| type="text/javascript"> | | | | or corn crops. Flock Buster however, a 100% |
| Blackbirds, a migratory nuisance to farmers and an | | | | ecologically friendly bird repellent, has proven effective |
| environmentally friendly approach to manage | | | | at managing blackbirds in sunflowers and corn. Over |
| them.Some 70 million blackbirds come through the | | | | the years, many chemical bird repellents have come |
| Northern Plains each year, including about 6 million that | | | | and gone, partly due to lack of effectiveness, but also |
| stop in North Dakota, biologists say. Each blackbird | | | | because of adverse health side-effects. At present, |
| protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act can feed | | | | there are no effective, food grade chemical bird |
| on about an ounce of sunflower seeds daily. The | | | | repellents. The use of avicides, a chemical used to kill |
| USDA estimates blackbirds feed on more than $10 | | | | birds will continue to be controversial and lack general |
| million worth of sunflowers each year in North Dakota, | | | | public acceptance. A major constraint to the |
| which accounts for about half the nation's sunflower | | | | development of chemical repellents is the lack of profit |
| production.What appeals to them? Water, cattails and | | | | incentives for private companies that see limited |
| sunflowers, the perfect combination.Now that we | | | | markets for new bird control products. Every new |
| know what appeals to them, how can we best | | | | wildlife damage management method will undergo |
| manage them? What has been tried, what has been | | | | public scrutiny through the National Environmental Policy |
| ineffective and is there anything that works or has | | | | Act.Currently a product which is totally chemical free |
| promise of working and is safe to the environment? | | | | and environmentally friendly, named "Flock Buster", is |
| Flock Buster, a 100% ecologically friendly bird repellent | | | | being marketed and distributed out of West Fargo, |
| effective in managing blackbirds and Canadian Geese | | | | North Dakota and has proven to be quite successful |
| in a variety of crops and in various stages of growth. | | | | at keeping blackbirds out of sunflowers. It is also |
| To learn more, visit of the methods used in trying to | | | | showing some very positive characteristics at |
| manage blackbirds include Federal wildlife officials | | | | deterring Canadian Geese and sea-gulls. For deterring |
| targeting entire parcels of cattail-choked wetlands in | | | | blackbirds however where wetlands or water are |
| North Dakota to kill the favorite habitat of | | | | nearby, a blackbird control program needs to be |
| sunflower-scarfing blackbirds. To date, some 60,000 | | | | implemented using a variety of repellent methods with |
| acres of cattail marshes in North Dakota have been | | | | the cooperation of the grower, EPA, Wildlife Services |
| destroyed since 1991 in an attempt keep blackbirds at | | | | agency and the USDA. A several step approach |
| bay. In 2008, about 4,500 acres of wetlands in 16 | | | | without the use of chemicals to destroy wetlands, the |
| counties were treated in North Dakota and 8,000 | | | | use of chemicals as a desiccant on sunflower fields, or |
| acres are planned for 2009. The favorite chemical for | | | | poisons to kill birds needs to be implemented. This |
| this is a herbicide that at best is only effective for 5 | | | | would include an educational program and funding by |
| years. WildEarth Guardians, based in Santa Fe., N.M. | | | | the Federal Government since the birds and wetlands |
| alleges the Federal Agricultural Department's Wildlife | | | | are governed by them. The program's primary goal |
| Services agency is violating the Federal Clean Water | | | | needs to be to improve profitability to agricultural |
| Act by applying herbicides on wetlands in North and | | | | producers, enhance the health and safety of urban |
| South Dakota to kill cattails. In April 2009, it notified the | | | | dwellers, protect the environment through development |
| USDA that they were filing a lawsuit in Federal Court. | | | | of newly improved management strategies and |
| A spokesman of the group says it's ironic that some | | | | implementing new wildlife management strategies. We |
| of the cattails sprayed with herbicide are on | | | | can accomplish this by:1. The use of only non-chemical |
| government-established wetlands created using | | | | environmentally friendly products like Flock Buster |
| federal funds. A spokesman from the same group | | | | applied to crops as a deterrent method.2. The use of |
| claims "A special interest group is benefiting at the | | | | small "decoy" plots of sunflowers adjacent to |
| expense of taxpayers, at the expense of our clean | | | | commercial plots of sunflowers near wetland areas |
| water and our wildlife". I would have to argue that the | | | | that would not be treated with any type of blackbird |
| North Dakota Farmer is not a special interest group. | | | | repellents.3. Manually harvesting cattail wetlands and |
| The North Dakota farmer is an important part of | | | | restricting or totally eliminating the use of herbicides to |
| "American" agriculture. In 2008, the cost of killing cattails | | | | manage them.4. The use of acoustical and visual |
| was $166,000.00 to spray 3,700 acres of wetlands in | | | | repellents for heavy infestations in conjunction with the |
| North Dakota and 99 acres in South Dakota. Scott | | | | non-chemical products.5. Public education programs |
| McLeod, a biologist for the conservation group Ducks | | | | about the bird problem for farmers and the economic |
| Unlimited based in Bismarck, North Dakota said, "Killing | | | | costs to the state in which these pests migrate to and |
| cattails has minimal impact to waterfowl, good or bad." | | | | why Federal dollars need to be used to assist the |
| He called the federally funded cattail-removal program | | | | producer maintain an adequate profit margin as they |
| a "Band-Aid approach" to an impossible | | | | are such a vital link to the production of this |
| problem.Sunflower growers have tried a variety of | | | | product.The five items listed above are only a few of |
| other control methods over the years, including | | | | the many possible tools that would augment and |
| propane cannons, electronic noise devises, | | | | enhance the effectiveness of a environmentally |
| radio-controlled airplanes and shotguns to scare birds | | | | friendly pest management program; but whatever |
| out of fields. The Wildlife Services also funded a | | | | program is adopted and integrated, it must focus and |
| program that involved seeding small "decoy plots of | | | | rely more heavily or exclusively on environmentally |
| sunflowers near wetlands where the blackbirds roost, | | | | friendly products and concepts. Coordinated efforts |
| hoping that it would keep them from feasting on | | | | need to start early in the off season with the producer |
| farmers' larger commercial fields. The trouble with | | | | and the Wildlife Services agency to identify the |
| these type of repellent methods are acoustical, visual | | | | production areas, the wetland areas that would cause |
| and physical exclusion do not work well or long since | | | | a problem for the grower and the strategies of an |
| birds get accustomed to these types of methods, and | | | | environmentally-friendly wildlife management program |
| they become ineffective.To date, no bird repellents are | | | | that will be implemented to assist the grower. |
| currently registered for maturing grain, sunflower, bean | | | | |