August 2018 Applicator Alerts

Ruthann Anderson, Editor CAPCA has enjoyed a long history of positive relationships with the Ag Commissioners working together to address issues in the field and identify unique local solutions like the Spray Safe program that started in Kern County and has extended to seven other county events each spring. This past year, CAPCA worked closely with Ag Commissioners on AB 2468 and the Bee Where project – working on a solution for pollinator protection by utilizing technology to re-engage stakeholders in existing regulations around registration and communication during bloom.

Although Ag Commissioners are local regulators, the culture of their mandate leans towards education and assisting stakeholders to come into compliance rather than setting “gotcha” traps. As license and certificate holders with the last name A-L renew this fall and register with the local Ag Commissioner department, I would encourage you to take a few extra minutes to meet with your local Ag Commissioner – shake their hand and share a local issue that might be popping up for your growers or business.

Who knows, maybe there is already something in the works to help address your concerns in 2019!

IN THIS ISSUE: 01 Editorial 03 Wild Pig Management 04 Nutria Update 06 Boots on the Ground Q&A 08 Rodenticide Pathways 09 Falconry for Bird Abatement 10 2018 Events Calendar

APPLICATOR ALERTS

When was the last time you visited with your local Ag Commissioner?

AUGUST 2018 VOL. III, NO. 3

CAPCA EDITORIAL STAFF Ruthann Anderson - Editor Joyce Basan - Deputy Editor Dee Strowbridge - Membership/Conference Sylvia Stark - Advertising Sales Manager Ariana McCray - So. CA Representative Rachel Taft - Executive Assistant Adam Barsanti - Outreach Relations Manager Ixchel Flannery - Office Administrator

Sustainable Crop Protection

Graphic Design - Rosemary N. Southward southwardr@comcast.net

FIND US ON LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/californiaassociation-of-pest-control-advisers-capca-

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CAPCA has endeavored to include appropriate and accurate statements, but disclaims any and all warranties and/or responsibility for the statements or articles submitted to Applicator Alerts that may have additionally been edited for style, content and space prior to publication.

Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CAPCA policies, or positions or endorsements. Editorial content of this publication is educational and informational in nature.

No part of this publication, including images, may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. Contact CAPCA at (916) 928‑1625 for reprint authorization.

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PUBLISHING INFORMATION Applicator Alerts is published by the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), 2300 River Plaza Dr., Suite 120, Sacramento, California 95833. Web: www. capca.com, (916) 928‑1625. POSTMASTER: send address change to CAPCA.

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PURPOSE California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) is a non-profit voluntary mutual benefit association. CAPCA’s purpose is to serve as the leader in the evolution of the pest management industry through the communication of reliable information. CAPCA is dedicated to the professional development and enhancement of our members’ education and stewardship which includes legislative, regulatory, continuing education and public outreach activities.

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See page 9

Sonia Rios, Subtropical Horticulture Farm Advisor, UCCE Riverside/San Diego County, and Niamh Quinn, Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, UCCE Orange, Los Angeles, and San Diego California’s wild pigs are descendants of the Eurasian wild boar, introduced to Monterey County, California in the 1920s, and domestic swine imported by European settlers in the 1700s. Domestic swine foraged freely, eventually becoming semi-wild, or “feral” (CDFW 2017). The physical characteristics of California’s wild pigs vary significantly throughout the state. Some exhibit the long hair and snouts, small erect ears and angular shaped bodies of their wild boar ancestors, while others have short hair, long floppy ears, and a barrel-shaped body. Colors range from solid black to red, striped, grizzled or spotted (CDFW 2017). Domestic pigs that are unmarked and roam freely are also considered to be wild pigs.

Wild pigs currently exist in 56 of the state’s 58 counties and can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from woodland, chaparral, meadow, grasslands and in agriculture cropping systems. Wild pigs are commonly found in the foothill areas, and they prefer areas of dense brush, however the drought has led them to encroach in orchards.

Cultivation operation disruption Even if you don’t see wild pigs, evidence of their presence is obvious. Wild pigs use their snouts to root up the ground in search of food, including roots, fungus, and other items. Wild pigs are omnivorous, consuming both plant and animal matter.

