Those quick-burrowing, pesky nuisances known as gophers were a source of a good amount of lost canola yield in 2024. Some canola fields were devastated, requiring re-seeding, while a cereal field right next to the canola would go untouched, says Dr. James Tansey, provincial insect and vertebrate pest management specialist with the Ministry of Agriculture in Saskatchewan.
What are farmers options when it comes to controlling Richardson ground squirrels (the official term for what we tend to call gophers)? Whether damage is to crops, pasture, or equipment, it is possible to get them under control, Tansey says.
Richardson ground squirrels prefer fields where the plants are low enough to allow the animal to watch for predators from the air. The slow stand establishment of 2024 allowed the squirrels to move further into the fields than normal.
As for this year, Tansey says that the squirrels are already up. A good way to know if you might have a problem is to keep an eye on the skies and watch for migrating bald eagles that are paying attention to a specific field. When it comes to controlling the pest, hitting them early is key.
“What you really need to do is get control down early and. And enthusiastically. So get poison baits down, if you choose to use shooting then that can be an effective strategy as well. We tend to recommend an integrated approach to control, so that is a combination of chemical, biological and cultural control,” Tansey says
Watch the full interview to hear more details on how farmers can manage Richardson ground squirrels this growing season.
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