Dealing with Wildlife Conflict Increasing wildlife

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Marne Titchenell

Extension Program Specialist – Wildlife

School of Environment & Natural Resources

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION

The Good, The Bad, & The Hungry:

Dealing with Wildlife Conflict

Human-Wildlife Conflict in the 21th Century

• Increasing wildlife conflict with increasing urbanization

Urban sprawl brings humans close to established, rural wildlife populations

Wildlife also moving into urban areas

– Greening our cities

Urban Wildlife Habitat

Quality habitat exists in urban and suburban areas

Also habitat provided in and around homes

◦ Landscaping, gardening

Many species adapt to find needed resources

◦ Some species thriving Deer, coyote, geese, raccoons

◦ Shift from a value to a pest

Shift from Value to Pest

“Hey look, a deer!

Cool!”

“$!&*! deer ate my

flowers, again!”

The Good, The Bad, and The Hungry…

• Deer, rabbits, squirrels moles, and voles

Damage and ID

Wildlife Ecology and Habits

Management Options

Steps for Managing Wildlife Damage

1) Correctly assess the damage

2) Identify the species responsible

3) Assess cost of damage vs. cost of management

4) Employ management options

Continuous monitoring Persistence and patience Combination of management

options

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Options for Managing Wildlife Damage

Lethal Control Short-term

Trapping Short-term

Exclusion Long-term

Scare Tactics Short-term

Habitat Modification Short-term

Repellents Long-term

CAN YOU ID THIS DAMAGE?

How to ID Deer Damage How to ID Deer Damage

• Deer lack upper incisors

• Jagged, torn surfaces on twigs and foliage Difficult with soft, succulent foliage

• Damage can be from ground up to 6-8 feet

Prefer the most desirable parts of plants (buds, twig ends, and foliage)

Plants less than 3 feet - focus on the top and sides of the plant

How to ID Deer Damage

• Antler Rubs September

Can continue through breeding season – Through

December

Some tree species preference recorded – Ash, cherry, red

maple, linden

Management Options for Deer Damage

• Repellents

• Habitat modification

Deer resistant plants

• Scare Tactics

• Exclusion

Individual plant protection

Fencing

• Population Management

Hunting

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Repellents 101

• Work one of 3 ways:

• Fearful/Repulsive odor

“Area Repellents” Applied near vegetation to be protected Intended to deter by odor alone

• Bad/Irritating taste

“Contact Repellents” Applied directly on to vegetation to be protected Aim to limit browsing by making plant taste bad

– So they need to take a bite before it works!

• Combination of both

Repellent Effectiveness: What You Need to Know

• A repellent is rarely 100% effective Intended to reduce NOT eliminate browsing

• Highest effectiveness achieved in smaller areas Landscaping, individual tree protection, orchards, nurseries, Christmas tree farms

• High risk of habituation Nothing will stop a hungry animal

• Can be costly and time consuming $17 -200 per gallon Note reapplication rates!

• Do not fall prey to human error Always read AND follow the label

When to Use Repellents as a Mgt Option:

• Deer repellents are most effective when:

Deer numbers and browsing are moderate to low

Repellent is applied before or immediately after damage begins

Repellent does not need to be applied more than 2-3x to reduce browsing

Area or plants to be protected is small

– Landscaping, individual tree protection, gardens, orchards, nurseries, Christmas tree farms

Odor Repellents Taste Repellents

• Hot Pepper (capsaicin) • Predator Urine

Coyote Urine, Shake Away

• Blood products Sachets

• Garlic oil Plant Pro-Tec, Deerbuster’s Deer

Repellent

• Ammonium and fatty acids Hinder, Revoke

• Hot Pepper (capsaicin) Miller’s Hot Sauce Animal

Repellent, Deer-off

• Blood products Repellex , Plantskydd

• Fungicide (thiram) Repel, Shot-gun Deer Repellent,

Magic Circle, Gustafson 42-S

• Bitter taste Ro-pel, Deer Guard

Types/Brands of Repellents

Odor and Taste

• Egg Solids • Deer-A-Way, Deer-off, Dr. T’s

Deer Blocker, Big Game Repellent

• Combination of odor and taste ingredients in one repellent • Repellex – garlic, pepper, and

blood

Which Deer Repellents Work Best?

