Nancy Taylor District Wildlife Biologist Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife ext 226

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1 Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage in your Garden Nancy Taylor District Wildlife Biologist Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife ext 226

2 How do you prevent wildlife damage to your garden? Learn the life cycle of wildlife species Learn the pattern of the wildlife species Assess your level of tolerance, resources, and possible neighborhood solutions Think ahead and implement exclusionary measures for long-term

3 For all wildlife damage prevention Institute exclusion solutions before the problems exist Primary access point Border of entire yard Around specific area of concern Keep all food and garbage indoors or in wildlifeproof containers Do not leave pet food out unattended Consider short and long term solutions. Remember that hazing and/or trapping are only temporary solutions

4 Assessment How serious is it? - insignificant, tolerable, beyond acceptable? Are there health or safety concerns? What is the context? - only occurs in certain seasons? Is it likely to reoccur?

5 Common Garden Culprits Deer Raccoons Skunks Nutria Moles/Gophers Turkeys

6 DEER

Relatively solitary animals that inhabit small ranges of < 5 acres Favor heavily fertilized ornamental and garden plants above native, nonfertilized Browsers, that depend on the growing tips of

7 Relatively solitary animals that inhabit small ranges of < 5 acres Favor heavily fertilized ornamental and garden plants above native, nonfertilized Browsers, that depend on the growing tips of shrubs, vines, and small trees.. Favorite native foods are trailing blackberry, red huckleberry, grasses, forbs, thimbleberry, mushrooms, nuts, lichens and cherry Does will deliver twins when both her body condition and forage quality are high (weather dependent and land mgmt. dependent)

8 Deer Forage in Your Yard Strawberries Corn Alfalfa Grapes Ornamental plants Garden plants Peppers Tomato plants Strawberries Ornamentals Corn Grapes Cherry Trees Japanese maple One to two deer can do a lot of damage

9 Signs of Deer Damage Hoof prints Deer in yard Jagged or torn surfaces on leaves or stems Horning to trees, usually at waist level Damage from the ground to 6 high Deer scat

10 Plants that deer don t like: Barberry Bufalloberry Gooseberry Honeysuckle Juniper Lilac Raspberry St. John s Wort Wormwood Rhubarb Russian olive They generally avoid thorny plants

11 Deterrents Commercial products- Liquid Fence Deer Away Ropel (irritant, not for use on food) Browse ban (pepper irritant- should not be used near free roaming pets) Egg mixture sprayed on leaves- 2 eggs+h2o Blood meal placed in circle at base of plants

12 Damage Control & Prevention Fences The most effective solution! Should be a minimum of 6 ½ feet tall May want to build fence 8 high- expecting fence to degrade or to exclude elk Metal fences are longer lasting and sturdier than polypropylene Consider height Topography Maintenance

13 Fencing Quality Important

14 Fencing Quality Important Don t under-design your fence, need to consider wind storms, effect of snow, damage from deer antlers, fallen limbs Remember that fallen limbs and animal persistence create large gate ways for deer.

15 A single electric wire along the top discourages deer from jumping over Charge has to be on for it to work Fence excludes predators as well

if you underbuild, may need to overbuild in the

16 Cloches Tree Guards Bell shaped deterrent, built out of milk gallons, pvc tubing, and plastic Initially, if you underbuild, may need to overbuild in the future Especially effective in protecting young trees from deer

17 Electric fences provide temporary inexpensive exclusion. Practical for most smaller gardens.

Scarecrows Motion activated water deterrent Critters don t like to be surprised Can be effective against birds, deer, turkeys May need multiple

18 Scarecrows Motion activated water deterrent Critters don t like to be surprised Can be effective against birds, deer, turkeys May need multiple scarecrows to cover your garden area Assess foot traffic and wind Battery must be diligently replaced You will need to move it around to be most effective

19 Hazing Rubber bullets (permit from ODFW) Scare crows Dogs Bangers, screamers, shell-crackers, propane cannons. Need a permit from State Fire Marshal, signed by ODFW biologists. Call Oregon State Fire Marshal at: (503) x272 or x274

20 Deer Damage Summary What are your fellow gardeners doing? Is anyone feeding the deer? May need a neighborhood solution Exclude from access spot with fence/brush pile Hunt problem animals during archery or doe seasons Hunters require state hunting license and hunting tags

21 Raccoons Omniverous and nocturnal Breed in Feb. or March & young born in April/May Litter size average three to five Family groups disperse in the spring

22 Are Raccoons In My Garden? Distinctive tracks Seen in early morning hours or at dusk Fresh sod rolled up Noises in chimney Family bathroom at base of large tree, near the den

23 Wildlife Identification Usually impossible to identify a wildlife species based on one criteria, especially a bagged poop sample. Usually need to investigate the area for prints, types of damage, hole size and shape.

