Managing Wildlife Damage in the Landscape

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1 Managing Wildlife Damage in the Landscape Marne Titchenell Wildlife Program Specialist School of Environment and Natural Resources

2 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

3 Options for Managing Wildlife Damage Trapping Hunting Exclusion Repellents Scare Tactics Habitat Modification Short-term Short-term Long-term Short-term Short-term Long-term

4 Deer Damage

5 How to ID Deer Damage Deer lack upper incisors Jagged, torn surfaces on twigs and foliage Severe damage = ground level up to 6-8 feet

6 Management Options for Deer Damage Repellents Habitat modification Deer resistant plants Scare Tactics Exclusion Fencing Individual plant protection Lethal Control Hunting

7 Repellents 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 When applied correctly Repellents can be an effective deer management option in urban areas The best option for areas where lethal methods are restricted

8 Types/Brands of Repellents Odor Repellents Egg Solids Deer-A-Way, Deer-off, Dr. T s Deer Blocker, Liquid Fence Predator Urine Coyote Urine, Shake Away Garlic oil Plant Pro-Tec, Bobbex Ammonium and fatty acids Hinder Taste Repellents 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

Repellent Costs Suggested retail prices range from $15 - $200 per gallon Some products will require more frequent application than others Some products need to be paired with an adhesive Cost

9 Repellent Costs Suggested retail prices range from $15 - $200 per gallon Some products will require more frequent application than others Some products need to be paired with an adhesive Cost of product is independent of the effectiveness of the product Home remedies may be cheaper: Bar soap (mixed results) Human hair (not consistently effective) Eggs and water (shown to be effective)

10 Which Ones Work Best? Depends on your situation Research shows good results with: Egg solids (higher concentrations) Make your own (20% eggs, 80% water) Hot pepper repellents (5-6% concentrations better) Mix of capsaicin and egg solids work well (Deer Stopper II) Fatty acids (food safe) (Hinder) Other research results: Bitter tasting repellents ineffective Coyote urine, blood products, and thiram success varies among studies

11 New Fact Sheet on Deer Repellents Costs An Overview and Cost Analysis of Deer Repellents for Homeowners and Landowners Alabama Cooperative Extension System ANR-1370

12 Deer Resistant Plants Little research done in urban/residential settings Excellent studies on deer browsing in forests of northeast US Success varies with: Deer populations Alternative food availability Accessibility No plant is safe under all conditions!

Deer Resistant Plants: A Select Few Deer don t prefer plants with: Spiny, tarry, furry, or bristly, thick-leathery leaves Deer LOVE: Balsam fir, Fraser fur, rhododendron,

13 Deer Resistant Plants: A Select Few Deer don t prefer plants with: Spiny, tarry, furry, or bristly, thick-leathery leaves Deer LOVE: Balsam fir, Fraser fur, rhododendron, maple, fruit trees yews, arbor vitae, clematis, and English ivy Tulips Combine with use of repellents Repellents more effective when used on less preferred species (Swihart 1991)

14 Individual Plant Protection Tree Shelters More expensive option $3 + per tube for most Blue-X closer to $1 Also prevents rubbing Wire Mesh Cheaper (0.50-$1) Also effective Bird Netting To protect shrubs and smaller areas

15 Scare Tactics Short term solution Deer will most likely become habituated to it A few to try Smart sprinkler Dogs Underground/invisible fencing and let dogs roam and chase deer away

16 When Should a Landowner Deer numbers are high Consider a Fence? Deer are highly dependant on landowner s food supply Already experienced moderate to severe damage Other methods have failed i.e. repellents Crops wanting to protect are high value Area to protect is less than 40 acres

The Peanut-Butter Fence Single or double

found to be effective on small areas www.

17 The Peanut-Butter Fence Single or double strand of wire or polytape String 7 and 18 from ground Low cost Effective for smaller areas (15 acres or less) Electrobraid Also found to be effective on small areas Maintenance always higher for electric fences

depths than 8 ft heights Place two more wires 3 ft in front One 12

18 Two Dimensional Design Fences Single wire 4 ft off ground around entire garden/landscape area Deer are less confident jumping over 3 ft depths than 8 ft heights Place two more wires 3 ft in front One 12 inches tall and another at 3.5 feet tall Prevents deer from going under and over

19 5/7 Wire High-tensile Electric Fences Vertical 7-wire 87% effective in protecting fields under high pressure Slanted 7-wire 75% farmers satisfied and would invest again For larger areas (still less than 40 acres) of high value crops

20 Deer Population Management Rural areas Control populations by increasing hunting pressure Focus on does Work with DOW wildlife officer to obtain permits when damage occurs Deer damage permits

21 Rabbit Damage

22 How to ID Rabbit Damage No.1 test = 45 degree angle Look for teeth marks on bark Damage no higher than 2 ½ feet above ground Also look for tell-tale pellets

23 Rabbit Damage

24 Rabbit Ecology Habitat Concentrate in favorable habitats Summer growth provides all the shelter needed Reproduction (Feb. Sept.) Potential for young/year 80% of population 1 st years Feeding Habits Year-round = protection needed year round

25 Management Options for Rabbit Damage Habitat Modification Repellents Rabbit Resistant Plants Exclusion Hunting/Trapping

26 Habitat Modification Remove shelter Brush piles, tall dense grasses, stone piles Sometimes, this is not possible. especially if your are a landscaper or gardener!

