Page 34 - Grapevine March-April 2020

Around The Vineyard

ELIMINATES Hurlburt of H&M Gopher Control in Tulelake,
California, said that all chemical rodent controls,

Burrowing Rodents such as strychnine baits, aluminum phosphide
(phostoxin), and anti-coagulants, are problematic
because their effects are not limited to the target-
NO Explosions! ed rodent.
NO Poison Bait!
“Phostoxin, especially, is very dangerous for the
operator to handle,” Hurlburt said. “Regulations
vary from state to state, but materials can be dif-
ficult to obtain and usually require permits from
county agricultural departments.”

Natural Ways to Control
Pressurized Exhaust Rodent Controller PERC ® Wildlife in Vineyards

• The most effective & safe way to kill burrowing rodents.
• Saves time, gopher mounds are probed not dug out. Most modern wildlife control revolves around
• Kills ground squirrels-gophers-prairie dogs. natural, organic and non-chemical ways to keep
• Low operating cost & simple to use. animals away from delicate grapevines. Odor repel-
• Preserves turf and landscaping. lants can be sprayed around vines or mounted on
the trellis, sound repellants startle deer, and fences
H&M Phone: 530-667-5181 and barriers keep out larger pests.
Gopher Control Manufacturing & Sales

Toll Free: 855-667-5181 Grow tubes and mesh vinyl screens are common-
www.hmgophercontrol.com ly used in vineyards for wildlife pest control, as
well as bird netting to provide an effective barrier
between avian pests and plants. Some vineyards
changes in any wine made with grapes that have allow hunting to control local deer populations.
been treated with Avian Control,” said Stone. “The Meanwhile, some small vineyards experiment with
active and inert ingredients in Avian Control do not natural remedies and alternatives to chemicals,
penetrate the skin of the fruit. Avian Control will such as egg-based sprays and garlic-based juices.
not translocate into the treated crop. Translocation
is the tendency of a compound to move through Netting and Barriers
the tissues of a plant. This effect is particularly
troubling when repellents translocate from the Gellerstedt of Nixalite of America, Inc. told The
outer skin of the fruit through the skin and into the Grapevine Magazine that his company offers a
fruit body. When this occurs, a distinct change in wide variety of bird and wildlife control products
taste can be noticed. Due to its unique formulation, for vineyards, including bird netting, fencing, repel-
Avian Control remains on the surface… and does lents, traps, sound and visual deterrents. He said
not translocate into the plant or its fruit, preserving that vineyard bird netting is very effective, although
the natural taste of the crop. This is an important it is the most labor-intensive and costly.
difference between Avian Control and other bird
repellent products currently available.” “Our most popular net is constructed out of soft
polyethylene knitted three-quarter-inch mesh,”
Stone said that Avian Control repels only birds and Gellerstedt said. “The netting is simply draped over
has no effect on humans or domestic animals. The the vines to provide protection during the growing
active ingredient, methyl anthranilate, is widely season and then removed just prior to harvest.
used in foods designed for human consumption. With proper care, quality netting can be used for
The FDA has classified all of the ingredients in the many seasons.”
Avian Control formula to be “Generally Regarded as
Safe”. For deer and wildlife fencing, Gellerstedt recom-
mends installing a fence that is eight feet or taller
The same cannot be said for rodent control. Allen to prevent animals from jumping over it.

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