Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 18, No. 3 September 1986

The Prairie Naturalist

Paul B. Kannowski, Editor

Nikki R. Seabloom, Assistant Editor

Douglas H. Johnson, Book Review Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HABITAT SELECTION AND MOVEMENT PATTERNS IN SANDHILLS RODENTS ▪ C. A. Lemen and P. W. Freeman

THE HERPETOFAUNA OF THE WEAVER DUNES, WABASHA COUNTY, MINNESOTA ▪ P. A. Cochran

MULTIPLE EGG CLUTCH PRODUCTION IN THE GREAT PLAINS TOAD ▪ J. J. Krupa

MAMMALS OF THE KONZA PRAIRIE RESEARCH NATURAL AREA, KANSAS ▪ E. J. Finck, D. W. Kaufman, G. A. Kaufman, S. K. Gurtz, B. K. Clark, L. J. McLellan, and B. S. Clark

AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES IN LEVEL DITCHES AND ADJACENT EMERGENT …

Field Evaluation Of Single And Multiple Dose Anticoagulant Rodenticides In Reducing Rodent Populations And Damages In Coconut Plantations, Ranjan Advani

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Comparative efficacy of brodifacoum, bromadialone (second-generation single-dose anticoagulant) was evaluated in a coconut crop on Minicoy Island. Pre- and postrodent control relative levels of rodent populations and damages were recorded as indices for assessing effectiveness of different concentrations and different bait formulations of three rodenticides. The black rat, Rattus rattus (Linnaeus), constituting a new record for Minicoy Island, was the predominant rodent species infesting the coconut crop.

On an average, application of brodifacoum (.005% and .002%), bromadialone (.005% and .002%) and warfarin (0.025%) reduced rodent populations by 74.5, 73.58, 79.1, 69.16 and 68.44% respectively, resulting in reduction of rodent damages …

Opening Remarks—Twelfth Vertebrate Pest Conference, Terrell P. Salmon

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

On behalf of the Vertebrate Pest Council, welcome to the 12th Vertebrate Pest Conference. Every other year since 1962, the Vertebrate Pest Council has sponsored the conference with the primary objective of bringing individuals interested in vertebrate pest control together to discuss problems and solutions of mutual concern. The main objectives of the conference are:
1. To exchange information on vertebrate pest management and related matters.
2. To advance environmentally safe vertebrate pest management methodologies.
3. To build cooperation with public and private agencies in solving vertebrate pest problems.
4. To consider and promote discussion and interaction among agencies and …

The Economic Importance And Control Of Vertebrate Pests Of Graminaceous Crops With Particular Reference To Rice (Oryza Sativa) In Nigeria—A Review, Modupe Akande

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Graminaceous crops, especially rice (Oryza sativa), have within the last years in Nigeria, surged to be of utmost economic importance, not in improving the economy but in depleting the country of fast foreign exchange. Attempts at improving and massively increasing the production and cultivation of rice (and other graminaceous crops) to meet the enormous demand have proved abortive. This is mainly a result of the ineffective control measures applied against destructive avian pests that sometimes reduce rice plantations to nothing. Much research is still needed to enhance better and effective control strategies.

Strychine-Salt Blocks For Controlling Porcupines In Pine Forests: Efficacy And Hazards, R. Michael Anthony, James Evans, Gerald D. Lindsey

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Strychnine-salt blocks were evaluated for effectiveness in killing porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) in pine forests in Oregon and California. Radio-collared porcupines were exposed to strychnine-salt bait located on trees and on the ground in covered bait stations called "cubbies." Bait blocks placed in trees and in cubbies were poorly accepted by porcupines. Only 4 of 32 marked porcupines exposed to bait were poisoned. Two died at cubbies and two died at trees. Other wildlife found poisoned at cubbies were seven unmarked porcupines, seven yellow-pine chipmunks (Tamias amoenus), five Nuttall's cottontails (Sylvilagus nuttallii), four deer mice …

Pest Bird Control With The Avicide Bcf 7000-Sun Oil Refinery Project, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Charles W. Areson

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The Sun Refinery at Tulsa presented a new and special type of problem that I had never faced before. The refinery is just across the Arkansas River from downtown Tulsa. Many species of protected birds roost and nest within the confines of the refinery proper and in the surrounding river bank areas to the north, urban and manufacturing area to the east and southeast, rail yards to the south, and hills to the south and southwest. According to Sidney Cabbiness, Environmental Egineer for Sun, the following birds and other animals are known to make this area their home or feeding …

Anticoagulant Translocation And Plant Residue Studies In Crops, Leonard R. Askham

