5/26/18. San Diego Master Gardeners Vertebrate Pest Management Training. Things I have caught in a rat trap? The Vertebrate Pest Rules

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1 San Diego Master Gardeners Vertebrate Pest Management Training Niamh Quinn, Ph.D. Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor Things I have caught in a rat trap? The Vertebrate Pest Rules 1

My door/inbox is always open but.. It is against the law to feed wildlife! What about birds and bird feeders?

All furbearing and nongame mammals that are legal to trap must be immediately killed or released.

This regulation does not prohibit employees of federal, state, or local government from using chemical euthanasia to dispatch trapped

It is illegal to drown wildlife Section 4004 (g) Fish and Game Code Kill any trapped mammal in accordance with this section by

2 My door/inbox is always open but.. It is against the law to feed wildlife! What about birds and bird feeders? It is illegal to translocate wildlife Fish and Game Code (g)(1) Immediate Dispatch or Release. All furbearing and nongame mammals that are legal to trap must be immediately killed or released. Unless released, trapped animals shall be killed by shooting where local ordinances, landowners, and safety permit. This regulation does not prohibit employees of federal, state, or local government from using chemical euthanasia to dispatch trapped animals. It is illegal to drown wildlife Section 4004 (g) Fish and Game Code Kill any trapped mammal in accordance with this section by intentional drowning, injection with any chemical not sold for the purpose of euthanizing animals, or thoracic compression, commonly known as chest crushing. This subdivision shall not be construed to prohibit the use of lawfully set conibear traps set partially or wholly submerged in water for beaver or muskrat or the use of lawfully set colony traps set in water for muskrat 2

3 Cruelty to animals...cruelly beats, mutilates, or cruelly kills any animal. Know your pest IPM Pest Notes Getting the most out of an IPM Pest Note Feral cats (on the way) Canada geese Seagulls Wild turkey (on the way) ID Quick Tip Videos Pictures Information on diseases of commensal pests Legal status Management Green Bulletin Don t forget! Retails Newsletter Commensal Rodents 3

norvegicus) Roof rat (Rattus rattus) Public

leptospirosis, murine typhus, hantavirus etc

4 What is a commensal rodent? House mouse (Mus musculus) Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) Roof rat (Rattus rattus) Public Health Threats Why do we need to control commensal rodents? Carriers of Diseases- salmonellosis, plague, leptospirosis, murine typhus, hantavirus etc Food Contamination Rats carry multiple internal parasites that can also be transmitted to humans and domestic animals 4

5 Rat Bites Damage to wiring Photographs courtesy of Rex Baker House mice Relatively small 0.5 ounces Large ears Small black eyes Light brownish to grey Almost hairless tail An adult is ~ 5-7 inches long (including tail) House Mice Deer Mice Larger eyes White underside Bicolored and well furred tail 5

House Mice-diet Omnivorous Prefer seeds and grain Not neophobic about new foods May prefer foods that are Fat Protein Sugar Survive with very little water House Mice-Reproduction Breed year round

6 House Mice-diet Omnivorous Prefer seeds and grain Not neophobic about new foods May prefer foods that are Fat Protein Sugar Survive with very little water House Mice-Reproduction Breed year round Litters 5-6 young days after conception Sexually mature at 6-10 weeks 5-10 litters a year House Mice-behavior Make small excursions ft Can make them difficult to control in certain situations Roof Rats Sleek and agile 5-10 ounces Very large ears Small black eyes Light brownish to grey Roof Rats Uniformly dark tail with fine scales An adult is ~ 6-8 inches long Tail is inches long Tail as long, or longer than head and body Roof Rats-Diet Omnivorous Prefer a wide variety of fruit and nuts Feed on vegetative parts of ornamentals Do require water May be acquired from food 6

Roof Rats-Reproduction Breed all year round (habitat dependent) Litters 5-8 young 21-23 days after conception Sexually mature at 12

litters a year Large and robust 7-18 ounces Small ears Small eyes Norway Rats Norway Rats Brownish or reddish gray above Whitish gray

diet Cereal grains Norway Rats- diet Norway Rats-reproduction Year round reproduction (habitat dependent) Litters 6-12 young Meat and

