Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

A Comparison Of Global Conventions Concerned With Controlling Ship-Borne Pollution On The High Seas, Robert F. Ogurek

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

This paper will compare the global conventions concerned with controlling ship-borne pollution, noting the major differences in regulations concerned with the prevention, control and reporting of pollution incidents, as well as the enforcement provisions of these conventions. Section I of this paper will be a discussion of the provisions made in the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea Draft Convention on the Law of the Sea (not yet in force) concerning ship-borne pollution. Section II will be a discussion of the major global conventions, both those presently in force and those yet to enter into force, …

A High School Curriculum In Marine Environmental Issues: "The Sea - Use And Abuse" Part Ii, Martha J. Zimmerman

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

To the Student: As we progress into the 1980's, you will become more aware of a number of marine related environmental issues. Many of these complex marine issues will be decided within the political sphere of our society. These are not isolated issues, but rather complicated ones which impact a wide section of our economic and social lives. The issues we are discussing include: land use (especially in the coastal zone), the city of facilities (e.g. sewer treatment plants, power plants, nuclear power plants), and the drilling for oil and gas and minerals on submerged and continental shelf areas. Port …

A High School Curriculum In Marine Environmental Issues: "The Sea - Use And Abuse" Part I, Martha J. Zimmerman

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

To the Teacher: The materials presented and developed in this learning activity packet involve dynamic, complex, and persistent environmental issues concerning man's interaction with the oceans and the marine environment. As we progress into the 1980's, many decisions effecting the marine world will be made within the political sphere. These decisions will have wide-spreading impacts into the economic and social areas as well. Some consequences will be observed immediately, and others perhaps more serious, defiant of detection, and in some instances even hazardous, may have delayed results. The complex interrelationships of land and oceanic environments, the fragility of the marine …

Methods For Biological, Chemical, And Physical Analyses In Reservoirs, Penelope E. Kellar, Sherell A. Paulson, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

This manual contains detailed descriptions of biological, chemical and physical sampling and analytical procedures used at the Lake Mead Limnological Research Center. The manual was prepared in response to requests made by numerous individuals involved in the Las Vegas Valley Water Quality Program. This manual represents what we consider to be a reasonably complete compilation of methods useful in studying both general and specific limnological questions. While each section is sufficiently detailed to be of use to investigators with little experience in limnological methodology, the methods can be used on a wide variety of lakes and reservoirs, with relatively little …

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 …

Nutrient Interactions Among Reservoirs On The Colorado River, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker

Publications (WR)

Interactions among physical, chemical and biological processes in reservoirs can significantly alter the characteristics of the discharge (Neel 1963, Wright 1967, Hannan 1979) that, in turn, can influence the ecology of the river downstream .(Ward and Stanford 1979). Investigations of the Colorado River, system reveal that reservoir-induced changes in the river can also affect downstream reservoirs. The formation of Lake Powell, in 1963 was accompanied by reductions in suspended sediment and nutrient loading and changes in the seasonal temperature and discharge cycles of the Colorado River. In this paper, we evaluate how these changes have influenced the nutrient and trophic …

The Problem Of Pika Control In Baluchistan, Pakistan, Abdul Aziz Khan, William R. Smythe

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The collared pika, Ochotona rufescens has been recorded as a serious pest in apple orchards in the uplands valley of Ziarat in Baluchistan. In the winter, when the natural vegetation is lacking, the pikas debark the apple tree trunks or branches resulting in the killing of the tree and reduced fruit production. In summer, damage to wheat, corn and potatoes is also very severe. It is estimated that pikas cause hundreds of thousands of dollars (US) in annual apple production losses. The apple production in Baluchistan accounts for about 35 percent of the total provincial income through food production. During …

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.

Recent Developments In Anticoagulant Rodenticide Resistance Studies: Surveillance And Application In The United States, Stephen C. Frantz, Constance M. Padula

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Since anticoagulant rodenticide resistance was first discovered in the United States in 1971, it has become apparent that the phenomenon is widespread. In cooperation with the Center for Disease Control, a nationwide surveillance program was initiated in 1977 to obtain statistically valid samples of rats from federally funded projects of the Urban Rat Control Program. A summary is given of the basic sampling, testing, and analysis components of this study. Problems encountered in all aspects of the first three years of the program are discussed along with results from the 40 completed samples. The 16 cities with significant Anticoagulant Resistance …

Opening Comments — Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference, Jerry P. Clark

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Welcoming Statment

Conference Participants

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

A total of 347 people registered at the Conference. The participants came from 33 states, the District of Columbia, and 20 other countries: Australia, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, England, Ethiopia, Fed. Rep. Germany, India, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, and Venezuela. The wide representation from the United States and from countries throughout the world contributes to the success of the Conference by providing a highly diversified exchange of ideas and information.

