Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Round-tailed Ground Squirrels

Round-tailed ground squirrels are common residents of natural areas throughout most of the desert southwest region of North America. They live in colonies of several adults, subadults, and young, and are diurnal during the active season that ranges from March to September. They are well adapted to desert life and live in burrows they excavate in the ground, but will also modify and occupy burrows created by other animals. Round-tailed ground squirrels are frequently seen in many human community environments. Their burrowing is usually not a significant cause of concern, nor do they cause severe damage to humans or their property. However, they very often cause concerns due to human-wildlife interactions that may include the squirrels themselves, but also their predators such as rattlesnakes, coyote, feral dogs, and other large mammals. Another cause for concern is that round-tailed ground squirrels can be hosts for fleas and other parasites and could vector plague or other diseases during human interactions. An integrated pest management strategy was successfully used at an archaeological site in Arizona to manage activity of these rodents, using a combination of monitoring, trapping, and repellents

Bats

11 pp.This document provides a general overview of bat biology and behavior with emphasis on urban environments, use of integrated pest management (IPM) techniques that are in keeping with bat conservation guidelines, and disease awareness and prevention efforts

Clear Up the Confusion: Know How to Select the Appropriate Herbicide to Control Weeds

Selecting an appropriate herbicide for a weed problem can be a confusing task. Hoeing weeds would have been a simpler task than a baffling experience trying to select an herbicide off the shelf loaded with pesticides. This University of Arizona Cooperative Extension bulletin will provide information describing how to determine which herbicide to use against weeds in different landscapes

Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Round-tailed Ground Squirrels

Round-tailed ground squirrels are common residents of natural areas throughout most of the desert southwest region of North America. They live in colonies of several adults, subadults, and young, and are diurnal during the active season that ranges from March to September. They are well adapted to desert life and live in burrows they excavate in the ground, but will also modify and occupy burrows created by other animals. Round-tailed ground squirrels are frequently seen in many human community environments. Their burrowing is usually not a significant cause of concern, nor do they cause severe damage to humans or their property. However, they very often cause concerns due to human-wildlife interactions that may include the squirrels themselves, but also their predators such as rattlesnakes, coyote, feral dogs, and other large mammals. Another cause for concern is that round-tailed ground squirrels can be hosts for fleas and other parasites and could vector plague or other diseases during human interactions. An integrated pest management strategy was successfully used at an archaeological site in Arizona to manage activity of these rodents, using a combination of monitoring, trapping, and repellents

Backyard Chickens and Ectoparasites: Introduction and Management

Keeping backyard chickens is an important socio-cultural activity for many households, especially in rural and fringe communities. There has been an increasing interest in this activity in urban areas in recent times (Fig. 1), resulting in a rise in sales of fertilized hatching eggs, young birds and backyard coops from local and online sellers. While keeping chickens may sound easy, it has also led to a surge in reports of ectoparasite and other pest issues related to keeping chickens that novice backyard chicken keepers have not anticipated

Pest-proofing Your Home

31 pp.Many pests encountered in homes and structures can be prevented by using simple techniques collectively known as “pest-proofing”. If done correctly, pest-proofing your home saves you money by reducing pest management costs, and more importantly, reduces potential pesticide exposure. This publication describes general indoor and outdoor pest-proofing measures and some of the major pests encountered in and around homes and structures

Scorpions of the Desert Southwest United States

Originally published: 2011.Scorpions are predatory arachnids related to spiders, mites, and ticks. They are some of the oldest known terrestrial arthropods (animals with an external skeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed limbs). Scorpions have an elongated body and a segmented tail that ends in a stinger that can deliver a venomous sting. They have four pairs of legs and pedipalps with plier-like pincers on the end, used for grasping. There are close to 2,000 described species of scorpions worldwide, at least 100 in the U.S., and more than 50 species in the desert southwestern states. Scorpions have long been of concern and interest to humans primarily due to their ability to give painful, and sometimes life threatening stings, but also because they are important and beneficial components of many ecosystems

Practical Methods Of Controlling Bed Bugs At Home

Frequently asked questions & how to reduce the number of bites. For residents battling bed bug infestations at home