How To Get Rid Of Prairie Dogs
Characteristics
- Prairie dogs are stocky burrowing rodents that live in colonies
- Make a barking noise
- Their legs are short and muscular, adapted for digging
- The tail and other extremities are short
- Hair is rather coarse with little underfur
- Sandy brown to cinnamon in color with grizzled black and buff-colored tips
- The belly is light cream to white
- Five species of prairie dogs are found in North America:
- the black-tailed
- Mexican
- white-tailed
- Gunnison’s
- Utah prairie dog
Identifying Prairie Dog Mounds
Black-tailed prairie dog towns typically have 30 to 50 burrow entrances per acre, while Gunnison’s and white-tailed prairie dog towns contain less than 20 per acre. Most burrow entrances lead to a tunnel that is 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 m) deep and about 15 feet (5 m) long. Prairie dogs construct crater- and dome-shaped mounds up to 2 feet (0.6 m) high and 10 feet (3 m) in diameter. The mounds serve as lookout stations. They also prevent water from entering the tunnels and may enhance ventilation of the tunnels.
Behavior
- Prairie dogs are most active during the day
- In the summer, during the hottest part of the day, they go below ground where it is much cooler
- Black-tailed prairie dogs are active all year, but may stay underground for several days during severe winter weather while the white-tailed, Gunnison’s, and Utah prairie dogs hibernate from October through February
- found in grassland or short shrub-land habitats since they prefer open areas of low vegetation
- Common foods include:
- western wheatgrass
- blue grama
- buffalo grass
- sand dropseed
- sedges
- Forbs such as scarlet globe mallow, prickly pear, kochia, peppergrass, and wooly plantain are common in prairie dog diets and become more important in the fall, as green grass becomes scarce
- Prairie dogs also eat flowers, seeds, shoots, roots, and insects when available
- Black-tailed prairie dogs reach sexual maturity after their second winter and breed only once per year
- They can breed as early as January and as late as March, depending on latitude
- The other four species of prairie dogs reach sexual maturity after their first winter and breed in March
- The gestation period is about 34 days and litter sizes range from 1 to 6 pups
Removal
We carry several products to help you remove prairie dogs from your field, golf course, or anywhere they are pestering you.
Homeowner Prairie Dog Baits
- We currently have no homeowner baits for prairie dogs
Professional Prairie Dog Baits
Prairie Dog Bait Applicators
Additional Info On Prairie Dogs
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