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Marne TitchenellWildlife Program Specialist
School of Environment and Natural Resources
Managing Wildlife
Damage in the Landscape
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
Options for Managing Wildlife Damage
Trapping Short-term
Hunting Short-term
Exclusion Long-term
Repellents Short-term
Scare Tactics Short-term
Habitat Modification Long-term
Deer Damage
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
Management Options for Deer Damage
• Repellents
• Habitat modification Deer resistant plants
• Scare Tactics
• Exclusion Fencing Individual plant protection
• Lethal Control Hunting
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
Odor Repellents Taste 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
• 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
Types/Brands of Repellents
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)
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
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
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, 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)
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
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
When Should a Landowner Consider a Fence?
• Deer numbers are high
• 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 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
www.electrobraid.com
• Maintenance always higher for electric fences
Two Dimensional Design Fences
• Single wire 4 ft off ground around entire garden/landscape area
• 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
Deer are less confident jumping over 3 ft depths than 8 ft heights
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
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
Rabbit Damage
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…
Rabbit Damage
Rabbit Ecology
• Habitat Concentrate in favorable habitats Summer growth provides all the
shelter needed
• Reproduction (Feb. – Sept.) Potential for 30-36 young/year 80% of population 1st years
• Feeding Habits Year-round = protection needed
year round
Management Options for Rabbit Damage
• Habitat Modification• Repellents
• Rabbit Resistant Plants
• Exclusion
• Hunting/Trapping
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 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 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
• 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
Management Options for Rabbit Damage
• Habitat Modification
• Repellents
• Rabbit Resistant Plants
• Exclusion Individual Plant Protection Fencing
• Hunting/Trapping
Resistant Publications
Deer Resistant Plants
North CarolinaCooperative Ext.
Rabbit-Resistant Garden and Landscape Plants
Penn State Extension
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?
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
Trapping R&R’s
FOR MORE INFOContact Ohio Division of Wildlife
Trapping Regulationshttp://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/trapping.aspx
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.
While on the Subject of Trapping…
Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
www.icwdm.orgFact Sheets on Raccoons, Woodchucks, and Skunks- Info on baits, traps to use, and where to place traps
WHO IS THE CULPRIT?
Moles Voles
Management Options for Mole Damage
• Trapping 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
Ohio Moles
Management Options forMole Damage
• Repellents 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!
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
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
Squirrel Damage
Squirrel Damage
• Stripping bark from trees
• Entering homes and nesting in attics
• Chewing
• Digging and searching in yard and flower beds
Management Options for Squirrel Damage
• Exclusion 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
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
Groundhog Den System
Groundhog Trapping Info
• March 1st – Sept. 30th
• 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 1503-31-15-09 for additional rules and restrictions
Web Resources
• Wildlife Damages Manual www.icwdm.org/handbook/index.asp
• Wildlife management info www.wildlifemanagement.info/
• OSU Extension Publications www.woodlandstewards.com
• Extension Wildlife Damages Website www.extension.org/wildlife+damage+management
Thanks and Question Time!