24 Most raccoon complaints are related to denning in our house or under our structures, general nuisance, or eating from our garden

25 Raccoon Denning Deterrent A radio set to a talk station and /or a strobe light placed in an attic or crawl space in which a raccoon is denning is often sufficient to cause a raccoon to move from the area and take her young

26 A simple double hot-wire fence can be effective. Locate the first wire 6 off the ground.

27 Raccoon Exclusion Raccoons are excellent climbers and can climb conventional fences A hot wire along the top of a conventional fence will often deter

How to keep raccoons out of your house Install hardware cloth around decks and bury at least 6 inches down and 6 inches out from the building Replace and reinforce damaged screen

28 How to keep raccoons out of your house Install hardware cloth around decks and bury at least 6 inches down and 6 inches out from the building Replace and reinforce damaged screen vents Keep crawl spaces tightly covered Secure pet doors at night or use electronic pet doors. Utilize one way doors. Secure openings in chimney caps Adopt a noisy dog to patrol the yard

29 Habitat Modification: Store garbage securely Securely cover compost bins Remove brush piles Install metal flashing around trees, 5-6 feet high, and 18 inches wider than trees. Pick up ripe fruit & veggies Prune trees greater than 3 feet from roof line

30 Move cat & dog food indoors!

31 Remember In Oregon, raccoons are classified as a Furbearing Mammal and are therefore protected (OAR ) A permit from ODFW is available for live trapping. Transported raccoons are required to be euthanized after transport. Most folks use a.22 while it s in the live trap. Wildlife diseases prevent ODFW from allowing relocation (i.e. distemper)

32 In Oregon, the striped skunk, Mephitis mephitis is the most common type. A member of the weasel family

33 General Biology Home range ½ to 2 miles Nocturnal Eat animal & plant foods Most of us only aware after a skunk is hit by car ~ 1 inch

34 Skunk Damage Eat lower ears of corn and other fruit/veggies Dig 3-4 inch conical holes or patches in gardens & lawns looking for grubs

35 Skunk Exclusion Skunks don t climb high fences Seal off foundation openings Use wire mesh fence around garden and bury 1-2 feet in

lawn Restrict use of bird seed Institute rodent control program Never leave out food

36 Other skunk control methods Remove lumber and junk piles Store garbage in tightly sealed cans Bring in pet food and water at night Use insecticides to control rubs in lawn Restrict use of bird seed Institute rodent control program Never leave out food for wild animals Remove fruit that has dropped to the ground Place ammonia soaked towels in den

37 Use live traps near den entrance Traps should be solid sided if open, plan on using a tarp so that you don t get sprayed Mayonnaise, peanut butter, & dried fruits are good baits that don t attract cats Treatment for skunk spray :1 qt 3% hydrogen peroxide+ ¼ cup baking soda+ 1 tsp liquid soap Trapping Skunks

38 Turkey Biology

39 Oregon Turkey Biology Prefer open feeding locations near oak woodlands Omnivorous: green foliage, insects, nuts, seeds, fruit, grapes, tomatoes Follow daily patterns Roost in trees at night

40 Turkey Biology Continued Turkeys are lazy. If fed by humans (bird food/ cracked corn ), they will live in one small area, reproduce at a higher rate, and be exposed to less predators. Therefore, there will be lots more turkeys in the neighborhood.

41 urkey Damage & Problems Depredate garden plants Uproot plants Landscaping impacts Attract predators Scare off native birds

Hand held red lasers High powered water spray (Super soakers or high pressure

42 Turkey Damage Solutions Stop all feeding of wildlife in the neighborhood ( ONLY LONGTERM SOLUTION) Scarecrows- motion activated sprinkler system Dogs Fencing Hand held red lasers High powered water spray (Super soakers or high pressure hose nozzel on garden hose) Overhead wires spaced 3 apart Spring and fall hunting

43 Master Hunters

44 Nutria

45 Nutria Large semi-aquatic rodents Opportunistic feeders Nocturnal Den in dense vegetation in summer and in burrows rest of year

46 Nutria Damage Girdled trees Digging burrows in dikes and stream banks Erosion (Nutria damage in Maryla They eat: Grasses, alfalfa, root crops, clover Garden produce

47 L-shaped, bent towards entry area Mesh dug into ground ~1.5 feet

48 Nutria garden defense Protect small areas with partially buried fences Electric fencing near the ground around the garden Tubes around seedlings Exclude access to entire yard Move garden to upland site away from water

49 In Oregon, nutria are an invasive species! Nutria damage to dikes or dams can be significant and they out-compete native muskrat and beavers from their natural habitats. Live-trapped nutria must be released on-site or transported and euthanized outside of city limits. Permits for transport are available from ODFW Most large landowners prefer to shoot nutria with.22 or small caliber gun.

