Cypress County Agricultural Services

Strychnine for Gopher Control in 2008

For the up-coming spring 2% Liquid Strychnine has been approved for use to control Richardson’s Ground Squirrels, better known as Gophers. Under the Emergency Registration agricultural producers who have a severe infestation are eligible to purchase the poison.  A severe infestation, under the registration, is defined as “4 holes per square meter over a hectare or if a producer sees a 30% loss in crop in a 25 foot strip adjacent to a pasture or road allowance”. Ready-to-Use-Wet (RTUW) strychnine bait is also available this year. The RTUW bait has the same concentration of strychnine (0.4%) as a pail of bait mixed on site using the 2% liquid concentrate.      

Strychnine for Gopher Control in 2006

A fresh, Ready-To-Use-Wet (RTUW) strychnine oat bait produced in Coaldale, Alberta was  sold by the County this spring.  Because it was a fresh, moist product, once it arrived at the County shop in Dunmore, it needed to be used within a couple of days to ensure optimum effectiveness.  By making a wet bait, this product should be more effective than the dry RTU formulations.  The County took orders from farmers wishing to purchase one or more 8 kg (13.5 Litre) pails or 12 kg (22 Litre) pails of bait.  Each pail cost $80.25 including gst (8 kg) or $107.00 including gst (12 kg).  Orders were generally accepted up to every second Friday, for delivery the following Tuesday.  47 different farmers bought 98 pails of bait this spring.  This bait was exactly the same strength (0.4% strychnine) that would have been mixed on site in 2001, 2002 and 2003 using the liquid strychnine concentrate. A Factsheet from Alberta Environment is available to supplement or clarify label directions.

Strychnine Sales in 2005

A Ready-To-Use-Wet bait manufactured by Maxim Chemical International was sold in 2005.  This product was produced in Coaldale, Alberta.  Shipments were generally received every two weeks. 68 different farmers bought 137 pails of bait.  Control was good, except where there was too much lush, green vegetation nearby.  Seedling canola seemed to be the crop damaged the most by feeding gophers.

Strychnine Sales in 2004

A Ready-To-Use-Wet bait manufactured by Nu-Gro was sold in 2004.  This product was produced in Ontario and shipped to Alberta in refrigerated trucks.  Shipments were generally received every two weeks. 78 different farmers bought 192 pails of bait.  Control seemed somewhat variable as the new product did not seem to perform as well as the product mixed locally in the previous three  years.

Strychnine Sales in 2001, 2002 and 2003

2% Liquid Strychnine Concentrate was sold to bonafide farmers these past summers for control of gophers (Richardson's Ground Squirrel).  It received Emergency Registration by the federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) under a Restricted label.  Cypress County ASB held sale days once a week beginning at 1:00 pm at the County Shop in Dunmore.  Producers who purchased the strychnine brought in their pail of oats or wheat, with a tight fitting lid.  The grain was weighed, then the Strychnine sold at the rate of one 250 mL bottle per 1 kg of grain.  It was mixed on site.  Cost was $10-12 gst included, C.O.D.

The Emergency Registrations ended June 30, 2003.  In 2001, a total of 3228 bottles were sold to 185 different farmers in Cypress County.  In 2002, 1714 bottles were sold to 114 farmers on 44 sale days.  In 2003, 1562 bottles were sold to 110 farmers on 17 sale days.  

Comments from the evaluations returned by the farmers were used in reports to Alberta Agriculture.  Most evaluations indicated that this strychnine worked better than any other product currently available.  Freshness of the bait was the main reason.  Main points from the 2001 and 2002 provincial summary of all evaluations were that farmers wanted direct access to the strychnine instead of having to mix it at county shops, the cost was too high, the mixing rate was too high, it should be available in February, and there needed to be more types of grain that it could be mixed with.  A limited supply of raw strychnine from overseas restricted the amount that could be sold during the prime control seasons early each spring.