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Enterprise Budgets: A Tool For Vertebrate Pest Control Decision Making In Developing Countries, Daniel C. Evans

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Semi-subsistence farms that predominate in developing countries have more complex goals than the strict profit motives of corporate farms. Small farm management decisions are commonly based on a desire to increase production while avoiding risks and reducing labor demands and operating costs. Enterprise budgets are a valuable tool for understanding diverse farming systems and farmers' decision-making processes. The preparation of enterprise budgets documents production expenses, labor requirements, and specific activities related to pest control, as well as sources of supplies and technical information. By identifying what resources are commonly used and the relative importance of farm labor, the preparation of …

Potential Of Vegetation Management For Ground Squirrel Control, Wendy S. Fitzgerald, Rex E. Marsh

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Manipulation or alteration of habitat vegetation is used frequently with integrated pest management of certain vertebrate pest species. However, it has been less than satisfactory with ground squirrel species in many situations. Special plantings of tall grasses and broadleaf species were experimentally explored in an effort to make levee habitat less suitable for the California ground squirrel in the Sacramento Valley. The experimental plantings failed to achieve that objective for a variety of apparent or suspected reasons and, in fact, in some grass plots the number of ground squirrels increased over what was present prior to planting. Other problems associated …

Biological Status Of Mountain Lions In California, E. Lee Fitzhugh, W. Paul Gorenzel

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Mountain lions (Felis concolor) symbolize wilderness. The "wild west," a supreme predator, supreme quarry, destroyer of wildlife (game and nongame), livestock, and "trophy" hunting. They are the epitomy of controversy in California. In this paper we will review the history of management and present legal status of mountain lions in California, the political situation leading to the present status, and some of the biological factors that have been controversial, particularly relating to population status and trends.

Twelfth Vertebrate Pest Conference Frontmatter And Table Of Contents

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Table of Contents

Recent Research On Red Squill As A Rodenticide, Anthony J. Verbiscar, Thomas F. Banagan, Howard Scott Gentry

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Red squill has been used in rodent control for several hundred years but in the United States its use has decreased since the 1950s. However, there is now a recognized need for rodenticides with different kinds of toxic activity. Red squill is being investigated as an acute rodenticide and an economic crop for the southwestern states. Clones from a prior USDA collection have been assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography and selections are being propagated in California and Arizona. The major toxicant, scilliroside, is relatively fast acting, causing convulsions and death to rats and mice. This glycoside is also strongly emetic …

A Changing Approach To Dingo Control In Western Australia, A. W. Hogstrom

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The traditional method of dingo control on sheep properties in Western Australia relied on labor-intensive trapping and baiting. A cost/price squeeze in the rangeland sheep-grazing areas around 1970 forced a revision of these practices. Research was conducted on dingo biology, habitat preference and use, movements, social organization and damage to livestock. The data demonstrated the territorial nature of dingoes, that they usually occur in groups of 2 to 15, that long movements are rare, and that they quickly learn to harass and kill sheep. Aerial baiting trials using factory-manufactured baits and baits prepared from fresh meat demonstrated that an adequate …

Implications And Management Of Feral Mammals In California, Walter E. Howard, Rex E. Marsh

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

"Feral" is defined. For each of the principal species of feral mammals in California we note the broad ecological implications they have on the environment and the potential or actual management approaches being followed. The main emphasis of this paper, and all of the slides shown, was on how wild horses and burros, two controversial feral species, are managed in California and in other western states. The feral pig is about to become the number one big game animal in California, and mustrats (Ondatra zibethica (L.)), which were introduced or escaped into the Sacramento Valley—-hence locally feral--are the state's …

The Mechanical Control Of Bushpig, Potamochoerus Porcus, In Zimbabwe, Michael La Grange

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Bushpig, Potamocheorus porcus, occurring naturally in the high rainfall areas of Zimbabwe, have become a major threat to maize producers in the country. Traditional means of control including hunting have been unsuccessful in keeping the numbers to a tolerable level owing to the secretive and cunning nature of the animal. The use of poisons has been discouraged because of indiscriminate use and problems of secondary poisoning, so alternative methods of mechanical control were sought. Several methods evolved during experimentation, producing a strategy to control bushpig throughout the year.