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Three types of assessment techniques explore the possible environmental hazards of two anticoagulant compounds currently used for rodent control. In the first, rheological methodologies were used to assess the ability of pelletized baits to withstand precipitation. From these data, objective information was developed to assist agricultural producers to select a proper bait for a specific climatic period. Bioanalytical evaluations of chlorophacinone indicated that the compound decomposes when exposed to ultraviolet light into four nontoxic elements. Hence, if translocation were to occur, the elements—-not the parent compound—-would be the likely candidates. Finally, radioactive (14C) braomdiolone was tested for translocatability. From the …

Results Of Eight Years' Examination Of The Habitats Of Residual Urban Norway Rat Populations After Eradication, Daniel Bajomi, Katalin Sasvari

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

In Budapest (population 2 million) 33 out of 100 buildings were rat-infested in the early seventies. Thus general deratization was decreed to cover the whole of the city in 1971 to 1972. As a result of the global eradication method applied, the rate of rat-infested premises could be reduced below 0.5% annually. After control the sparsely occurring rats could freely choose any of the habitats released for settling. The habitats of Budapest most preferred by Norway rats are presented after a wide-ranging investigation carried out over 8 years. Our examination data support and in some cases reveal the requirements of …

Eradication And Control Of Feral And Free-Ranging Dogs In The Galapagos Islands, Bruce D. Barnett

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Islands are notorious for the ease with which the balance of their natural communities can be upset by the introduction of organisms from other areas. Introduced species can establish themselves quickly and successfully at the expense of native flora and fauna because the usual checks to their increase found in their home environments are often absent on islands. Many island organisms are ill-fitted to withstand predation by or competition with introduced organisms. A characteristic of some island species that increases their vulnerability to introduced predators is their relative "fearlessness". As Darwin (1845) prophetically wrote when describing the extraordinary tameness of …

Advances In The Integrated Control Of The European Rabbit In South Australia, John R. W. Burley

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

In South Australia, success in control of the European rabbit has been based on an understanding of rabbit biology and behavior.

Drastic population reduction is obtained by use of Compound 1080. This method is much more effective when carried out during midsummer to late autumn. At this time, territorial boundaries are relaxed and the young have been weaned and are feeding aboveground. To ensure that the greatest number of rabbits can receive a lethal dose, it is necessary to pre-feed the population with un-poisoned bait over a period of 8 to 10 days. Oat grain has been chosen as the …

Secondary Toxicity Of Coyotes Killed By 1080 Single-Dose Baits, Richard J. Burns, Guy E. Connolly, Iwao Okuno

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Carcasses and viscera of coyotes poisoned by Compound 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) in single-dose tallow baits (SDBs) were fed to 3 coyotes, 3 domestic dogs, 4 striped skunks, and 15 black-billed magpies to determine if these species would be poisoned secondarily. Test subjects received no food other than tissues from poisoned coyotes for periods of 14 to 35 days. Total amounts of contaminated coyote tissues consumed by dogs, coyotes, skunks, and magpies, respectively, averaged 67, 152, 117, and 371% of body weight. Except for one skunk that refused to eat, no mortalities occurred and no evidence of poisoning was seen.

The …

An Urban Roof Rat Control Program In Orange County, California, Gilbert L. Challet

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

A program to control roof rats (Rattus rattus) has been conducted by the Orange County Vector Control District since 1975. Orange County is located in southern California just south of Los Angeles and is composed of 782 square miles of coastal foothills and alluvial plain with a population of 2 million. Urbanization takes up about one-half the total area and it is mainly a semi-desert situation with usually less than 15 inches of rain a year. However, because of the balmy temperature and imported water, vegetation grows rampant. Vegetation is used by the rats as harborage (Algerian ivy, …

An Integrated Pest Management Approach To Roof Rat Control In Oceanfront Riprap, Ventura County, California, Daniel P. Claffey, Minoo B. Madon, Randall T. Smith

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

During the summer months of 1979, public agencies in Ventura County received complaints which pointed to a rodent infestation of campground areas along the north coastal strip. Investigations revealed a widespread infestation of oceanfront riprap by roof rats (Rattus rattus). Visual surveillance, trapping, baiting and population-estimating techniques and results are described and discussed. Implementation of integrated pest management practices resulted in the reduction of rat populations to a no-complaint level and provided a framework for a long-term maintenance program.

Conference Participants

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The Conference totalled 372 registered attendees. The participants came from 31 states, the District of Columbia, and 13 other countries: Australia, Canada, China, Ethiopia, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Trinidad, United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe. Students from Sudan and Taiwan were also in attendance. The wide representation from the United States and from countries throughout the world contributed to the success of the Conference by providing a highly diversified group for the exchange of ideas and information.

