27 Mar All About Gophers!
Gophers got you down?
The optimal time to control Richardson’s ground squirrels is PRIOR to May 1st as control strategies should target females, who appear 2 weeks after males, and before their litters emerge mid-may.
For a refresher on gopher control options check out this CARA webinar series AgriWebinars or watch below.
Biological Controls
Have you considered biological control strategies when challenged with Richardson’s ground squirrel populations? No species, even the ones we consider pests, live in solitude. Consider these cool population ecology relationships when looking at gopher control within the entire prairie ecosystem:
- A single badger (a sensitive species in AB) can reduce the local ground squirrel population by 50% in 1-2 days
- Ground squirrels are an important part the diet of coyotes
- Swainson’s Hawks & Prairie Falcons (special concern in AB) feed on gophers in addition to mice and grasshoppers.
- Ferruginous Hawks (endangered species in AB) rely on gophers for 75-90% of their diet.
- Prairie rattlesnakes & bull snakes reduce gopher populations by consuming them before they emerge from their burrows
- Long-tailed weasels can reduce juvenile populations in-burrow by 50%
- Burrowing owls (endangered in Alberta) nest in abandoned gopher holes and use the holes to hide from predators.
For more information rewatch the 2023 Gopher Predator webinar hosted by Special Areas Board, Chinook Applied Research Association and Alberta Conservation Association.