Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

Social Context Affects Expression Of Conditioned Taste Aversions During Grooming By Pine Voles: Implications For Animal Damage Control, J. Russell Mason, Lynette A. Geyer, Christine A. Kornet

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Rodents typically show conditioned aversions to substances previously associated with illness. Aversions can be observed when the tastant is presented in food, water and, for rats, when the tastant is smeared unilaterally on the animal's flank and ingested during auto-grooming. Such results have important implications for rodent control. For that reason, others have investigated whether voles and mice continue to groom when tastants associated with sickness are smeared on their fur. Investigations have shown that grooming persists in the presence of the conditioned stimuli even though strong aversions are shown toward the same tastants in a drinking context. The question …

Social Organizations And Reproduction In Freely Reproducing Colonies Of Pine Voles In The Laboratory, Margaret H. Schadler

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Freely reproducing colonies of pine voles reared in confined laboratory enclosures have a definite social organization and a predictable pattern of reproduction which results in limitation of population size. Colonies that were established in the laboratory with a single breeding pair showed that: 1) populations were self-limiting, 2) rank order existed with the founding female occupying a dominant position in the hierarchy, 3) reproduction was generally confined to the founding female and 4) the non-reproducing members of the colony showed that they did become reproductive when they were paired with normal mates. This paper is a preliminary report of the …

A System For The Observation Of Voles Under Semi-Natural Conditions With Applications To: Social Interactions, Competition, Food Habits, Habitat Preference And Bait Accpetance., D. S. Wilkie, M. A. Novak

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

A laboratory system to study microtine rodents has been developed that avoids many of the intrinsic restrictions of earlier laboratory and field studies. The system is composed of two interconnected plexiglas tables with a soil substrate and hay cover. The system permits unconstrained visual observation of voles as they move within a runway network of their own construction. The flexibility of the system facilitates its use in various avenues of microtine research.

Growth And Development Rates Of Microtus Pinetorum Under Different Photoperiods, T. L. Derting, J. A. Cransford

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Photo-period and nutrition are important variables affecting reproductive activity and growth in many rodents. Field and laboratory studies indicate that long photo-period (spring-summer) cause Increased growth while short photo-periods (fall-winter) inhibit these processes. In the montane vole (Microtus montanus) recently weaned animals gain weight at a much lower rate under short photo-periods or in total darkness than under long photo-periods (Vaughan et al., 1973; Peterborg, 1978). Adult M. montanus had more offspring and larger mean litter sizes under LD 18:6 than LD 6:18 (Pinter & Negus, 1965). Similarly, long (LD 16:8) or increasing photo-periods stimulated the onset of …

Frontmatter

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Frontmatter

Registration List

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Registration List

Proceedings Of The Fifth Eastern Pine And Meadow Vole Symposium, Gettysburg, Pa, March 4-5, 1981

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Entire symposium.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIFTH EASTERN PINE AND MEADOW VOLE SYMPOSIUM

The Fifth Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposium was held at the Sheraton Inn-Gettysburg, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania March 4 and 5, 1981, for the purpose of assessing the current status of research, extension, and industry programs relating to the problem of vole damage to fruit trees. The meeting was intended to create a problem solving atmosphere in which growers; various governmental agencies such as EPA, USDA, USDI; the chemical industry; and university personnel could observe the cur¬rent thrusts of research and extension programs and their potential impact on future …

Experimental Results Of Chlorophacinone Ground Sprays In North Carolina, William T. Sullivan Jr.

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Field experiments with chlorophacinone (CPN) ground sprays seem to be more effective in control of pine voles in North Carolina orchards when the percentage grass cover under tree drip lines is high. Preliminary laboratory results seem to confirm this observation.

Our group has carried out a number of field trials of the efficacy of ground sprays for controlling pine voles in orchards. In reviewing these tests with special reference to inconsistency of results with chlorophacinone (Hayne 1977) an apparent relationship to the amount of grass cover was noted, and laboratory trials were started to test this question.

An Approach To Determine The Economic Threshold Level For Pine Voles, Stephen B. White, Theodore L. Huller

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

The effectiveness of orchard management, as in any agricultural system, is judged on the total quantity and quality of the produce and on the financial return per unit of investment. Decisions affecting orchard management are based ultimately on economic factors.

