If prairie dogs are invading your yard, damaging your property or holding up your plans for progress, we can help. Critter Control specialists operate under the laws and regulations regarding prairie dog removal. Kill traps are a mixed bag. There is no poison left behind, no blasting, digging or trapping. Mating season starts in March, and up to eight pups will be born around late April or May. This can be especially true with prairie dogs, as it can take days of baiting before you can lay out poison. Has anyone tried using exhaust gas (carbon monoxide) to get rid of a small prairie dog colony? Keep the shed locked so family members won’t accidentally let the critters out and check periodically for successful captures. Propane is heavier than air, so the mix sinks into the tunnels and dens. This in it self is a huge time saver so thank you for that. If you have a Prairie Dog control or removal need, call us at 970-431-8404. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. You are also much more likely to see a prairie dog eating in the yard, since gophers pull their food underground to eat in the safety of their burrow. Consist of a licensed pest control professional applying a restricted use poison in the prairie dog burrows, when the prairie dog eats the treatment , it works quickly and humanely. As with most rodents, they’re quite intelligent but inadvertently destructive, making it necessary to get rid of prairie dogs which find their way onto your property. Baiting treatment. Prairie Dog Habitat. Thankfully, there are ways to reduce the population and, ultimately, get them to leave your property. You can uproot any plants that may provide root food and keep the grasses short in combination with traps and repellent, but this can be a slow and frustrating process. 2. The most humane way to get rid of prairie dogs is usually the use of traps, but they are not as effective. The removal of prairie dogs "causes undesirable spread of brush", the costs of which to livestock range may outweigh the benefits of removal. If you have prairie dogs try these methods to get rid of them. Instead, you’ll have to learn their weaknesses and exploit them to ensure these critters leave your property and stay away. It is imperative to wear long sleeves and pants tucked into shoes when traveling areas of land infested by prairie dogs to avoid flea contact. © 2021 Rid My Critters. I used to like them, now my backyard is under attack and I can’t seem to get rid of them. Prairie dogs are smart rodents. Sometimes I let my cat go out and scare them. Prairie dogs can damage rangeland and occasionally harbor plague. Tall grass and obstacles prevent sentries from spotting an approaching sentry. We had quite a number in a grassy area and now we have none, so I’ll always think the disgusting litter chased them away! They have a black tail tip which covers nearly half the tail, unlike the black-tipped species. This makes them an absolute terror when loose in your garden or front lawn. Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents that live in large, communal colonies in the plains of western and central North America. The marking somewhat makes them look as though they dipped their tails in ink. The existence of prairie dogs is instrumental in the survival of other prairie animals, like snakes, and owls, who also utilize prairie dog burrows for shelter. In a worst case scenario, you may be facing a full colony (several wards). Do not attempt to remove prairie dogs without professional help. As mentioned, there are five different species of prairie dog, and knowing which one you’re dealing with can greatly affect the methods for getting rid of them. I will be trying a number if your suggestions and will share what was successful also what wasn’t. Included in the same family as squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots, prairie dogs stick to the ground and prefer to live in open grasslands in order to keep track of potential predators. Once being in the entire midwest, prairie dogs have been in a state of decline, leaving them in about 11 states and one province in Canada. How to Get Rid of Christmas Tree Bugs and Spiders, How to Get Rid of Relatives (and Unwanted House Guests). They live primarily underground where they dig their tunnels and dens and can often be seen with their heads poking up from mounds to scout an area for danger or predators. Prairie dogs live mostly on grasses and roots, but will also eat fruits, seeds, grains, and even insects when they’re available. Once you know how to trap a prairie dog in an enclosed space, they can become desperate enough to enter baited traps for food. These environments not only provide plenty of food, but the short grass makes it easier to detect predators. In the U.S., prairie dogs mainly occupy lands west of the Mississippi River stretching across the Great Plains from northern Mexico up to southern Canada. When I clean the cat litter box and put the poo in plastic bags I started dropping one at a time in each prairie dog hole and then covering it with rocks. Due to their highly social nature, spotting one prairie dog means you’re likely dealing with a whole colony. While prairie dogs live in many regions of the U.S., plains and other open areas are their favorite spaces.. As social animals, prairie dogs congregate in large groups totaling hundreds or even thousands of individuals. The species composition of pastures occupied by prairie dogs may change dramatically. I'm so happy to have this problem resolved. I always thought noises would chase prairie dogs off, but that is not the case. In the event you already have prairie dogs in your garden, you may need to leave a small temporary opening and flood the burrow to evict those trapped within the garden enclosure. Our technicians can safely navigate terrain and remove prairie dog pests humanely and effectively. Thanks Chris! 1. Our Colorado prairie dog pest control and prairie dog eradication company was founded in 2006. With reddish-brown fur and a lighter underbelly, Mexican prairie dogs can be easier to identify than other species. They can be a nightmare to get rid of, as they multiple quickly and older prairie dogs will actively avoid traps. Thus, this is an alternative best avoided. All rights reserved. This species is currently on the endangered list and should be treated with care. Prairie Dog Removal Prairie dogs are a species of rodent that are native to the grasslands of North America. 5. Attempting to keep the rodent off of ranging land altogether is difficult, though a few options exist. If you would like to provide comment on the method of removal for prairie dogs observed at the City of Longmont’s closed landfill, please click here. Larger burrows can stretch on for a few miles. It is very rare to see prairie dogs within manmade structures. Most of the prairie dogs will escape, but a few will likely drown. We always recommend non-lethal options first, such as active or passive […] It is heavily traveled by gravel trucks, cement trucks and semis … they don’t seem to mind. Prairie dogs, meanwhile, will almost always have a sentry posted outside of the burrow. Prairie dogs, meanwhile, will almost always have a sentry posted outside of the burrow. However live trapping is timely and difficult. They also live in much smaller groups, with burrows shared by only three or four individuals that use it primarily for hibernation and avoiding predators. As with all critters, the more you know about prairie dogs, the easier it is to deal with them.