Anyone who has ever seen a prairie dog knows that they are one of the most adorable rodents on the planet. They can also be devastatingly destructive, with erosion and danger to livestock being two of the most significant threats these harmless-seeming animals perpetrate. When you combine the risks with the fact that Prarie dog colonies can sometimes have millions of individuals, the reality of their nature comes into view. Still, they are living creatures and part of the ecosystem, so the best option is to safely and humanely remove them from areas where they can be a potential harm. So, the question becomes: what are my options?
It is a harsh reality, but for most people who live in areas where prairie dogs affect the landscape, death is a part of life. In other words, it isn't uncommon for your first thought to be to get rid of the rodents as fast as possible by killing them through poison, but someone who isn't adequately trained on its usage can affect the area far beyond where they lay the traps. Prairie dogs are an essential part of the food chain, with many animals, including foxes, eagles, badgers, foxes, and owls, as their natural predators. A poisoned prairie dog could be carried for miles by any of these predators and result in not only the predator and prey but also any scavengers dying far from where the animal initially ingested the poison.
Like any pest infestation, the victim often thinks there is something they did or didn't do to cause the problem. The truth is that there is very little you can do to keep a colony of prairie dogs from moving in. The fact of the matter is humans continue to move into wild animals' habitat, so as they lose more and more ground, they have to adapt. You don't have to live on a ranch or in the middle of nowhere to get prairie dogs under your lawn. These animals prefer flat land with little vegetation so they can see predators coming, and most lawns with short grass and manicured landscaping fit their needs perfectly.
Most people likely want the problem taken care of by any means necessary before it becomes bigger, but that isn't always the best move. Mishandling prairie dog removal could land you some hefty fees. Colorado is home to multiple endangered species, specifically, the endangered black-footed ferret, which is a prairie dog predator, so laying out poisons may harm or kill already struggling species. If you are found liable for the death of any of these animals, you will be ticketed and fined. Unfortunatley, because of Colorado's unique terrain, relocating these animals is also challenging. On top of that, you must acquire a permit before attempting to relocate them, leaving Colorado residents with few options.
It's in our nature to do things as inexpensively and quickly as possible, but it is always best to call a professional in cases like this. There are potential risks to doing it yourself, including accidentally hurting local wildlife and accumulating fines. Then there is the nagging feeling of never knowing if you cleared or just slowed the infestation. Instead, choose a professional like Blue Tick Pest and Wildlife Control. Blue Tick uses the most humane and up-to-date methods to handle prairie dog removal, like carbon monoxide, which clears the colony but has no secondary effects on predators. Professional methods will have a higher likelihood of eliminating the entirety of the problem the first time.
If prairie dogs are burrowing under your land, there is no time to waste. The longer they stay, the more damage they will do, which can lead to all kinds of issues, from animals hurting themselves by stepping in a hole to soil collapse. Your first instinct is probably to handle it yourself, but with a combination of confusing rules and regulations and the potential that you don't clear the colony, you could end up spending way more than if you hire a professional, to begin with. When you hire a pro, you also know that it is getting done right and in the most humane way possible for the animals and other local wildlife. Don't wait until it's too late; call an expert today to get the job done in a safe, humane, and environmentally friendly way.