This economic criterion should, therefore, be applied to all orchard pest management decisions—including control of the pine vole (Pitymys pinetorum). The purpose of this paper is to describe an approach we are taking to identify factors useful in estimating the economic threshold which can form the basis for cost-effective management of the pine vole and the meadow vole …

Radiotelemetric Evaluation Of The Effect Of Horticultural Practices On Pine And Meadow Voles In Apple Orchards: I. Rotary Mowing, Dale Madison, Randall Fitzgerald, Ralph Pagano, Jeffrey Hill

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) and meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) were studied in three apple orchard plots in the Hudson Valley of New York during June and July 1980. Selected voles from each plot were given miniature radiotransmitters and then tracked before, during, and after rotary mowing.

A total of 11 pine voles and 6 meadow voles were tracked. Home range size was much larger for meadow voles than pine voles. During mowing, meadow voles were noticeably affected by the mower; pine voles were not. No change occurred in the area utilized before and after mowing for …

Colonization Of An Abandoned Orchard By Pine Voles (Microtus Pinetorum), Jack A. Cranford, J. Harrison, T. L. Derting

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Habitat selection by pine voles (Microtus pinetorum) has been attributed to cover density (Goertz, 1971; Paul, 1970) soil condition (Benton, 1955; Fisher and Anthony, 1980), and food resources (Noffsinger, 1976; Paul, 1970). Goertz (1971) reported that pine voles were distributed in diverse habitats, but there was a close correlation with height and diversity of grass. Miller and Getz (1969) found populations in sloping upland woods, Benton (1955) in dry woods, and Paul (1970) in hardwood slopes with a close correlation between distribution and amount of ground cover. Soil type has been examined by Benton (1955) and Fisher and …

Effects Of Tastants On Caching, Gnawing, Grooming And Taste Aversions In Pine Voles (Microtus Pinetorum) And Meadow Voles (M. Pennsylvanicus), Lynette A. Geyer, Christine Kornet

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Several behaviors of pine and meadow voles were studied, specifically those affecting the role of taste in ingestion. These behaviors include: 1) caching, 2) gnawing, 3) grooming, and 4) taste aversions.

Male pine voles cached more than females, particularly when housed with females. Solitary females more than those housed in mixed sex pairs. When presented with peanuts and pine dowels in one-hour tests, pine voles cached peanuts first; the addition of flavorants did not affect the sequence in which they were cached. In six-hour tests, however, sucrose— and oil-soaked items were cached first.

Gnawing by pine voles, like caching, was …

Comparison Of Sampling Designs For Vole Population Studies, Donna Bruns Stockrahm, Jay Mcaninch, John D. Harder

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

In the summer of 1980 we initiated a large-scale vole population study in the lower Hudson Valley of New York and had questions regarding trapping designs and sampling procedures. Would samples reflect populations as they occurred in the orchard or would results merely be artifacts of the trapping design?

Renzulli et a1. (1980) examined how time interval between trapping periods, trap spacing, and grid size affected demographic estimates in meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, in non-orchard habitats. In other small mammal studies conducted in non-orchard habitats, 2 traps per station are often utilized to avoid the exclusion of animals or …

Survey Of Pine Vole Activity In Apple Orchards Near Roanoke, Virginia, Greg K. Yarrow

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

A survey of pine vole activity in apple orchards around the Roanoke, Virginia area was made in conjunction with current trapping efforts involving pine vole research. A total of 60 orchards were examined and subjectively ranked according to pine vole activity. At least 10% of the trees in each orchard were examined for signs of possible activity.