Private Costs Of Predator Control In New Mexico In 1983, Gary A. Littauer, Ronald J. White, David Carroll Hall

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

A survey was conducted by the New Mexico Department of Agriculture in early 1984 to determine costs incurred by livestock producers to control predation on livestock during 1983. Out of a sample of 1,848 producers who were sent questionnaires, 706 (38%) usable responses were returned. The respondents reported having about 30% of the peak number of sheep and lambs and 19% of the peak number of range beef cattle and calves, respectively, estimated to have been in New Mexico in 1983. Total cost reported by 306 respondents who had costs, not including donations to the New Mexico cooperative Animal Damage …

Intoxication Of Domestic And Wild Animals By Anticoagulant Rodenticides — A Synthesis Of Data From The French National Veterinary Antipoison Center, G. Lorgue, K. Nahas, G. Keck, M. Rampaud

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

During the period from 1980 to 1985 the laboratory of toxicological analysis associated with the National Veterinary Antipoison Center received 1,343 samples for research of anticoagulant rodenticide (e.g., 14.1% of total samples): 79% concerned animals, 31% baits. Six compounds marketed in France were investigated (warfarin, chlorophacinone, bromadiolone, difenacoum, coumachlore, coumatetralyl). In two-thirds of the samples, none of these substances could be found. Warfarin was by far the most incriminated rodenticide (23.1%), and dogs represented the most affected species (65.7%). However, its occurrence decreases regularly. The other compounds were found with a very low frequency (1 to 3%). In 70% of …

An Integrated Approach To Bubonic Plague Control In A Southwestern Plague Focus, Curtis E. Montman, Allan M. Barnes, Gary O. Maupin

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Plague is widespread among rodents and their fleas in the western United States, but most human cases occur in several definable, ecologically unique, and geographically limited high risk areas in the Southwest and Pacific Coast states. Control strategies to prevent human cases in high risk areas must vary from one epizootic focus to another, depending on such basic ecological factors as rodent/flea species involved; their distribution, abundance, seasonality, and relationship with the plague organism; climatic factors that affect transmission; the lifestyles of human residents; and others. This paper briefly summarizes preliminary results of a long-term program to define human risk …

The Complexities At The Interface Among Domestic/Wild Rodents, Fleas, Pets, And Man In Urban Plague Ecology In Los Angeles, County, California, Bernard C. Nelson, Minoo B. Madon, Arthur Tilzer

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Bubonic plague was first found in Los Angeles County in 1908. The largest epidemic of pneumonic plague in the United States occurred in the county in 1924, and the last cases of plague associated with domestic rodents in the United States occurred here in 1925. Sporadic plague activity was recorded from 1925 to 1975. Since 1975, plague has been found annually and is now endemic in the San Gabriel Mountains and the interface, that area where suburban encroachment intermingles with wilderness areas along the southern edge of these mountains. Within these two areas, plague is amplified and is a risk …

Current Changes To Vertebrate Pest Management In New Zealand, Peter C. Nelson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Vertebrate pest control in New Zealand is changing as a result of a reduction in state funding. Monetary assistance for control programs is being withdrawn at $0.8 million per year and currently is $5.4 million. This reduction affects several parts of the organization and the Agricultural Pests Destruction Council has initiated various programs to rationalize control. The major effect of reducing assistance is that the landowners have to contribute more money. The necessity of blanket control of rabbits is now questioned and two investigations are underway to determine the extent of the areas where rabbit control is required and demonstrate …

An Approach To The Design Of Target-Specific Vertebrate Pest Control Systems, Peter H. O'Brien

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Vertebrate pest control has the dual objectives of maximizing efficacy and minimizing nontarget hazard. The task in design is to make these objectives complementary, rather than mutually exclusive. Historically, vertebrate pest control has emphasized target control as a single objective, with nontarget impact a subsequent, secondary consideration. This sequence necessarily constrains the capacity of the design process to minimize nontarget impact.