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 …

Hazards To Small Mammals Associated With Underground Strychnine Baiting For Pocket Gophers, Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Victor G. Barnes Jr., R. Michael Anthony, James Evans

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Damage to conifer seedlings by pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) is a major factor limiting reforestation in the western United States. To control gopher populations and reduce damage, the U.S. Forest Service annually treats thousands of hectares with strychnine alkaloid bait. Because an underground application of strychnine bait could pose a threat to other species, we monitored small mammal populations before and after a baiting operation conducted in 1979 on the Targhee National Forest, Idaho. Although two deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) recovered within baited areas were killed by strychnine, live-trapping revealed no differences in small mammal populations before and after baiting. …

Deer-Proof Fences For Orchards: A New Look At Economic Feasibility, James W. Caslick

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Woven-wire fences, 2.4-m-high, have proven to be deer-proof and economically feasible for some apple orchards planted to semi-dwarf and dwarf trees, under high-density planting systems. The factors included in a benefit-cost analysis are described, and a formula is given to facilitate a decision about the economic feasibility of investing in a fence of this type.

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 …

Use Of Toxicants For Coyote Control By Livestock Producers In Alberta, Michael J. Dorrance

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

This paper examines and evaluates the use of strychnine baits and cyanide guns for coyote (Canis latrans) control by livestock producers in Alberta. Livestock predation occurred almost exclusively during spring, summer, and fall; livestock predation was negligible during winter. In contrast, use of toxicants was negligible in spring, distributed rather evenly through the summer and fall, and most intense in mid-winter. Forty-eight percent of the producers set toxicants in response to predation, and 1/2 of these apparently resolved their predator problems. Fifty-five percent of the producers set toxicants for preventive control, predominantly during October-February when the effectiveness of control was …

Socioeconomic And Ecological Aspects Of Field Rat Control In Tropical And Subtropical Countries, Hans Kurylas

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The vital question, as to the cause of the permanent increase in field rat populations throughout most tropical and subtropical areas, has been the subject of researchers and fieldmen during the past years, in the hope of finding an answer to this problem. Man has made his way through history wherein he was gradually able to renounce nature and establish his own man-made cultural frame. Unlike other mammals, man has no natural instincts to guide him through life. Brain and spirit have to compensate for lack of physical capabilities and instincts. Man was forced to change his natural surroundings in …

Baiting Blackbird And Starling Congregating Areas In Kentucky And Tennessee`, C.E. Knittle, J.L. Guarino, P.C. Nelson, R.W. Dehaven, D.J. Twedt

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Four studies were conducted in January 1977-79 in Kentucky and Tennessee. Two of these studies were to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of selectively reducing starlings from mixed blackbird/starling winter roosts by baiting their congregating areas with Starlicide Complete pellets. The two remaining studies dealt with determining bait preference of starlings and nontarget birds for two formulations of pelleted baits (Layena and corn). Starlicide baitings were fairly selective for starlings, but nontarget hazards were encountered. Starlings showed no significant preference for either type of pelleted bait, but nontargets preferred corn over Layena pellets. Methods are suggested to minimize nontarget hazards …

Mammals And Birds Affecting Food Production And Storage In Nigeria, Oluwadare Funmilayo

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

The systematic study of the roles of vertebrate pests in agriculture in Nigeria is relatively very young, having spanned only two decades. During this period the species composition of vertebrate pests has been determined in some important crop plants like cocoa (Taylor 1961, Everard 1968), oil palm (Greaves 1964), maize (Everard 1966; Funmilayo 1976) and rice (Funmilayo and Akande 1977). The ecology of a few important pest species has been studied. Because of its devastating destruction of many graminaceous crops in Nigeria and over most parts of Africa, the red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea) has been studied more intensively than other …

Proceedings: Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 9th (1980)

Proceedings: Ninth Vertebrate Pest Conference

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.

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 …