Water Metabolism In The Pine Vole, Pitymys Pinetorum, Donald H. Rhodes, Milo E. Richmond

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Orchard substrates, in general, provide excellent conditions for pine vole (Pitymys pinetorum) growth and reproduction as indicated by the distribution and abundance of pine voles within orchard situations in the eastern United States (Gourley and Richmond, 1972). However, the specific characteristics which are attractive to pine voles and facilitate their proliferation are poorly understood. The basis for selection of any particular habitat component by the pine vole is in large part a function of the vole's physiological requirements, because the physiological needs of the animals must be met by appropriate habitat resources. Thus, information on specific habitat parameters …

Vole Damage And Control Methods In Ontario Orchards, Ronald J. Brooks, Lin Schwarzkopf

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

In Ontario, herbivorous mammals inflict extensive damage upon fruit tree ocrchards and hardwood plantations (Radvanyi 1974 a, b; C. Dufault pers. commun., Hikichi pers. commun.). Nevertheless, surprisingly little research has been directed toward reduction or control of this damage and, therefore, growers continue to suffer substantial annual economic losses. Ontario appears to offer no specific guidelines to assist growers in developing effective long-term control programs for mammalian pests in their orchards. Recommended methods of control are limited to brief, general pamphlets most of which have shown little substantive change over the past few decades. There have been virtually no experimental …

Effect Of Photoperiod On Activity Patterns In Pine Voles (Microtus Pinetorum), Jack A. Cranford

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Light is an environmental variable which has considerable effect on small mammal activity patterns. This constantly repeating 24 hour signal provides information on a daily basis and has been shown to synchronize all physiological patterns in an animals existence. Laboratory studies have shown that pine voles are slightly nocturnal (Pearson, 1947) or confined their activity to the hours of twilight and darkness (Werner, 1951). Both authors indicate that activity occurs in bouts of about 1 hour duration followed by an hour of rest. Benton (1955) observed from trapping that more activity occurred at night but cautioned that due to the …

Progress And Prospect Of A Bioenergetic Simulation Model Of Pine Vole Populations, John F. Coyle, Kevin C. Jordan, Alan R. Tipton, Roy L. Kirkpatrick

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

As reported previously (Coyle and Tipton 1980), we have been engaged in the development of a computerized system which outlines the basic demographic features of a pine vole population. The system, when complete, will hopefully contain four subsystems (biological, spatial, control and economic). This paper will discuss the biological submodel, its development and validity, and prospects for its future.

Meadow And Pine Vole Control I N 1980 Field Plots, Ross E. Byers, Mark H. Merson

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Broadcast treatments of Volak (Brodifacoum), Rozol (Chlorophacinone), ZP Rodent Bait AG, and Ramik-Brown (Diphacinone) gave excellent to good control of voles in decreasing order of effectiveness. A saccharin formulation of Ramik-Brown or doubling the concentration of diphacinone to 0.01% did not result in any additional control over the current formulation. Hand placement of ZP Rodent Bait AG at 1 to 3 lbs/A gave excellent control of voles. Place packs of ZP Rodent Bait AG were not opened at all sites, however, residual activity from apple activity data indicated that this product gave excellent control. Additional field and laboratory evaluations were …

Social Behavior And Activity Patterns Of Meadow Voles In Relation To Seasonal Change And Snow Cover, Ronald J. Brooks, A. Bruce Webster

Eastern Pine and Meadow Vole Symposia

Activity and social behavior of free-ranging meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) were examined in summer, fall, and winter using capture-recapture and radiotelemetry. The composition of our study population changed from predominantly reproductively-active (RA) voles in summer and fall to entirely non-reproductively-active (NR) voles in winter. RA males had larger activity areas than RA females. Activity areas of RA females did not overlap with those of other RA females, but activity areas of RA males overlapped extensively with those of both RA males and RA females. However, any contact among RA voles was rare, unless females were estrous. NR voles …

Epa Profile Of Environmental Quality Nebraska, Kathleen Q. Camin

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, which make up EPA Region VII, are among the leading corn and wheat producing States in the Nation_ These States also produce a significant share of the soybean, grain sorghum, fat cattle, and finished hogs that are supplied to American and foreign markets.

Although the States in Region VII can best be characterized as rural, 65 percent of their nearly 12 million people live in urban areas. In Nebraska, metropolitan areas such as Omaha 4 have environmental problems resulting from major industrial operations, municipal services, transportation, and energy production. Metropolitan areas, however, do not have …

Exclusion Of Gulls From Reservoirs In Orange County, California, William Amling

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Measures to exclude gulls from two coastal domestic water supply reservoirs in Orange County have included the use of shotguns, exploding shell cartridges and carbide cannons. Alternative methods were explored which hopefully would prove more effective and less costly than the harassment techniques being employed. The installation of a network of spaced wire over the reservoir water surface has successfully excluded gulls from these bodies of water.

