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" Strychnine baits to control Richardson’s ground squirrels: an old story, a new twist "
Bourne, John B.; Roy, Laurence D.; Hiltz, Michelle; Merrill, Phillip N.; Hoffmann, Wolfgang
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AL
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| Record Number
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943334
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LA4tm9f888
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Main Entry
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Bourne, John B.; Roy, Laurence D.; Hiltz, Michelle; Merrill, Phillip N.; Hoffmann, Wolfgang
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| Title & Author
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Strychnine baits to control Richardson’s ground squirrels: an old story, a new twist [Article]\ Bourne, John B.; Roy, Laurence D.; Hiltz, Michelle; Merrill, Phillip N.; Hoffmann, Wolfgang
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| Title of Periodical
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Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference
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20
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| Date
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2002
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| Abstract
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We conducted field trials during 2000 to compare the effectiveness of 0.4% strychnine commercial ready-to-use (RTU) hull-less oat and canary seed (CS) bait to control Richardson’s ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) and during 2001 to compare the effectiveness of RTU and freshly prepared from concentrate (FFC) hull-less oat bait. Each study was conducted at 30 locations in ungrazed pastures and unharvested forage crops in southern and central Alberta from mid-June to mid-August. Effectiveness was measured using pre and post treatment visual, dead and in 2000 active burrow counts. In both trials visual counts increased with daily maximum temperature (P < 0.05), decreased with rainfall intensity (P < 0.001) and were not affected by wind speed or start time (P > 0.05). The 2000 field trials indicated that adjusted visual counts of ground squirrels were significantly lower than controls in CS than RTU baited plots (77.6% and 59.6% reduction, respectively, P = 0.002) and the mean number of dead ground squirrels was higher (6.43 and 2.13, respectively, P < 0.001). Additionally, there were significantly (P < 0.001) fewer re-opened holes by ground squirrels in the RTU (41.6%) and CS (71.7%) treated plots compared to control plots. All 3 measures indicated greater effectiveness using canary seed than hull-less oat bait. The 2001 field trials indicated that adjusted visual counts of ground squirrels were significantly lower than controls in FFC than RTU baited plots (92.7% and 65.6% reductions, respectively, P < 0.0001) and the adjusted mean number of dead ground squirrels was higher (4.28 and 1.21, respectively, P < 0.0001). Both measures indicated greater effectiveness using freshly prepared from concentrate than manufactured ready to use hull-less oat strychnine baits. In conclusion, we advocate further research into freshness as bait freshness may be the single most important factor affecting effectiveness
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