I describe a framework for the design of vertebrate pest control which is based on comparative evaluation of the socioecology of target and potential nontarget species. Using this approach, control systems are designed which focus on and exploit identified …

Bait Preference Field Study Of The California Ground Squirrel, Brenda D. Protopapas, A. Charles Crabb

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

A bait preference field study of the California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi beecheyi) was performed involving the comparison of the following untreated bait formulations fed ad lib.: oat groats, Ramik Green, and ZP Rodent Ag Bait. The study was performed on rangeland at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, from March 11, 1984, to September 15, 1984.

Poor bait quality problems occurred in the early period of the study (March 11 to May 17), resulting in poor acceptance of both Ramik and Ag Bait. A descriptive analysis of this period is discussed. The statistical analysis of …

Approaches To Small-Holder Rodent Control, C. G. J. Richards

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Rodents are now recognized as one of the most important pests damaging crops in countries as far apart as Indonesia, Tanzania and Venezuela (Benigno and Sanchez 1984, Taylor 1984, Williams and Vega 1984). Damage to crops such as rice may be devastating during periodic upsurges in rodent numbers, with yields often reduced by 50% or more. It is being increasingly recognized, however, that continual chronic losses, which commonly occur over very large areas, are economically more significant (Buckle et al. 1985), resulting in yield losses in the range of 5 to 10% of national crops every year in many countries …

Comparison Of Fumigant Gases Used For Rabbit Control In Great Britain, John Ross

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The two most commonly used fumigant formulations, one generating hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and the other phosphine (PH3), were compared in paired field trials using the spoon-gassing technique. The two formulations were equally effective in reducing rabbit numbers seen in spotlight counts. The PH3 generating formulation was more convenient and slightly cheaper to use. Safety and humaneness aspects of the two formulations are discussed and alternative formulations (generating HCN and PH3) are considered. The potential usefulness (for rabbit control) of some other fumigant gases is briefly reviewed.

Agriculture And Forestry Rodent Problems And Control In Italy, Luciano A. Santini

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Rodent pest problems and their control in Italy are reviewed. Two rats, Rattus norvegicus and Rattus rattus, and the field mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, are often important pests both in rural and forestry areas. Other species, such as voles, Microtus arvalis and Microtus (Pitymys) savii, in orchards and in horticulture, and Sciurus vulgaris and Myoxus (Glis) glis in forestry, sometimes represent serious problems. For each species the kind of damage and control is recorded, and additional considerations are supplied to the public and private organizations responsible for rodent control.

Approaches To Coot Management In California, Valerie Van Way

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Coot depredations have been documented in California since 1886, and shooting has been relied on as the principal means of mitigating damage. Immobilizing agents continue to offer promise as useful nonlethal tools for population reduction programs. Exploration of the use of tribromoethanol in coot capture is described, and the potential for other bird management techniques is discussed.

An Evaluation Of The Acute Oral Toxicity Of Brodifacoum To Birds, Michael E. R. Godfrey

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Single acute doses of the rodenticide brodifacoum were administered orally to 13 species of birds which are at risk from accidental poisoning during rabbit or possum control operations. Median lethal dose values from less than 1 to more than 20 mg/kg were obtained for some species. Gulls and Canada geese appear to be particularly susceptible. Several species, particularly the gulls, waxeyes, sparrows, mallard ducks and harrier hawks, seem to be vulnerable to lead poisoning.

A Five-Year Evaluation Of The Silvicultural Treatments For The Control Of Squirrel Damage In Taiwan, Pao-Chang Kuo, Yue-Ken Liao

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The Formosan red-bellied tree squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus. ) is a pest animal that causes serious damage to many conifer plantations in Taiwan. Poisoning has been the major means to control the damage. The feasibility of forestry control through habitat manipulation has been evaluated during the past 5 years. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of forest-tending operations on the activity and damage by squirrels. Forest-tending conducted included weeding and thinning. Test sites were at three Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantations located in Chitou. The results of this study revealed that squirrel activity in …

