Prairie Dog Control
By Ron Honig
Landowners wishing to reduce prairie dog populations on their property may wish to make plans for a winter control treatment. Research has shown the best prairie dog control results from using a winter baiting program incorporating the use of grain treated with the anticoagulant poisons chlorophacinone or diphacinone sold under the names RoZol Prairie Dog Bait and Kaput-D Prairie Dog Bait, respectively.
Retired K-State Wildlife Control Specialist Charles Lee says the use of RoZol or Kaput-D, when applied correctly and under the right field conditions, is generally the most efficient prairie dog control method, with population reductions of over 90 percent possible from a single treatment. The use of RoZol (or any similar product containing chlorophacinone or diphacinone) requires no pre-baiting.
RoZol and Kaput-D are restricted use chemicals, thus the purchaser must have either a private or commercial pesticide applicator license issued by the state. According to the label, anticoagulants can only be applied between October 1 and March 15.
Lee says treatment during the winter is the most effective since other food sources for the prairie dogs have dried up, thus making the treated grain much more attractive. Baiting will be much less effective on towns that have a readily available supply of alternative food.
The application rate for both products previously mentioned is ¼ cup of treated grain applied to each burrow or about 4.2 pounds of bait per acre. Using a small disposable measuring cup to ensure accurate application is helpful. The use of protective disposable gloves is recommended to limit exposure of bare skin to the toxic treatment on the grain.
The label requires the bait to be dropped down into the burrow, at least 6 inches below the surface. This procedure will limit non-targeted animals (especially birds) from feeding on the poison. Scattering the bait on the soil surface is illegal and exposes the poison to a number of other animals.
When treating large towns, the best method may be to simply walk or drive with a bucket of bait and drop the measured dosage down each active burrow. Pest control professionals may use 4-wheelers and calibrated applicators to deliver the desired bait dosage efficiently on larger tracts of land.
Treat small areas of one-half acre or less completely before moving on to the next area. Applicators may wish to mark the treated burrows with spray paint to indicate where they have been and so thorough treatment is made to all active burrows.
Lee says the final requirement is returning to the site within 4 days of bait application to collect and dispose of any dead or dying prairie dogs that are on the surface so they cannot be consumed by non-targeted animals. Any handling of the dead prairie dogs is recommended to be done indirectly such as with a shovel or pitchfork to limit any possible disease transmission from fleas still present on the carcasses.
Always consult the product label for detailed product use instructions.
Controlling the Spread of Prairie Dog Towns
Some landowners may wish to only treat the border of a prairie dog town to control its spread and movement. Border treatments can be made but Lee explains that one must treat far enough into the town in order for that strategy to be effective. Lee said research in Logan County, Kansas showed that the treatment of 1/8 of a mile on the perimeter of a rapidly growing colony did not slow the prairie dog colonies’ expansion. However, where treatment was done ¼ mile in from the perimeter, some reduction in spread was found to occur.