In general, wild pigs feed on: grasses and forbs in the spring; mast and fruits in the summer and fall; and roots, tubers and invertebrates throughout the year. Wild pigs will feed on insects and underground vegetation. Pigs will contribute to erosion

which can affect water quality and also create large uneven basins, or wallows in moist soil during hot weather. Both rooting and wallows can disrupt the application of irrigation water by ruining or displacing irrigation equipment and resulting pools can become breeding habitat for mosquitoes.

MANAGEMENT Classified as a game mammal in California, wild pigs provide year-round hunting opportunity and fall under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). A hunting license and a tag is required to hunt wild pigs. If wild pigs are causing damage to property, pigs can be trapped or shot, but this requires a depredation permit.

Monitoring and Management Strategies Fencing Fencing can be extremely effective but because of costs it can be extremely prohibitive. However, on smaller scales, exclusionary fencing can be an effective option. One of the most effective designs seems to be the installation of sturdy wire mesh fencing. The bottom wire should be either tightly stretched on the ground surface or buried. The addition of an electrified wire about 6 to 8 inches off the ground is also recommended. The fence should be at least 36 inches high.

Electric fencing alone has also been shown to restrict the movement of wild pigs also. Poorly designed and constructed fences will significantly increase repair and maintenance time. It is important to carefully consider the costs and benefits of fencing for pig exclusion before embarking on such a venture.

Trapping Trapping can be an effective method of removing wild pigs from orchard. The most commonly used traps are box traps and corral traps. Corral traps are much larger than box traps and are designed to capture multiple pigs. When approaching captured pigs, it is important to consider that all wild animals can be unpredictable.

In some counties, the agricultural commissioner has trappers who can assist; other counties have contracts with USDAWildlife Services to assist with problematic pigs.

Toxicants and Repellents Currently there is one toxicant registered for use on wild pigs in the United States (EPA Reg. No. 72500). This product is not currently registered for use in California. This product may only be used to control wild pigs on pastures, rangeland, forests, non-crop areas, and crop lands.

This bait may only be applied in hog feeders equipped with heavy lids (8 to 10 lbs. of total weight) on bait compartments so as to limit direct access to bait by nontarget animals. This product may be toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife.

Dogs and other predatory and scavenging mammals and birds might be poisoned if they feed upon animals that have eaten the bait. Wild pigs must be conditioned to accept feed from the bait dispensers and to open the weighted lids to bait compartments.

Repellents are not generally considered effective against many mammalian pests and this is also true for the management of wild pigs.

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VERTEBRATE PESTS

Wild Pig Management

Photo by Tsaag Valren, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61267778

VERTEBRATE PESTS

Be on the Lookout for:

Invasive Nutria

Peter Tira, Public Information Officer, CDFW

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is asking for help from members of the pest control profession to keep an eye open for invasive nutria and to report any sightings or animals. The semi-aquatic, South American rodent has been confirmed in six counties – Fresno, Merced, Tuolumne, Stanislaus, Mariposa and San Joaquin – and CDFW has launched an eradication effort to remove nutria from the landscape, where their destructive feeding and burrowing destroy critical wetlands needed by native wildlife and threaten the integrity of the state’s water control and conveyance systems.

Nutria pose a substantial threat to California’s $50 billion agricultural economy and are listed as an A-rated 4

agricultural pest by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Not only do nutria destroy crops they consume directly, but their burrowing into levees, canals and ditches jeopardizes the irrigation and water infrastructure on California’s farms and ranches. Detecting nutria damage is often difficult before it’s too late as the animals burrow into earthen structures from underwater.

Nutria reproduce at exponential rates.

Nutria reach sexual maturity as early as four to six months of age. They breed year-round, producing up to three litters per year with two to 13 young per litter.

A female nutria is able to breed again 48 hours after giving birth to a litter. CDFW has caught more than 200 nutria since

beginning eradication efforts in earnest this past spring and almost every female nutria captured in California has been pregnant.

Nutria, which reach up to 2.5 feet in body length and have 12- to 18-inch tails, can exceed 20 pounds. Nutria strongly resemble native beaver and muskrat but are distinguished by their round, sparselyhaired tails, white whiskers, dark ears, and light, golden coloring below the ears. If a nutria is captured, please do not release it. Immediately contact CDFW at (866) 440-9530 or by e-mail at invasives@ wildlife.ca.gov. Visit wildlife.ca.gov/nutria for more information.