The Probe, Issue 61 - March 1986

The Probe: Newsletter of the National Animal Damage Control Association

THE PROBE
National Animal Damage Control Association
March, 1986
Foreign News
Second Eastern Wildlife Damage Control Conference
Vasectomies for Horses
Herring and Black-backed Sea Gulls
“A Little Help From a Friend” by Eugene McFerran
Hunting
Coyotes vs. Antelopes
Rabies in Rodents

Efficacy Of A Carbon Monoxide Gas Cartridge Against Field Rodents, Deng Zhi, Zhao Wu Chang

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Efficacy data of a gas cartridge are reported. The gas cartridge contains 50 g of potassium nitrate (27.5 g, 55%) mixed with sawdust (22.5 g, 45%). When ignited, it generates large amounts of carbon monoxide (avg. 23.46%) and carbon dioxide (avg. 26.26%). A mimic field trial was carried out on a winter day. The air temperature averaged 1.2°C, ranging from -3.3°C to +5°C. Sixteen adult albino rats were killed within 3 minutes exposure in a man-made burrow system, 200 cm long, with an inside diameter of 8 cm.

Field trials were conducted in different parts of China, and there were …

Results Of Eight Years' Examination Of The Habitats Of Residual Urban Norway Rat Populations After Eradication, Daniel Bajomi, Katalin Sasvari

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

In Budapest (population 2 million) 33 out of 100 buildings were rat-infested in the early seventies. Thus general deratization was decreed to cover the whole of the city in 1971 to 1972. As a result of the global eradication method applied, the rate of rat-infested premises could be reduced below 0.5% annually. After control the sparsely occurring rats could freely choose any of the habitats released for settling. The habitats of Budapest most preferred by Norway rats are presented after a wide-ranging investigation carried out over 8 years. Our examination data support and in some cases reveal the requirements of …

Protection With Vexar Cylinders From Damage By Meadow Voles Of Tree And Shrub Seedlings In Northeastern Alberta, Ronald W. Pauls

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Vast areas of land will require reclamation and reforestation following oil sands development in northeastern Alberta. Greenhouse-grown tree and shrub seedlings used in reforestation may be clipped or girdled by meadow voles, especially during periods of high population density. The impact of partial girdling, the most common form of damage, varies among species. Reduced survival rates in seedlings girdled over as little as 50% of their circumference and reduced growth rates in seedlings girdled over as little as 25% of their circumference, have been noted. Plastic mesh cylinders (tradename Vexar) have proven effective in preventing seedling damage and durable in …

Richard Feinberg's Review Of Patrick Vinton Kirch And D. E. Yen's Tikopia: The Prehistory And Ecology Of A Polynesian Outlier, Richard Feinberg

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Population, Migration, And Problems Of Atoll Development In The South Pacific, John Connell

Pacific Studies

No abstract provided.

Marketing Kentucky Hay, J. Kenneth Evans

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

That more income is needed by Kentucky farmers is a well established and accepted fact. Although, the tobacco program appears to be yet viable, we have long needed to supplement the tobacco income with income from the remainder of the farm. I think this audience is also well aware of the potential· for producing hay in Kentucky, particularly alfalfa. Estimates in the University of Kentucky potential study indicate that we could have in this state two million acres of alfalfa with a projected potential income of a billion dollars a year generated for our farmers.

This potential income should not …

Maximizing Alfalfa Hay In Beef Feeding Programs, W. Roy Burris, Garry D. Lacefield

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Beef cattle comprise the largest group of forage and hay users in Kentucky. Because of their ability to utilize large amounts of low quality roughage, they are sometimes relegated to that role exclusively. There are many instances in beef production when alfalfa hay can be utilized because of its high protein content. The value of alfalfa hay in a beef operation can be estimated by the protein and energy that it furnishes.

Maximizing Alfalfa In Dairy Feeding Programs, Dan O. Riddell

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa is an excellent feed for dairy cows. When used properly, alfalfa can help cut cost of production and increase level of production. However, like everything else, the feeding of alfalfa needs to be managed to maximize efficient production. There are three key steps involved in maximizing alfalfa in a dairy feeding program. These are:

1. harvest alfalfa at the proper stage of maturity
2. know what the alfalfa contains and feed accordingly
3. get the alfalfa to the cows that need it.