited success. Few landowners have the expertise or the time to perform their own control work. What is needed is an agency with the expertise and the supervisory capacity to administer the program for the landowner.

The Animal Damage Control Unit of USDA entered into a cooperative agreement with an industrial landowner …

Extension's Perspective Of Federal, State And Private Animal Damage Control Programs, Gary J. San Julian

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Extension personnel are in a unique position to observe and to be involved in animal damage control (ADC) programs at the federal, state and private levels. In order to offer educational programs, we must interpret regulations and policies to provide a workable interface between ourselves, other agencies and the public. This is not an easy task in such a sensitive and emotional area.

The lack of uniformity in policies among federal agencies as well as the hazy lines of authority and responsibility for some species makes it hard to provide guidance for our clientele. The growing involvement of the public …

Session Moderators

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

Session moderators

Coyotes In The Eastern Us: Status And Implications --Damage Problems And Economic Losses From Coyotes In The Northeastern U.S.—, Dennis L. Slate

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

(Canis latrans) have historically been a matter of concern to ranchers and Animal Damage Control personnel in the western US. With range expansion of the coyote into the eastern US, coyote depredations on domestic stock and fowl appears to be emerging as an issue that will deserve to be more fully addressed by researchers, policy makers and management personnel in this region of the US. This portion of the panel presentation will review and discuss damage problems and losses from coyotes in the northern states of the Eastern Animal Damage Control (ADC) Region.

Information for this presentation was …

A Method For Assessing Blackbird Damage To Ripening Rice, Robert G. Wright, Keith A. Arnold, Michael O. Way

Third Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference (1987)

A method for measuring and mapping the location of blackbird (Icterinae) damage to ripening rice over time was developed and employed in 7 commercial rice fields ranging from 20.6 to 47.4 ha in Matagorda County, Texas, during the 1985 and 1986 growing seasons. Ten evenly-spaced transects were established perpendicular to the longest side of the field and each transect was sampled at pre-determined distances. Transects were subdivided into "edge" (<= 60 m from field border) and "middle" (> 60 m from the field border) strata. The measured percent damage was compared to visual estimates for 3 samplings to assess the accuracy and precision of the latter. Measuring the …

The Effects Of A Mandatory Early Shutdown Of Maine Yankee, Maine State Planning Office

Maine Collection

The Effects of a Mandatory Early Shutdown of Maine Yankee

Maine State Planning Office - Richard Silkman, Director (September 1987).

Contents: Introduction / Legal Issues / Economic Issues / Health and Environmental Issues / Conclusions / Appendices

Agenda: Proceedings Of The Sino-American Conference On Environmental Law, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Proceedings of the Sino-American Conference on Environmental Law (August 16)

On August 16 through 18, 1987 a delegation of 10 Americans met with a 14-member Chinese delegation to compare the systems of environmental law in the two countries. The meetings were held on and near the campus of the University of Peking in Beijing, People's Republic of China. This program was the fruition of nearly three years of discussion, planning, and organization involving Dean Betsy Levin and the Natural Resources Law Center.

The keynote speaker was Qu Geping, Director of the Chinese National Environmental Protection Bureau (comparable to the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). He spoke of the …

Changing Policy Roles Of Environmental Science, Devra Lee Davis

Proceedings of the Sino-American Conference on Environmental Law (August 16)

6 pages.

Contains references.

China’S Environmental Legislation And Current Issues, Dian Rong Luo

Proceedings of the Sino-American Conference on Environmental Law (August 16)

8 pages.

A Few Problems In Environmental Protection Legislation In China, Wei Min Wang

Proceedings of the Sino-American Conference on Environmental Law (August 16)

9 pages.