Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for
Date of this Version
September 1968
Abstract
A variety of methods is necessary to solve the many bird damage problems that occur in agriculture and other fields of interest. It is apparent that no one method can be used to provide answers for all damage situations; each problem and problem area is unique and requires thorough knowledge and investigation before intelligent measures of bird control can be applied. Thus, basic research in the laboratory and initial field studies are necessary to arrive at the most safe, efficient, and economical method of bird damage control possible for each situa-tion. The use of chemicals for damage control is one of the major approaches in solving bird damage problems, and personnel of the Denver Wildlife Research Center rely heavily on this line of attack. The following is a resume of the various chemical agents that (1) are in the initial phases of investigation and show promise, and (2) are nearing the final stages of research and hopefully will become operational.
I think the pendulum is still swinging and swinging towards conservative view of uses that we may want to make of any pesticide. Some recent rumblings from Washington raising questions about new limitations on products that we've been using for ten years or more seem to support this concern. I think these problems underline the mention that's just been made by Dan about the necessity of having a great deal of data, and data which is much more specific and comprehensive than we have realized in the past. If we're going to have these products, either we're going to have to lean entirely on government agencies to develop these things or else cooperate with private industry. Together we must work out the answers.