Alternate Toxicants For The M-44 Sodium Cyanide Ejector, Guy Connolly, Richard J. Burns, Gary D. Simmons

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The M-44 sodium cyanide (NaCN) ejector is an important tool for coyote damage control. For greatest effectiveness, the ejected NaCN mixture must be a dry powder. NaCN readily absorbs and reacts with moisture to cause solidification or "caking" in M-44 capsules. Because it is difficult to seal the capsules water tight, caking has been a chronic problem ever since NaCN ejectors were introduced over 40 years ago. The toxicity and caking properties of three alternate compounds are reported in this paper.

Comparative toxicity tests were made with M-44 ejectors containing NaCN, potassium cyanide (KCN), calcium cyanide (CaCN), and methomyl. Five …

The House Mouse In Poultry Operations: Pest Significance And A Novel Baiting Strategy For Its Control, Robert M. Corrigan, Ralph E. Williams

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Enclosed and insulated commercial poultry buildings provide ideal habitat for supporting unusually large populations of the house mouse (Mus musculus L.). Mice cause damage to various structural and operational components of poultry facilities; thus, they are of economic significance as well as general nuisances. Effective mouse control programs in poultry operations are often difficult, complicated, time consuming and inefficient due to various environmental and operational factors intrinsic to commercial poultry facilities. The significance of the house mouse as an economic pest in poultry operations is discussed via the results of a rodent control survey of 161 commercial poultry operations …

Bird Problems In California Pistachio Production, A. Charles Crabb, Terrell P. Salmon, Rex E. Marsh

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

In 1984 studies were initiated to identify the bird species causing damage to pistachio nuts, quantify the losses, and explore possible methods for alleviating bird losses. The first year's field observations were made to identify and determine the level of activity of the various depredating bird species in the orchard. Field samples of nuts were collected to assess the levels of damage occurring in representative orchards. A mail survey of all commercial pistachio growers in California was conducted to determine which bird species growers believed were the cause of nut losses, the extent of damage they have experienced and what, …

Closing Remarks For The 12th Vertebrate Pest Conference, A. Charles Crabb

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

This concludes the 12th Vertebrate Pest Conference. Before going on with my closing remarks, I think we should acknowledge the excellent job done by all of our session chairpersons and speakers. On behalf of the Vertebrate Pest Council I want to thank you for your participation in the conference.

Population Dynamics And Expansion Rates Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Lyle A. Crosby, Randy Graham

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

The purpose of this review is to describe population dynamics and annual rates of increase of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) and to determine annual expansion rates of uncontrolled populations. Their reproductive characteristics, including social behavior are examined as they relate to these factors.

In this analysis, the first step is to determine the average number of male and female prairie dogs of breeding age that are present at each burrow system before and after the reproductive cycle. From this determination the total number of prairie dogs is determined, based on the average density of active burrows for …

Pocket Gopher Damage To Conifers In Western Forests: A Historical And Current Perspective On The Problem And Its Control, Glenn A. Crouch

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Pocket gophers (Thomomys spp.) damage or destroy regeneration on hundreds of thousands of acres of forestland in the western United States each year. Despite years of research, poisoning the offending animals—a technique developed around the turn of the century on agricultural land--is still the most prevalent practice for controlling damage on western forests.

Evaluating A Pop-Up Scarecrow Coupled With A Propane Exploder For Reducing Blackbird Damage To Ripening Sunflower, John L. Cummings, C. Edward Knittle, Joseph L. Guarino

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

A combination Purivox® Double-John carousel propane exploder and CO2 pop-up scarecrow operated in synchrony was evaluated in five ripening sunflower fields in 1981 and 1982, respectively, near Devils Lake and Westhope, North Dakota. In each field, this treatment was evaluated in an alternating off-on sequence of 5-day intervals for a period of 20 days. In 1981, devices were deployed at one unit per 8 to 10 acres and in 1982 at one unit per 4 to 6 acres. The degree of effectiveness for reducing bird damage in three of five fields that met selection criteria ranged from 71 to 87% …

Enterprise Budgets: A Tool For Vertebrate Pest Control Decision Making In Developing Countries, Daniel C. Evans

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Semi-subsistence farms that predominate in developing countries have more complex goals than the strict profit motives of corporate farms. Small farm management decisions are commonly based on a desire to increase production while avoiding risks and reducing labor demands and operating costs. Enterprise budgets are a valuable tool for understanding diverse farming systems and farmers' decision-making processes. The preparation of enterprise budgets documents production expenses, labor requirements, and specific activities related to pest control, as well as sources of supplies and technical information. By identifying what resources are commonly used and the relative importance of farm labor, the preparation of …

