|
Nutria | Nutria Overview | Nutria Damage Assessment | Nutria Damage Management | Nutria Resources | Nutria Acknowledgments | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information |
Contents |
Nutria
Nutria are semiaquatic, herbivorous mammals that feed on aquatic plants, roots, seeds, and crops grown close to waterways. The greatest losses from this introduced rodent are to sugar-cane and rice, especially in fields adjacent to Gulf Coast marshes (LeBlanc 1994). Nutria may severely impede cypress regeneration (Conner and Toliver 1987). They also damage wooden structures and floating marinas.
Nutria presence is evidenced by tracks, droppings, and trails to and from the damage area. Nutria also may be observed in the damage area.
Damage Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
Protect small areas with partially buried fences.
Wire tubes can be used to protect baldcypress or other seedlings but are expensive and difficult to use.
Use sheet metal shields to prevent gnawing on wooden and styrofoam structures and trees near aquatic habitat.
Install bulkheads to deter burrowing into banks.
Cultural Methods and Habitat Modification
Improve drainage to destroy travel lanes.
Manage vegetation to eliminate food and cover.
Contour stream banks to control burrowing.
Plant baldcypress seedlings in the fall to minimize losses.
Restrict farming, building construction, and other “high risk” activities to upland sites away from water to prevent damage.
Manipulate water levels to stress nutria populations.
Frightening
Ineffective.
Repellents
None are registered. None are effective.
Toxicants
Zinc phosphide on carrot or sweet potato baits.
Fumigants
None are registered. None are effective.
Trapping
Commercial harvest by trappers.
Double long-spring traps, Nos. 11 and 2, as preferred by trappers and wildlife damage control specialists.
Body-gripping traps, for example, Conibear® Nos. 160-2 and 220-2, and locking snares are most effective when set in trails, den entrances, or culverts.
Live traps should be used when leghold and body-gripping traps cannot be set. Long-handled dip nets can be used to catch unwary nutria.
Shooting
Effective when environmental conditions force nutria into the open. Night hunting is illegal in many states.
Other Methods
Available control techniques may not be applicable to all damage situations. In these cases, safe and effective methods must be tailored to specific problems.
|
Nutria | Nutria Overview | Nutria Damage Assessment | Nutria Damage Management | Nutria Resources | Nutria Acknowledgments | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information |