7 Roof Rats-Reproduction Breed all year round (habitat dependent) Litters 5-8 young days after conception Sexually mature at 12 weeks Roof Rats-Behavior Can travel considerable distances for food ft Live in one areas and feed in another Neophobic 3-5 litters a year Large and robust 7-18 ounces Small ears Small eyes Norway Rats Norway Rats Brownish or reddish gray above Whitish gray on the belly Adult is ~ 8-10 inches long Tail-7-10 inches long Shorter than body, dark above and pale below, scaly Omnivorous Varied diet Cereal grains Norway Rats- diet Norway Rats-reproduction Year round reproduction (habitat dependent) Litters 6-12 young Meat and fish Some types of fruit Require water but it may be obtained from food days after conception Sexually mature at 12 weeks 4-6 litters a year 7

Behavior Reproduction- Why are rodents so

8 Norway Rats-behavior Norway rat Make shorter excursions Roof rat House mouse Eat large amounts from small number of food sources Neophobic Photographs courtesy of Rex Baker What aspects of rodent biology make them so successful and difficult to control? Adaptability Diet Size Reproduction Behavior Reproduction- Why are rodents so successful? Roof rat is slightly less prolific than the Norway rat Sexually mature at 12 weeks 5-8 young Adults live for 5-18 months Reproduction

9 One rat Breeds 4 times in a year having about 8 pups per litter 4 x 8= 32 50% are female and breed only once a year» 8 pups by four females/litter 8 x 4 x 4 Plus the original 32 rats Rodent ID You can t manage what you can t measure! 160 rats! Identify hotspots Sanitation Successful method of rodent control due to removal of Food Harborage Water Environmentally friendly with no risks to nontargets Cost effective Continual loss of other tools Sanatation NO uncovered trash cans of any size at any location Secure food storage Pet food Daily clean up of all food processing and preparation areas Drain sanitation 9

Exclusion Exclusion is the most successful and permanent form of house

rodent-proofing in mind Take time to find entry points Especially for roof

openings for water pipes, electric wires, sewer pipes, drain spouts, and

exclude both rats and house mice Make sure doors, windows, and screens fit

Their edges can be covered with sheet metal if gnawing is a problem Coarse

10 Exclusion Exclusion is the most successful and permanent form of house mouse control New construction should already be built with rodent-proofing in mind Take time to find entry points Especially for roof rats Exclusion Seal cracks and openings in building foundations and any openings for water pipes, electric wires, sewer pipes, drain spouts, and vents No hole larger than 1/4 inch should be left unsealed, in order to exclude both rats and house mice Make sure doors, windows, and screens fit tightly. Their edges can be covered with sheet metal if gnawing is a problem Coarse steel wool, wire screen, and lightweight sheet metal are excellent materials for plugging gaps and holes. Norway and roof rats are likely to gnaw away plastic sheeting, wood, caulking, and other less sturdy materials. Lethal control A weather strip is not considered to be best practices for rodent exclusion 10

11 Nontargets Know where the endangered species are Glue boards are very nondiscriminatory not recommended for outdoor use Setting your traps Always in twos DIY Rodenticide Hire a pro First-generation anticoagulants (FGARs) Chlorophacinone Diphacinone Warfarin Multiple feeding Second-generation anticoagulants (SGARs) Bromadiolone Broadifacoum Difethialone Difencoum Single feeding 11

DPR 2 nd Generation Restricted Use Designate all SGARs as restricted materials Only certified applicators can purchase and use these

that is harboring or attracting the target pest between the 50-foot limit and the limit specified on the label (typically 100 feet)

within 50 ft of a structure (read label) Little secondary effects No antidote Chlorophacinone/Diphacinone/ Warfarin First generation

(very low) Antidote available The new-new Bloom AB 1687 California Natural Predator Protection Act SECTION 1.

spotted owl, pacific fisher, and San Joaquin kit fox, are an irreplaceable part of California s natural ecosystems.

12 DPR 2 nd Generation Restricted Use Designate all SGARs as restricted materials Only certified applicators can purchase and use these products Limit the aboveground use of baits within 50 feet of a man-made structure unless there is a feature associated with the site that is harboring or attracting the target pest between the 50-foot limit and the limit specified on the label (typically 100 feet) Effective July 1, 2014 Toxicants for home owners Bromethalin Neurotoxin Must be applied in a bait station Single feeding Generally within 50 ft of a structure (read label) Little secondary effects No antidote Chlorophacinone/Diphacinone/ Warfarin First generation anticoagulants Must be applied in a bait station Multiple feeding Generally within 50 ft of a structure (read label) Secondary effects (very low) Antidote available The new-new Bloom AB 1687 California Natural Predator Protection Act SECTION 1. (1) Wildlife, including birds of prey, mountain lions, bobcats, fishers, foxes, coyotes, and endangered species such as the northern spotted owl, pacific fisher, and San Joaquin kit fox, are an irreplaceable part of California s natural ecosystems. As predators of small mammals, they play an important role in regulating and controlling the population of rodents throughout the state to improve public health and welfare. Future developments 12