Potential Of Vegetation Management For Ground Squirrel Control, Wendy S. Fitzgerald, Rex E. Marsh

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Manipulation or alteration of habitat vegetation is used frequently with integrated pest management of certain vertebrate pest species. However, it has been less than satisfactory with ground squirrel species in many situations. Special plantings of tall grasses and broadleaf species were experimentally explored in an effort to make levee habitat less suitable for the California ground squirrel in the Sacramento Valley. The experimental plantings failed to achieve that objective for a variety of apparent or suspected reasons and, in fact, in some grass plots the number of ground squirrels increased over what was present prior to planting. Other problems associated …

Biological Status Of Mountain Lions In California, E. Lee Fitzhugh, W. Paul Gorenzel

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Mountain lions (Felis concolor) symbolize wilderness. The "wild west," a supreme predator, supreme quarry, destroyer of wildlife (game and nongame), livestock, and "trophy" hunting. They are the epitomy of controversy in California. In this paper we will review the history of management and present legal status of mountain lions in California, the political situation leading to the present status, and some of the biological factors that have been controversial, particularly relating to population status and trends.

Batproofing Structures With Birdnetting Checkvalves, Stephen C. Frantz

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Denial of re-entry (batproofing) through structural modification is widely accepted as the most effective and ecologically sound method for eliminating commensal bats from structures. Such methods are clearly superior to lethal measures which have only questionable efficacy and may exacerbate bat/human interactions. However, since bats are able to enter small and obscure openings, conventional batproofing of all such openings is often not practical or economical. Further since this work must usually be done after bats have already begun roosting in a structure, the difficulty of high ladder work at night to seal exit holes can be discouraging to homeowners as …

Twelfth Vertebrate Pest Conference Frontmatter And Table Of Contents

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Table of Contents

Recent Research On Red Squill As A Rodenticide, Anthony J. Verbiscar, Thomas F. Banagan, Howard Scott Gentry

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Red squill has been used in rodent control for several hundred years but in the United States its use has decreased since the 1950s. However, there is now a recognized need for rodenticides with different kinds of toxic activity. Red squill is being investigated as an acute rodenticide and an economic crop for the southwestern states. Clones from a prior USDA collection have been assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography and selections are being propagated in California and Arizona. The major toxicant, scilliroside, is relatively fast acting, causing convulsions and death to rats and mice. This glycoside is also strongly emetic …

An Evaluation Of The Acute Oral Toxicity Of Brodifacoum To Birds, Michael E. R. Godfrey

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Single acute doses of the rodenticide brodifacoum were administered orally to 13 species of birds which are at risk from accidental poisoning during rabbit or possum control operations. Median lethal dose values from less than 1 to more than 20 mg/kg were obtained for some species. Gulls and Canada geese appear to be particularly susceptible. Several species, particularly the gulls, waxeyes, sparrows, mallard ducks and harrier hawks, seem to be vulnerable to lead poisoning.

Application Of A Benefit:Cost Model To Blackbird Damage Control In Wild Rice, W. Paul Gorenzel, Daniel B. Marcum, Terrell P. Salmon

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

From commercial fields near McArthur, California, we collected data on methods for controlling blackbird (Icteridae) damage to wild rice (Zizania aquatica). Using and expanding upon an economic model proposed by Dolbeer (1981), we derived economic comparisons of three control programs employing: 1. methiocarb, 2. shooting and propane exploders, and 3. all methods combined. Shooting and propane exploders used together were the most cost effective with a benefit:cost ratio of 2.16:1. Under the assumptions used in the model, methiocarb was least effective with a benefit:cost ratio of only 0.62:1. We discuss assumptions of the model and using basic initial …

Salmon Poisoning Disease: Research On A Potential Method Of Lethal Control For Coyotes, Jeffrey S. Green, Brad R. Leamaster, William J. Foreyt, Roger A. Woodruff

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 12th (1986)

Salmon poisoning disease (SPD) was tested as a potential method of lethal control for coyotes (Canis latrans). Fresh fish containing the agents for SPD was fed to 72 captive adult coyotes. Coho (Oncorhunchus kisutch) and steel head salmon (Salmo gairdneri) from Oregon hatcheries were the principal species of fish used. Coyotes that ate the fish developed observable signs of SPD in a mean of 8 days. The overall rate of mortality was 50%, and death occurred in a mean of 20 days from consuming fish. Coyotes that died from SPD lost a mean of …