The rain and mud might be a deterrent but farmers should be getting into fields now to remove gopher bait stations.“There is no definitive date to remove them, but all bait stations should be removed by the end of June,” said Sean Miller, an integrated pest management agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture.Richardson’s ground squirrels will find new green growth more attractive food now, he said, and the effectiveness of the rodenticides wears off.Baits are considered effective if they are controlling at least 70 percent of the gopher population. As plants grow, that effectiveness can drop below 30 percent.Miller said gophers are also less active above ground after June as they prepare for hibernation.Leaving the bait stations can present risks to other animals. Deer, antelope, birds, livestock and pets can be accidentally poisoned.Miller noted that the above ground bait stations do not contain the two percent liquid strychnine that was approved for emergency use in designated rural municipalities until July 31.Last year, 203 municipalities were registered to use liquid strychnine.The agriculture ministry also offers a control rebate program. Producers can apply to get back half of the money they spent on eligible control products bought and used between Oct. 1, 2009 and Oct. 1, 2010.More details and a list of eligible products are available on the ministry’s website at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca.
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