50 Burrowing Rodents Townsend s mole Pocket gopher Vole (meadow

51 Can create extensive yard damage

fine soil -Tunnels are visible because they are shallow -Eyes are

52 Is it a Mole or a Gopher? Moles Gophers -Eyes not visible -Mounds are round and constructed of fine soil -Tunnels are visible because they are shallow -Eyes are visible -Mounds are crescent shaped and soil may look lumpy -Tunnels not visible -Plug or open hole is visible in mound

53 Burrowing rodent Herbivores prefer roots, bulbs, tubers Does not hibernate Young born Feb. to June Northern Pocket Gopher

54 Pocket gopher mounds Extensive burrowing Notice the lumps in soil and plug in burrow entrance

55 Gophers Exclude with hardwire cloth or plastic mesh <1/2 Bury at least 12 deep Client dug a 2 trench lined it with hardware cloth and filled it with rocks to keep gophers from accessing his yard

56 Townsend s Mole 8 to 9 inches long (largest mole in N. America) Hairless tail and snout Broad front feet; point outward

57 Moles Insectivores Prefer moist, loose soils of the sort favored by grubs and earthworms The Townsend s Mole is likely to eat plant tubers and roots

58 Mole Control L-shaped concrete with edges 8-12 deep Castor Bean or Castor oil plant Treat lawn for grubs, their main food source Actively harass moles so they will seek homes elsewhere (stomp on runways) Castor oil plant

59 Voles Short lifespan: 2 to 16 months Fur color is gray to brown Color is grayishbrown Reach 5 to 7 inches long at maturity Create extensive tunnel systems Damage gardens by eating tubers, seeds,

Eastern Cottontail Non-native prohibited species Sign- gnawing on older woody growth of trees and vines, clean cut angled clipping of young stems. Droppings are round.

60 Eastern Cottontail Non-native prohibited species Sign- gnawing on older woody growth of trees and vines, clean cut angled clipping of young stems. Droppings are round. Diseases- Tularemia and staphylococcus Prevention using tree guards on young trees, small mesh fencing at least two feet high, buried in the ground eight inches, Remove brush piles, weed patches, stone piles, and other debris Trim lower limbs from young trees Live trap or wooden box trap Bait traps with apples, carrots, cabbage, cob corn; dried leafy alphalfa, parsley or clover.

Rodent Control: Control vegetative cover and refuse: a messy garden and fermenting compost

cartridges, when lit, burn through rodent tunnels producing carbon monoxide which kill

61 Rodent Control: Control vegetative cover and refuse: a messy garden and fermenting compost pile is attractive to rodents Flood burrows/tunnels with garden hose Let your pets do some of the work! Bittering Agents: Thiram and Ro Pel Trapping, must locate the active tunnel Fumigants or gas cartridges, when lit, burn through rodent tunnels producing carbon monoxide which kill rodents. This technique commonly used on large farms. Please keep in mind secondary impacts of pesticides- example 2 years ago Zinc phosphide bait for voles killled several hundred geese

62 Rodent Exclusion Wire mesh dug at least 1.5 feet into ground Bent at 90, facing outwards

63 Always remember Any garden is a potential food & shelter resource for wildlife Removing the resource (food) or access to it is often easier than removing the animal Well built exclusion is the best long term solution Never attempt to feed or rehabilitate wildlife - many garden culprits carry diseases Always welcome to call ODFW for advice or hire a private wildlife control operator if you are not successful with your wildlife damage activities

64 Resources Used Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage, Editors, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Robert M. Timm, Gary E. Larson University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2 volumes: Outwitting Critters. A Humane Guide for Confronting Devious Animals and Winning Bill Adler. The Lyons Press. NY, NY. 256 pp. Wildlife Control Operator Training Manual Rick Boatner et al. Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife.

65 Thank You! Oregon Department of Fish and

Vertebrate Pest Management for Grapes

Vertebrate Pest Management for Grapes Roger A. Baldwin UCCE Wildlife Specialist-UC Davis Species Identification (Ground Squirrels) Gray-brown fur with semibushy tail. Are social. Damage includes girdling