RODENT PESTS OF THE FARM. 



5 



but these few sometimes multiply enormously and inflict heavy dam- 

 age by attacking and girdling fruit trees and by destroying other 

 crops. Their presence is indicated by their many surface trails under 

 dead grass, weeds, or other trash. The animals usually avoid open 

 spaces, where they are exposed to such enemies as hawks and owls, 

 birds which make these mice the chief part of their diet. 



Depredations by meadow mice may be greatly lessened and serious 

 outbreaks prevented by clean cultivation, the elimination of old fence 

 rows, and the prompt burning of dead weeds and other trash. 



Pine mici, like moles, burrow underground, where their tunnels 

 are similar in extent and intricacy to the surface runways of meadow 

 mice ; but as their natural habitat is the woods, they come less fre- 

 quently in contact with farm crops. Their most serious depredations 



Fig. 1.— Pine mouse. 



are in orchards, although they often do great damage in lawns and 

 plantations adjacent to woodlands by eating bulbs and gnawing the 

 roots of shrubbery. In such situations they also frequently destroy 

 potatoes, peanuts, and newly planted seeds of truck crops. Their 

 concealed operations permit them to do much harm before their pres- 

 ence is suspected. For this reason, also, they are less often the victims 

 of birds of prey. 



Ordinary mouse traps of the guillotine t3^pe, baited with rolled 

 oats and set in runways of either meadow^ or pine mice, will free a 

 small area of the animals (fig. 2) ; but for large areas or for opera- 

 tions against considerable numbers of these mice, poisons are more 

 effectiA'e. 



For poisoning meadow mice on large areas the following methods 

 are recommended: 



Dry-grain fonuiihi. — Mix thoroujihly 1 ounce powdered strychnin (alkaloid), 

 1 ounce powdered bicnrbonnte of soda, and ^ ounce (or less) of saccharin. 