• Odor only repellents have limited effectiveness, high risk of

habituation (blood sachets, egg solids, garlic oil)

• Repellents with immediate consequences most effective:

Irritation/pain – capsaicin

Flavor modification – animals products (egg, blood)

– Exception: repellents with only bitter compounds typically ineffective

• Caution: Many studies are highly variable

Highly motivated animals will ignore the most effective of repellents

Which Deer Repellents Work Best?

• Make your own egg solids (20% eggs, 80% water) Human hair – ineffective Soap bars – 50:50

• Mix of capsaicin and egg solids work well

• Food safe repellents: Capsaicin (hot pepper) Ammonia/potassium salts and fatty

acids (Hinder) Meat meal (animal blood and protein) Some egg solid based repellents

www.deer-departed.com/deer-repellent-recipes.html

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Fact Sheet on Deer Repellents Costs

• An Overview and Cost Analysis of Deer Repellents for Homeowners and Landowners

Alabama Cooperative Extension System

ANR-1370

Management Options for Deer Damage

• Repellents

• Habitat modification

Deer resistant plants

• Scare Tactics

Smart sprinkler and dogs

• Exclusion

Individual plant protection

Fencing

• Population Management

Hunting

Habitat Modification

http://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/

Avoid Favorites Otherwise Be Proactive

Exclusion: Individual Plant Protection

• Tree Shelters More expensive option

– $3-6 per tube for most – Blue-X closer to 2-3

• Wire Mesh Cheaper (0.50-$1) Also effective

• Bird Netting To protect shrubs and

smaller areas

Deer Management Options

• Fencing High numbers of deer,

high crop dependence, high crop value, <40 acres

www.icwdm.org for deer mgt fact sheet

• Hunting In areas where hunting is

allowed, it should be considered a top option for minimizing deer damage

Deer Damage Control Permits – Division of Wildlife – 1-800-WILDLIFE

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Community-Based Deer Management

• Sometimes the problem is simply too many deer Lethal means must be

taken to reduce deer herd

• Example: City of Avon Lake 12 square miles Healthy deer herd = 40 Actual deer herd = over

250

• Solutions: Organized lethal control

– Culling

Resource: Community-Based Deer Mgt

Cornell University Integrated

Deer

Research and Management

Study

http://wildlifecontrol.info/deer/Page

s/default.aspx

- Click on Community Involvement

CAN YOU ID THIS DAMAGE? How to ID Rabbit Damage

• No.1 test = 45 degree angle Incisors leave a neat, clipped

appearance

• Look for teeth marks on bark

• Damage no higher than 2 ½ feet above ground

• Also look for

tell-tale pellets…

**Exception to 2 ½’ rule!

Winter Rabbit Damage Rabbit Ecology

• Feeding Habits

Flowers (spring and summer) – Tulips and lilies – Daffodils = poisonous

Vegetables (summer) – Peas, beans, beets, carrots (of

course) – Corn, squash, cucumbers,

tomatoes, potatoes, and pepper are somewhat immune

– Suspect groundhog if these are extensively eaten

Woody plants (winter)

– Apple trees, black and red raspberries,, cherry trees, plum trees, maples, rose, and dogwood to name a few

Why, this

looks tasty!

