Rodents
An agricultural pest is an animal or insect that negatively affects agricultural production. These pests can have devastating impacts on agriculture as well as native ecosystems. They destroy crops, carry parasites or diseases, disrupt the health of livestock and wildlife, and have the potential to cause public harm.
There are 3 rodents on the state and county designated and declared lists.
-Prairie Dog
-Pocket Gopher
-Ground Squirrel
Sheridan County Weed & Pest District can only provide assistance in reducing populations of listed rodents!
Pesticides & Application
The District cost shares 50% of the pesticide cost for managers who own property in Sheridan County, outside of Sheridan city limits. Generally there are 5 different pesticides available for purchase. The majority of these are restricted use and require and applicators license to purchase.
Restricted
Rozol Gopher Bait (burrow builder)
Rozol Prairie Dog Bait
Zinc Phosphide Oats
General
Rozol Gopher Bait (hand baiting)
Gopher Bait
Each pesticide has specific restrictions limiting how it can be used. For example restricted Rozol Gopher Bait can be used in a Burrow Builder, but the non-restricted can only be used for hand baiting.
For pricing please see our 2024 Chemical Price List.
There are various pieces of application equipment available for rent. Click the button below to view the rental page of our website.
It is illegal to apply Rozol Prairie Dog Bait from March 16th through September 30th of any given year!
The EPA applies varying regional use restrictions each year to prevent any risk of harming endangered species. You can find these restrictions on their website below.
Shown above is the Gopher Getter Junior which is available for rent.
How to use the Gopher Getter Junior
The gopher getter is used to apply pelleted pesticides into pocket gopher burrows.
To use it you fill the white jar with pellets, and do a few practice applications into another container to get acquainted with the small lever and spring mechanism.
Then probe into the dirt from the plug towards the underground lateral tunnel until you feel the ground give way and the applicator goes into the burrow.
Once in the tunnel, lift the probe slightly off the bottom of the burrow so the pellets can be released, and push the application lever pulling upwards releasing the pellets.
Repeat these steps for each pocket gopher mound.
Shown above is a the entrance to a pocket gopher burrow where they dig into the ground then move laterally from the plugged entrance towards the small "u" indent in the dirt pile.
Learn more from the University of Wyoming Extension about the beneficial impacts prairie dogs have on ecosystems!
What rodent do I have?
Pocket Gopher
Identification
-
They have long buck teeth that never stop growing throughout their lifespan.
-
They have long front claws and almost hairless paws.
-
They have a hairless tail.
-
They generally vary from 5-14 inches long.
Damage
-
They create small piles of dirt while digging their burrows.
-
When digging they plug the entrance of their burrows with dirt making it look like it isn't a hole.
Prairie Dog
Identification
-
There are two species of prairie dog that can be a problem in Wyoming, the black-tailed and the white-tailed.
-
The most common is the black-tailed.
-
They can be differentiated by the color on the tip of their tail.
-
They are stocky, usually 14 to 17 inches long, with hair covering their entire body.
Damage
-
Prairie dogs create packed dirt mounds with holes in the middle when digging burrows.
-
They form colonies that can span many acres.
-
They tend to trim down any grass blocking their view of the surrounding area from their mounds.
Ground Squirrel
Identification
-
Ground squirrels have smaller more slender bodies than a prairie dog or pocket gopher, generally up to 12 inches long.
-
They have longer fluffier tails than the other listed rodents.
-
Their coat coloring can vary from grey to tan.
Damage
-
Their burrows look like a random hole in the ground with little to no built up soil above ground.
-
The entrance to their burrows is approximately 6 to 8 inches in diameter.