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RODENT PESTS IN MONTANA
THESE ANIMALS CAN DAMAGE YOUR PROPERTY
MSU PHOTO CAROLYN NISTLER
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Rodents are found in every county in Montana. There are basically two classes of rodents in Montana. Rodent that are typically called gophers are actually Richardson Ground Squirrels. They are easily identified by the typical mound they create. They build this mound and consume the forage around their mound to watch for predators. They also stand on top the mound to look for predators. These animals can expand populations quickly and do tremendous damage to the fields, eating forage and leaving hundreds of holes. These holes can damage haying equipment, dull mowers and make the land dangerous for horses.
Pocket Gopher Evidence
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If your property has just small piles of fresh dirt with no apparent hole, your property is probably infested with pocket gophers. These small rodents spend the majority of their live below the soil surface. The fresh mounds are the result of the tunnel building activities of these animal. They clean out their tunnels and push the dirt up at strategic locations along their tunnel system.
Ground squirrels can be a very expensive pest for landowners. They can consume a great deal of forage due their habit of destroying vegetation around their mounds. Perhaps the most damage are the holes that are their homes. Pocket gophers damage is less evident but just as destructible. The animals live off roots, especially alfalfa roots which are big and juicy.
Badger Hole
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Another downside to a rodent population is the badger. This animal loves to eat ground Squirrels all year long. They are extraordinary excavators as they go after their favorite meal. They would not be so bad if they would put the dirt back in the hole or could be trained to dig their holes in a line for a fence. If you have horses keep these animals in check or be prepared to fill in the hole.
To learn more about ground squirrels, visit the links on the right of this page.
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