ORCHARD MOUSE CONTROL: POINTS TO PONDER AND ITEMS TO CONSIDER 



Edward R. Ladd, Fish and Wildlife Service 

 U.S. Department of the Interior, Hadley, Massachusetts 



With the advent of fall and apple harvest, it also is necessary for 

 orchard managers to consider how they will conduct their orchard mouse 

 program. 



As an aid to planning orchard mouse control you as a manager might 

 consider the following points: 



- Has a check of the orchard been conducted this year to gain some idea of 

 mouse activity? This information added to the orchard history of known 

 problem areas may well indicate the need for additional or special treat- 

 ment. This is particularly true of those blocks or isolated trees that 

 have a pine mouse infestation. 



Is a sufficient amount of good quality mouse bait on hand to give ade- 

 quate treatment of the entire orchard and to cover the special needs of 

 problem areas? 



Is the bait application equipment in good working order and calibrated to 

 provide proper coverage? 



- Will the manpower needed to apply bait be available and properly trained 

 when needed? 



There are several other items that should be considered to help insure 

 an effective mouse orchard program. 



- Timing is perhaps one of the most important parts of mouse control. Bait 

 application should be after harvest toward the end of October. This is 

 when mouse populations will be highest. 



After a block has been picked give the vegetation under the trees a chance 

 to recover and the mice time to reestablish their runs and burrows. This 

 is particularly true for pine mice if hand baiting is the planned control 

 method. 



- Check the mouse guards on the smaller trees to insure they are properly 

 instal led. 



If vegetation in the block is heavy, consider delaying the last mowing 

 until after bait application. A layer of mowed vegetation can prevent 

 broadcast baits from getting down to ground level where it is most effec- 

 tive. 



- Select 3 or more days of good weather for bait application. 



- Consider the treatment and mowing of buffer area for those blocks of 

 trees adjacent to fields or other areas having meadow mice. This treat- 

 ment can reduce mouse migration into the treated orchard and lower the 

 chance of winter tree damage. 



- One to 2 weeks after the bait has been applied, recheck the orchard, par- 

 ticularly the known trouble spots, for mouse activity. If excess, 

 retreat as necessary. 



