COMPARISON OF WHITE MINERAL OIL AND CORN OIL TO REDUCE HATCHABILITY IN RING-BILLED GULL EGGS

Authors

Patrica A. Pochop, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
John L. Cummings, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, ColoradoFollow
Christi A. Yoder, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, Colorado
John E. Steuber, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, Sacramento, California

Date of this Version

January 1998

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Oiling eggs is a potential management method for controlling nuisance or depredating populations of ring-billed gulls, Canada geese, and other bird species. However, no registration for an oiling compound currently exists with the Environmental Protection Agency. Efficacy data were collected for white mineral oil and corn oil to reduce the hatchability of ring-billed gull eggs. Egg failure was 99% in corn oil, 96% in white mineral oil, and 35% in control eggs. Most treated eggs that hatched were treated early in the incubation period, 1 to 8 days after clutch completion. A Wildlife Service Technical Note on the use of corn oil as an oiling agent is now available.