Mountain Beaver Problems In The Forests Of California, Oregon And Washington, John E. Borrecco, Robert J. Anderson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Mountain beavers (Aplodontia rufa) cause considerable damage to forest trees in the Pacific Northwest. Feeding injuries result in mortality, growth losses, deformity of trees, and understocked plantations. Losses are most severe in new plantations with significant damage problems also occurring in sapling stands. Trapping, and placing physical barriers around individual trees, are the most common methods of control. Both methods are costly but effective in reducing damage.

The Situation Of Grain-Eating Birds In Somalia, Richard L. Bruggers

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Research into the biology and control of pest birds in Somalia has continued intermittently since 1971 under UNDP funding of four projects. Data have been gathered on the identification, distribution, and status of the principal pest species to agriculture. These species include the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea), of which northern and southern races occur, and several other ploceid weavers (Ploceus spp.) which may damage cereal crops. The movements, food habits, and corresponding impact of these species on agriculture in Somalia are discussed in detail. As a result of the information obtained during these years of research, emphasis has recently shifted …

Lithium Chloride Bait Aversion Did Not Influence Prey Killing By Coyotes, Richard J. Burns, Guy E. Connolly

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Conditioned food or flavor aversion has been proposed as a method to stop coyote predation on sheep. The method entails treating sheep carcasses or meat baits with an emetic, lithium chloride (LiCl), and scattering them on sheep ranges. Theoretically, coyotes eat the baits, become ill, and subsequently desist from killing and eating sheep because they associate sheep flavor with sickness. In recent studies, coyotes have not formed prey aversions. Coyotes avoided baits because of LiCl flavor rather than prey flavor and prey killing aversions were not found. We conducted a study designed to find the best LiCl-prey flesh concentration to …

Armadillos: Problems And Control, Patricia A. Chamberlain

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has been successful in extending its range throughout the southeastern states. It occupies such a diverse range of habitats that its effects on its surroundings depend largely on where it is located. It offers benefits from its burrowing and eating patterns by creating dens for furbearers and destroying large quantities of injurious insects and their larva. Those same activities in urban and suburban areas are now being recognized as a source of considerable nuisance and moderate damage. Damage is most severe from July through early November. They have been recognized in connection with several diseases …

Changes In A Feral Pig Population After Poisoning, James Hone, Henry Pedersen

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The changes in a feral pig population associated with 1080 poisoning were examined. There was a 58.1% reduction in population size after poisoning with no age-specific effect. The population size increased over 11.5 months after poisoning at an observed instantaneous rate of increase per year of 0.57. The results are discussed relative to feral pig control.

Proceedings: Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Proceedings: Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference

Needs Of County Agents For Vertebrate Pest Control Information In Georgia, Jeffrey J. Jackson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The general public in the state of Georgia is faced with at least 45 kinds of vertebrate animal damage control problems. Their questions asking for problem solutions are often directed to Georgia Cooperative Extension Service agents in 156 counties. County agents in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area receive an average of 325 requests for vertebrate pest control information a year. Agents in the Coastal Plain Area receive an average of 140 questions per year as does the Extension Wildlife Specialist. The combined total of vertebrate animal damage control questions received by all agents is approximately 60,000 per year. Typically difficult questions …

Levels Of Bird Damage To Sorghum In The Awash Basin Ofethiopia And The Effects Of The Control Of Quelea Nesting Colonies, Michael M. Jaegar, William A. Erickson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Quantitative assessments of bird damage to lowland sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) were made annually from 1976 through 1979 in the major growing areas associated with the Awash River Basin. Results indicated that the Red-billed Quelea (Quelea quelea) can be an important limiting factor in the overall production of this cereal, and that damage can be locally severe. Lethal control of Quelea breeding colonies found along the Awash River and at Lake Zwai was undertaken in September/ October of both 1978 and 1979. Subsequent assessments showed substantially less bird damage in both years and overall losses were minimal.