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Management Options for Rabbit Damage

• Repellents

• Habitat Modification

Remove shelter

Rabbit resistant plants

• Exclusion

Individual Plant Protection

Fencing

• Hunting/Trapping

Note the 45̊ angle and sharp,

clean edge

Repellents

• Best results with repellents causing immediate consequences

Hot pepper and egg solids

– Taste repellents over odor repellents

• Food safe repellents:

Ammonia/potassium salts and fatty acids (Hinder)

Some hot pepper and egg solid repellents

Habitat Modification

• Remove shelter

Brush piles, tall dense grasses, stone piles

Rabbit Resistant Plants

• List from PA Extension Pulled from variety of sources

– Master gardeners

– Commercial landscaping companies

– Universities

– Research studies

Nothing will stop a hungry animal

Boost protection by using repellents on resistant plants

• *** Dash next to name represent resistance to deer as well!

Exclusion: Individual Plant Protection

• Tree shelter and tubes Will protect against

rabbits as well as deer

• Cylinders of wire

hardware cloth ¼” mesh

– If use ½” + mesh, leave 1-2” between tree and guard

Wrap around trees or landscape plants

Bury 2-3” into ground

Height - height of expected snow depth plus 20” (a rabbit’s reach on hind legs)

Exclusion: Fences

• Provides long-term solution

Recommended over repellents for areas suffering moderate to heavy damage

• 24” tall fence (+ snow depth) of wire mesh

• Mesh should be 1” or smaller

• Bury 6-8” underground or stake securely to the ground

• This could be added to a fence already constructed to exclude deer and other animals

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Management Options for Rabbit Damage

• Repellents

• Habitat Modification

Remove shelter

Rabbit resistant plants

• Exclusion

Individual Plant Protection

Fencing

• Hunting/Trapping

Note the 45̊ angle and sharp,

clean edge

The Thing About Trapping

• Legally, you can trap the following species:

• Rabbits, squirrels, raccoon, woodchuck, skunk, opossum, beaver, coyote, fox

But what do you do once it’s trapped?

– This can influence a homeowner’s decision to trap in the first place

– Are they willing to euthanize the trapped animal?

Trapping R&R’s

• Squirrels and rabbits Fox, gray, red squirrels Chipmunks, 13-lined ground squirrels Groundhog Eastern cottontail Can be relocated with permission

• Raccoon, skunk, opossum, beaver, coyote, fox

MUST be released on site or euthanized

• Raccoon, skunk, opossums Illegal to relocate Why?? RABIES

• Coyote, beaver, fox Would just be someone else’s problem

Trapping R&R’s

FOR MORE INFO

Contact Ohio Division of Wildlife

Trapping Regulations

http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/trapping.aspx

Back to Trapping Rabbits

• Trapping and relocation is legal Must have permission to relocate

But…due to the reproduction strategy of rabbits, this kind of control is a very short

term solution.

CAN YOU ID THIS DAMAGE?

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Squirrel Damage

• Stripping bark from trees • Entering homes and nesting in

attics

• Chewing

• Digging and searching in yard and flower beds

Bird Feeder Bandits

The Sneakiest.. Squirrel-Proof Feeder Fact Sheet

• University of Nebraska Extension

EC1783

Management Options for Squirrel Damage

• Trapping 19x6x6 sized box/cage trap

– Rat traps for red squirrels

– May be located above ground, on travel routes

– Use at least 3 traps

If relocating must release outside city limits with permission of property owner

• Repellents Taste repellents work best

– Ropel (bitter)

– Capsaicin (cayenne pepper) – Powder (sprinkle in flower beds

AND bird seed)

– Mixed with Vaseline (smooth over wood surfaces to prevent chewing)

Management Options for Squirrel Damage

• Exclusion

Polybutenes – sticky materials

– Apply masking tape before polybutenes

Bulb protection

– Plant bulbs in cylinder of 1” mesh chicken wire

• Habitat modification

Identify corridors from mature woods to orchards and gardens

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What about Chipmunks?

• SOME rat poisons labeled for use on chipmunks

• Toxic baits are restricted use Need pesticide applicators

license to use – Pre-bait!

• Trapping Live catch traps

Snap traps – Baits: nuts, sunflower seeds,

raisins, peanut butter, breakfast cereal grains

Pre-baiting helps

• Capsaicin repellents

CAN YOU ID THIS DAMAGE?