Identifying Nutria (Myocastor coypus) Nutria

Muskrat

Beaver

Invasive

Native

Native

Whiskers/ head

Photos courtesy of Tony Northrup and Joyce Gross

Photos courtesy of N. Carolina State Parks and Merle Ann Loman

Photos courtesy of Alaska DFG and Cheryl Reynolds

• Black whiskers

• Conspicuous white whiskers • Muzzle often white

• Fine, black whiskers • Muzzle may be white

Tail • Tail rounded, rat-like, and sparsely covered in coarse hair • Tail still while swimming; body propelled by feet

• Tail broad and flat.

• Tail flattened top-to-bottom • Slap water with tail when disturbed

Drawings courtesy of Danielle M. Crosier

• Tail flattened side-to-side • Tail used for swimming with rapid side-to-side serpentine motion Silhouettes courtesy of USFWS

Body • Adult size: 10-20 pounds; body length to 2 feet, with 1 foot tail • Juveniles similar in size to muskrats • Hunched appearance on land

• Adult size averages 40 pounds • Length to over 3 feet, including tail

• Adult size: 2-5 pounds; body length up to 1 foot

Hind feet

Photo courtesy of Anh Vinh Nguyen

Photo courtesy of M. Enos

• Partially webbed; one free toe

Photo courtesy of USFWS

• No webbing

• Fully webbed

Tail drag

Tracks

Photo courtesy of Peggy A. Duhon

• 5 front toes; 4 visible in tracks • Rear track to 6 inches in length • Narrow tail drag may accompany tracks

Photo courtesy of Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife

• 5 visible toes on front track • Rear track to 6 inches in length • Tracks may be accompanied by a broad tail drag

Photo courtesy of WDFW

• Rear track is 2-3 inches in length

If nutria are found in CA, immediately contact the CDFW Invasive Species Program to report your sighting at Invasives@wildlife.ca.gov or by calling (866) 440-9530

VERTEBRATE PESTS

Boots on the Ground: Q & A with Steve Hebert Swat Pest Control, Owner/Operator

APPLICATOR ALERTS (AA): Vertebrate pests present problems for agriculture production, urban green space management and homeowners alike. What is the main challenge you see all applicators having to address today?

Steve Hebert (SH): All too often people get into routines. Each problem should be fit with the right solution.

AA: Are there any Best Management Practices (BMPs) for application that you would rate the most important when dealing with vertebrate pest control?

SH: Inspect the damage first, then look at the environment, look at the species, then choose the right device to control them.

AA: What are some of the key factors for applicators to remember when dealing with unique application settings and situations in urban/home or other sensitive areas for vertebrate pest management?

SH: Ensure “Non-Targets” do not get caught in the solution.

AA: What kinds of basic precautions do you recommend that applicators always take in problematic situations?

SH: Always look at the evidence. Do not assume.

AA: What importance do you place on the communication role between the applicator and the client?

SH: It is important to find out what the client is seeing. Then look at the evidence and then make the program fit the problem.

STUDENT NETWORK EVENT Facilitating Conversation, Investing in the Future

SUNDAY, OCT. 14, 2018 | DISNEYLAND HOTEL | ANAHEIM, CA For more information about the Student Network Event, visit capca.com/pca/events/ 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. | 10:00 a.m. Educators’ Workshop Registration Available through CAPCA Conference: capca.com/conference/ STUDENTS:

EDUCATORS:

• 1-Day Student Network Event (Sunday Only) $50

• 1-Day Student Network Event & Educators' Workshop (Sunday Only) $50

• Full Conference (incl. Student Network Event) $150

• Full Conference (incl. Student Network & Educators' Workshop) $225

PATHWAY TO PCA

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SAVE THE DATE!

Mark Your Calendar

CAPCA’s 44 Annual Conference & Agri-Expo th

AT THE CENTER OF PLANT HEALTH

October 14-16, 2018 Disneyland Resort - Anaheim, California REGISTRATION OPEN Conference Registration and Hotel Accommodations can be made at

CAPCA.COM/CONFERENCE Registration Rates:

Accommodations:

Member/Exhibitor - $325 Non Member - $405 Educator - $225 Student - $150 Spouse - $175 Children - $100

The Disneyland Resort group rate has sold out.