13 Gophers Gophers Considerable research in the last 10 years on gopher research Much of it carried out in California Typical gopher mounds Gopher mounds 13

Mole mound Management options Habitat modification Baiting Burrow fumigation Trapping

an integrated approach that utilizes a number of strategies and tools to control vertebrate

Habitat modification Deep disking/ripping Not generally an option in urban California Baiting

Strychnine Strychnine Hire a pro Acute toxicant Preferred bait for controlling gophers given

resistance to strychnine baits Current shortage of strychnine baits in the United States

14 Mole mound Management options Habitat modification Baiting Burrow fumigation Trapping Exclusion Repellent Frightening Shooting Pocket gopher ü ü ü ü ü û û û Currently, we focus on an integrated approach that utilizes a number of strategies and tools to control vertebrate pests. Habitat modification Deep disking/ripping Not generally an option in urban California Baiting Mostly restricted use in CA (unless used by homeowner) Anticoagulants Zinc phosphide Strychnine Strychnine Hire a pro Acute toxicant Preferred bait for controlling gophers given its acute toxicity More palatable flavor than zinc phosphide Very effective Behavioral resistance to strychnine baits Current shortage of strychnine baits in the United States Wilco Distributors, Inc., who has been the primary importer of strychnine for pest control purposes into the U.S., recently stopped the importation of strychnine and halted all production of strychnine baits. 14

Zinc Phosphide DIY Anti-coagulant rodenticides Hire a pro Acute toxicant Can also be effective Gophers can develop bait shyness More readily available than

products Risks of secondary toxicosis Low Fumigation Gas cartridges Effective for ground squirrels (62 86% control). Not effective for gophers.

Fumigant Efficacy (%) Study Aluminum phosphide 90 Baker 2004 Aluminum phosphide 81 Baldwin et al. 2016 Gas cartridge 17 Matschkte et al.

15 Zinc Phosphide DIY Anti-coagulant rodenticides Hire a pro Acute toxicant Can also be effective Gophers can develop bait shyness More readily available than Strychnine Diphacinone and Chlorophacinone First generation anticoagulant rodenticides Multiple feeding Use when worried about primary toxicity from other products Risks of secondary toxicosis Low Fumigation Gas cartridges Effective for ground squirrels (62 86% control). Not effective for gophers. Hire a pro Carbon Monoxide Hire a pro Aluminum phosphide Highly effective for gophers (90-100%). Is a restricted use pesticide. Fumigant Efficacy (%) Study Aluminum phosphide 90 Baker 2004 Aluminum phosphide 81 Baldwin et al Gas cartridge 17 Matschkte et al PERC 56 Orloff 2012 PERC 56 Baldwin et al PERC 68 Baldwin & Meinerz 2016 Trapping Maccabee vs Gophinator Covered vs uncovered Attractant vs no attractant Trained vs untrained Gloves vs no gloves Above ground traps vs in tunnel traps DIY 15

Macabee vs Gophinator Gophinator Powerful trap

arm More secure capture Video on Setting the

16 Macabee vs Gophinator Gophinator Powerful trap Grips the animal high on the body Trigger arm offset to prevent upward pressure on gopher Rotating pincer arm that clamps to stationary arm More secure capture Video on Setting the Gophinator Trap 16

Types of trap Covered vs uncovered Turf damage

damage Cinch trap Gopher Hawk Capture rate 100% 90%

cover type comparisons Spring-Summer Autumn Goph cov

attractant 80 70 60 Percentage 50 40 Covered

17 Types of trap Covered vs uncovered Turf damage Gophinator Maccabee Black hole and box Less turf damage Cinch trap Gopher Hawk Capture rate 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Trap type and cover type comparisons Spring-Summer Autumn Goph cov Goph uncov Mac cov Mac uncov 90 Attractant vs no attractant Percentage Covered Uncovered Anise oil Carrot oil Grapefruit Peanut butter No attractant 17

18 Trapping Materials Traps Probe Gloves Wire Flags Kneepads Active mounds Probe for tunnel Watch out for back-filled tunnels Leave probe in mound With hori-hori, dig hole Examine burrows for Size Turns Divides 18

Managing Burrowing Mammals

Managing Burrowing Mammals Roger A. Baldwin UCCE Wildlife Specialist Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology University of California, Davis Species Identification (Ground Squirrels) Gray-brown