Moles Voles

Is it a Mole or a Vole?

MOLE

- Insectivore (worms, beetles, grubs)

- Unique appearance

- No external ears

- Naked snout

- 3 species in Ohio

-Eastern mole most common

VOLE

-Rodent (plant material)

-Looks like a mouse

- Smaller ears and stocky bodies

- 4 species in Ohio, two are common

- Meadow and Woodland vole

Identifying Mole Damage

• Feeding tunnels

Just below soil surface

• Volcanic-like mounds of soil

From excavation of deeper burrows and tunnels

Some Options Just Don’t Work!

Management Options for Mole Damage

• Trapping

• Repellents

• Toxic baits

• Fumigation

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Management Options for Mole Damage

• Trapping

Several types of traps (harpoon, choker loop, scissor jaw)

All are effective if used properly

All are lethal

Best to trap during spring or fall – Ground is damp and easy to move in

Place traps in straightest runways

Management Options for Mole Damage

• Repellents Few have been proven effective

under rigorous standards

– Castor oil based

• Toxic bait

Zinc Phosphide – Bonide Moletox II, Sweeney’s – Granular/pellet form

Warfarin gel bait

– Kaput Mole Gel Bait

– Injected into runs

Bromethalin – Talpirid, Victor Moleworms

– Bait in the form of worm

Is it a Mole or a Vole?

MOLE

- Insectivore (worms, beetles, grubs)

- Unique appearance

- No external ears

- Naked snout

- 3 species in Ohio

-Eastern mole most common

VOLE

-Rodent (plant material)

-Looks like a mouse

- Smaller ears and stocky bodies

- 4 species in Ohio, two are common

- Meadow and Woodland vole

Vole Damage

Identifying Vole Damage

• Girdling

Look at teeth marks

– Non-uniform occurring at various angles

– Irregular patches

– Should be able to see the chisel marks

• Surface runways (1-2” wide)

Vegetation clipped close to ground

Pieces of vegetation and feces found in the runway

Identifying Vole Damage

1.5-2”

diameter

holes

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Vole Biology and Habitat

Cyclic populations

~2-5 years

4000 voles/acre

• Average densities vary

Canada – 32-162/acre

Illinois – 2-6/acre

• 1-5 litters/year

3-6 up to 11 young/litter

• Exclusion

Hardware cloth cylinders

– ¼ - 1/8 inch mesh

– Most effective for small areas

• Habitat Modification

Eliminate areas with dense grassy cover

Keep grass cut very short into the fall

Management Options for

Vole Damage

• Trapping

Snap traps

Place at mouth of tunnels or near holes

– Covered with 1 gallon plastic plant pots

Most effective for smaller areas or in conjunction with toxic baiting

– Set more at once not fewer over longer period of time

• Repellents

Capsaicin and predator urine (coyote, bobcat, fox)

– May afford short term protection

Management Options for

Vole Damage

• Toxic bait

Zinc phosphide – Restricted Use – Grain & pellet

– Bonide Orchard Mouse Bait

– For use on orchards and citrus groves

– Prozap Zinc Phosphide Oat Bait

– For use in nurseries, Christmas tree plantations, ornamentals

Anticoagulants – Chlorphacinone, Diphacinone

– Rozol Vole Bait, Ramik Brown Weather Resistant Rodenticide

– Multiple treatments necessary

• Pre-baiting will increase effectiveness • Bait placed above ground

Use bait stations to protect non-target species (ex. birds)

Management Options for

Vole Damage

List of Nuisance Wild Animal Control Trappers by County

www.wildohio.gov

Species and Habitats

Nuisance Wildlife

Web Resources

• Internet Center for Wildlife Damage - Manual

http://www.icwdm.org/handbook/index.asp

• OSU Extension Publications www.woodlandstewards.com

• Extension Wildlife Damages Website

http://www.extension.org/wildlife+damage+management

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Contact Info: Marne Titchenell, [email protected], 614-292-0402