You are welcome to still book rooms through your registration link at the Disneyland Resort.

CAPCA has arranged for another Group Block at the Hilton Anaheim - 777 W Convention Way.

Questions - Contact Dee Strowbridge 916-928-1625 x 3 or dee@capca.com

Hotel is across the street from the Disneyland hotel, but still within Walking distance (1 mile).

Rate is $229 / night.

Visit CAPCA.com/conference to see reservation instructions Please always remember to book accommodations through CAPCA’s website or directly with the hotel. Most 3rd party companies offering lower rates are a scam.

VERTEBRATE PESTS

Researching Rodenticide Pathways and Impacts in California Niamh Quinn, Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, UC ANR Rodenticides are considered to be important tools in the IPM toolbox to help manage many vertebrate pest species.

Pocket gophers and ground squirrels are some of the most damaging vertebrate pests in the state and rodenticides are commonly used as part of integrated management programs to control damage to crops, ornamental plants, high-value turf and irrigation lines and structures.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to manage rodent species in non-production agricultural sites, particularly in urban areas.

Rodenticides, predominantly anticoagulant rodenticides, continue to come under scrutiny. While California has some of the most stringent rodenticide laws and regulations in the county, there is increasing demand to ban rodenticide applications in California. Several Assembly Bills (AB 2596, AB 1687 and AB 2422) have been introduced proposing either bans or major restriction on the applications of rodenticide in the past three years.

Anticoagulant rodenticides have been detected in many species of wildlife worldwide, yet the origins, exposure pathways and effects of this exposure are not well understood. The origins of these rodenticides from point of application to

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point of acquisition are being studied by a collaborative group involving UC ANR and California State University, Fullerton.

First and second generation anticoagulant rodenticides are important tools used for rodent management in both urban and agricultural areas. Both of these types of rodenticide are regularly detected in many species of wildlife as they target rodents, and then top-level carnivores and birds of prey are thought to prey on these exposed rodents. Urban carnivores, like the coyote, frequently occupy nonproduction agriculture sites in urban areas. They are known to use parks, cemeteries, flood control channels and a whole range of other sites to traverse the urban landscape. However, while urban carnivores like the coyote are often found to be exposed to both first generation anticoagulant rodenticides and second generation anticoagulants, they are not known to consume rats and mice in large quantities. To determine what coyotes eat and where their exposure might be coming from, the research group is investigating the stomach contents of urban coyotes in Southern California. While the group is only about 2/3 the way through the study, the contents reveal that coyotes consume more cats than rats, and their preferred mammalian food source is, in fact, rabbits. While it is legal to apply

certain anticoagulants for rabbits in some non-production sites, it is not a common management strategy and it is an unlikely pathway of rodenticide exposure. Coyotes will eat anything though and throughout the study, the group has found bits of shoes, cookie wrappers and bits of baseballs. The study will continue until the stomach contents of 300 urban coyotes have been examined. The research group will also determine what mammalian species are in the stomach by doing molecular analyses. The research team hopes that once they have a clear and accurate picture of the diet of this urban carnivore, they will have a better idea of what the potential sources of rodenticide exposure are. Once there is a clearer picture, mitigation to reduce exposure can be based on scientific fact.

Rodenticides are important tools that are required to protect public health and safety. However, it is important that we determine the routes of exposure to other wildlife so that public health and safety can be protected and exposure to wildlife is limited. It is extremely important to follow the label while applying any pesticide.

Rodenticides should be used as part of an integrated pest management program. It is essential to consider potential nontarget exposure when applying rodenticide anywhere.

VERTEBRATE PESTS

Falconry as a Natural Alternative to Deter Nuisance Birds Paula Rivadeneira, PhD, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yuma Agricultural Center, Yuma, Arizona Agriculture is no stranger to vertebrate pests: rodents, deer, coyote, javelina, and even feral cats. But ask any fresh produce grower which animal is the most challenging to keep out of their fields, and they will not hesitate to tell you it’s birds. Farmers have tried all kinds of techniques to deter nuisance birds, including visual, auditory, tactile, reproductive, and even lethal methods. However, whether using one technique alone, or when using them together, none provide 100% efficacy. As a wildlife biologist, I always tell people that the best way to get an animal to stay out of your field is to make the animal decide that they don’t want to be there. So how do you get a bird to make that decision? Make them fear for their life, of course! And there’s no better way to do that than to introduce a genuine predator, something that unmistakably will not let them survive if they approach.

