Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluation Of Chemical Repellents For Reducing Crop Damage By Dickcissels In Venezuela, M. L. Avery, E. A. Tillman, C.C. Lauker

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In Venezuela, lethal control of wintering Dickcissels (Spiza americana) is considered a threat to the species survival. To help farmers protect their rice and sorghum crops from depredations by Dickcissels and to minimize the killing of large numbers of these birds, alternative non-lethal crop protection measures are needed. To that end, the responses of captive Dickcissels to three bird-repellent chemicals applied to rice seed were evaluated. In one-cup feeding trials, treatments of methiocarb (0.05% g g^-1, applied as Mesurol® 75% wettable powder) and anthraquinone (0.5%, applied as Flight Control® ) reduced consumption of rice by 70% …