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Natural predators work best to control field rodents
Farmers observe a field with cover crops in northwest Ohio
A soil health specialist says farmers should consider protecting fields with cover crops from mice, moles, and voles. James Hoorman, with USDA-NRCS in Ohio says certain cover crops can be breeding grounds for field rodents.
“If we’re in a small grain situation like wheat or cereal rye there’s a lot of food there. Then if we go into another cover crop and that cover crop gets really tall they just proliferate.” says Hoorman.
Hoorman tells Brownfield in addition to mowing the cover crops, it’s best to work with natural predators to control the rodent populations.
“An owl will eat 60 voles or moles a day. Also coyotes and fox eat voles. The major diet of coyotes, if they have plenty of food, they will eat the moles, the voles and the mice. That’s really they’re major diet so if we keep them well fed, they should leave the other things alone.” says Hoorman.
Hoorman says setting up posts for owls to perch on and not killing coyotes and foxes in fields with cover crops helps prevent damage to crops in the long run.
Audio: James Hoorman, soil health specialist, USDA-NRCS, Michigan & Ohio
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