Falconry is an age-old hobby that in the last decades has become a highly skilled profession used in bird abatement. Trained falcons and hawks are released in agricultural areas with the specific task of scaring nuisance birds away. They are not predating them, just scaring them into believing that they will be predated! Orchards and vineyards have used falconry extensively with much success, but few leafy green growers have made the jump into using it to protect fresh produce.

Their concern is not so much that it won’t work, but that it will cost a small fortune to implement, making it economically unfeasible, unless we all want to start paying $5 for a head of lettuce.

In January 2018, I started a research study at the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension that was funded by the Center for Produce Safety to determine if falconry could be used successfully as a bird deterrent in leafy green fields, and if there is a way to implement it on a large scale in an economically feasible way. Falconers are deployed into specific fields for 2-weeks post-sprouting and 2-weeks pre-harvest, the peak times of nuisance bird activity as reported by growers. Falconers are in the field from dawn until dusk, flying their hawks and falcons in response to the presence of nuisance birds. Meanwhile, in control fields a few miles away, growers are using their traditional bird deterrents. Our hypothesis is that the fields protected by falconry will experience less bird damage, less contamination from bird feces (which equates to lower food safety risks), and ultimately a higher yield at harvest than those protected by traditional bird deterrents. So far, after one season (spring 2018), we have demonstrated a 97% success rate in falcons and hawks deterring nuisance birds from fresh produce fields.

However, the second part of the study is critical. If falconry proves to be successful in leafy green fields, but only a handful of farmers use it, the birds they deter will be pushed into the fields of the farmers who aren’t using falconry, and they could lose their crops. So at least in the desert growing region where the landscape is vast and flat, it is critical that all farmers buy in to using falconry, so the nuisance birds can be directed back to wild habitat, and not onto neighboring farms.

We envision the best way to accomplish that would be to establish an industry-funded Agricultural Falconry Center in Yuma, Arizona where falconers and birds can be on call to address the ongoing bird deterrent needs of all farmers in the Yuma growing region, which includes the Imperial Valley in California. Ultimately, we hope falconry will become part of a fully developed Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program that finally gives leafy green growers some relief from nuisance birds.

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VERTEBRATE PESTS

2018 CAPCA ED & CHAPTER EVENTS DATE

LOCATION

EVENT TITLE

SPONSOR

9/20/18 10/13/18 10/14-16/18 11/8/18 11/13/18 11/14/18 11/15/18 12/5/18

Modesto Anaheim Anaheim Imperial Stockton Arcadia Fresno Escondido

CE Seminar Nitrogen Mgmt Update CAPCA Annual Conference & Agri-Expo CE Seminar Label Update CE Seminar Label Update Laws & Regulations Seminar

WR CCA CDFA & WR CCA CAPCA Desert Valleys CAPCA Central Valley CAPCA CAPCA Ed & UC ANR Fresno-Madera CAPCA San Diego CAPCA

CCA Accreditation: 1.5 Soil & Water 2.5 Nitrogen Mgmt

Meeting will only be accredited with ICCA - Soil/ Water & Nutrient Management categories

Nitrogen Management Update

$100 registration fee - meeting only $75 registration fee - combined with CAPCA Conference Registration

Open to All Agricultural Professionals   Topics Include:  

Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizers Optimizing Irrigation and Nitrogen Fertilization in Coast Berrys and Vegetables Fertilization Practices & Nutrient Management Plans in Nursery Production Nitrogen Fertilization for Desert Vegetables

October 13, 2018 1:00-5:00 pm Disneyland Resort

REGISTER AT CAPCA.COM/CONFERENCE Additional Sponsors

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APPLICATOR ALERTS

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CAPCA 2300 River Plaza Dr., Ste 120 Sacramento, CA 95833

VERTEBRATE PESTS ISSUE AUGUST 2018 / VOL . III , NO. 3

APPLICATOR ALERTS