Repellents Taste (contact) repellents show better results than odor (area) repellent When damage high and rabbits abundant, use additional options (fencing) Commercially

27 Repellents Taste (contact) repellents show better results than odor (area) repellent When damage high and rabbits abundant, use additional options (fencing) Commercially available: Deer away, Hot Sauce Egg solids seem to work well with herbivores Hot sauce good taste repellent for rabbits Ammonia soaps and fatty acid based products for edibles (Hinder)

Individual Plant Protection Tree shelter and

Bury 2-3 into ground 1-2 away from the tree

28 Individual Plant Protection Tree shelter and tubes Will protect against rabbits as well as deer Cylinders of wire hardware cloth ¼ mesh Wrap around trees or landscape plants Bury 2-3 into ground 1-2 away from the tree and to the height of expected snow depth plus 18

Fences Provides long-term solution Recommended over repellents or trapping for areas suffering moderate to heavy damage 2 foot tall fence (+ snow depth) of wire mesh

29 Fences Provides long-term solution Recommended over repellents or trapping for areas suffering moderate to heavy damage 2 foot tall fence (+ snow depth) of wire mesh Bury 6-8 underground or stake securely to the ground Mesh should be 1 or smaller This could be added to a fence already constructed to exclude deer and other animals

30 Management Options for Rabbit Damage Habitat Modification Repellents Rabbit Resistant Plants Exclusion Individual Plant Protection Fencing Hunting/Trapping

31 Resistant Publications Deer Resistant Plants North Carolina Cooperative Ext. Rabbit-Resistant Garden and Landscape Plants Penn State Extension

32 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 landowner s decision to trap in the first place Are they willing to euthanize the trapped animal?

opossum, beaver, coyote, fox MUST be released on site or euthanized Raccoon, skunk,

33 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

34 Trapping R&R s FOR MORE INFO Contact Ohio Division of Wildlife Trapping Regulations

35 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 short term solution.

36 While on the Subject of Trapping

37 Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management Fact Sheets on Raccoons, Woodchucks, and Skunks - Info on baits, traps to use, and where to place traps

38 WHO IS THE CULPRIT? Moles Voles

39 Trapping Management Options for Mole Damage Several types of traps All are effective if used properly All are lethal Best to trap during spring or fall Place traps in straightest runways

40 Ohio Moles

Killer Bait in the form of worm Effectiveness not proven by scientific

41 Repellents Management Options for None have been proven effective under rigorous standards Castor oil based Toxic bait Talpirid and TomCat Mole Killer Bait in the form of worm Effectiveness not proven by scientific study Try it with an open mind and advise landowners to read the label! Mole Damage

Should be able to see the chisel marks Surface runways

42 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 Vegetation clipped close to ground Pieces of vegetation and feces found in the runway

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areas with dense grassy cover Keep grass cut very short into

43 The image part with relationship ID rid3 was not found in the file. Management Options for Vole Damage Exclusion Hardware cloth cylinders ¼ - 1/8 inch mesh Habitat Modification Eliminate areas with dense grassy cover Keep grass cut very short into the fall Toxic bait zinc phosphide Grain pellets available but be cautious of non-target species Trapping Snap traps

44 Squirrel Damage

45 Squirrel Damage Stripping bark from trees Entering homes and nesting in attics Chewing Digging and searching in yard and flower beds

46 Exclusion Management Options for Squirrel Damage Wrap tree trunk w/18 wide sheet metal placed 4 feet above ground House exclusions Trapping Must have permission of property owner Repellents Taste repellents work best Ropel (bitter) Cayenne pepper

47 What about Chipmunks? Trapping most practical in homeowner situations Live catch traps Snap traps Pre-baiting helps Capsaicin repellents Cayenne pepper Most rat poisons NOT labeled for use on chipmunks Letter permit required to euthanize chipmunks, squirrels, and rabbits From Division of Wildlife

48 Groundhog Den System

49 Groundhog Trapping Info March 1 st Sept. 30 th Locate dens during spring (early spring - young born April May) or starting in August Easier to find less vegetation and freshly dug out Must have enclosure around den that prevents other animals from getting in See Ohio Division of Wildlife Trapping Regulations! See Ohio Administrative Code for additional rules and restrictions

50 Web Resources Wildlife Damages Manual Wildlife management info OSU Extension Publications Extension Wildlife Damages Website

51 My Contact Info Marne Titchenell

52 Thanks and Question Time!

The Good, The Bad, and The Hungry:

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION The Good, The Bad, and The Hungry: Managing Wildlife in the Home Landscape Marne Titchenell Extension Program Specialist Wildlife School of Environment & Natural Resources