PINE MICE 



Pine Mice are the underground species found in many New Eng- 

 land orchards. Damage caused by these animals is primarily the 

 girdling of root systems of apple trees. This form of injury is 

 not readily apparent until the tree loses its vigor, the leaves 

 take on a yellowish cast, or suckers sprout from the damaged roots. 



Control of pine mice is more difficult and seldom as effect- 

 eve as for meadow mice. The broadcast method of poisoned baits 

 recommended for mouse control may get a few pine mice but usually 

 not enough for adequate protection. Also, it si'ould be noted that 

 control of vegetation may not have any effect on pine mouse num- 

 bers because of their living habits. 



To obtain good control, it means that Zinc Phosphi de- treated 

 baits must be placed where the animal spends most of its time--in 

 underground trails. If the infested area is small, hand baiting 

 of the pine mouse natural runways using treated oats or apple cubes 

 is effective. The larger the number of runs per tree that are 

 treated, the better the control will be. 



For larger areas, the use of the Trail Builder machine in 

 proper adjustment, is an advantage. By making artificial trails 

 on 2 or 4 sides of each tree, a great number of the pine mouse 

 natural runs are intersected. Most of the commercially-available 

 Trail Builder machines have automatic dispensers which will put 

 out 35-45 bait placements, when all 4 sides of a tree are treated. 



Whether an orchard ist hand baits for pine mice or uses a 

 machine, there is one absolute necessity: the artificial trail 

 and the natural runs must be kept as clean as possible" ! Pine mi ce 

 maintain clean, well-packed trails. ATI foreign matter and debris, 

 especially soil, are removed by the mice. In doing this, the mice 

 quite often will cover or carry out the treated bait with the other 

 materials. This can reduce considerably the amount of control to 

 be attained. 



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RABBIT CONTROL IN CULTIVATED BLUEBERRIES 



Edward R. Ladd, Wildlife Biologist 



U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 



Univ. of Mass., Old Conservation Bldg. 



Amherst, Massachusetts 01003 



With the large numbers of rabbits that have been seen during 

 the summer months, it is logical to expect more than the average 

 amount of rabbit damage to cultivated blueberries during the winter 



