Fox on clocks on bricks and blocks

Have you heard that roughly 60% of the fox population is comprised of
first year animals, with less than 3% of the population older than 5
years? Therefore, the foxes you see are likely to be part of a large
floating population of first year foxes looking for somewhere to live,
establishing or filling a vacant territory (according to research).
Foxes have been found to establish a new home range in about 24 hours,
travelling up to 11 km from their birth place to do so.

The research study, led by Scientist Alan Robley at the Department of
Sustainability and Environment, Arthur Rylah Institute, Victoria also
found that is reasonable to expect 3-4 foxes per square kilometres in
temperate grazing lands.

The fact that roughly 60% of the population is comprised of first year
animals is cold comfort to the fact that cubs are sexually mature
after 9-10 month i.e. taking an 11month old fox out of the system is
likely to mean there are still 4 (on average) cubs elsewhere.

Irrespective of this, landholders in Victoria have a legal
responsibility to control foxes. Distemper, hepatitis and mange are
known to be widespread among foxes (DPI 2007). They also carry several
species of tapeworms and roundworms that parasitize domestic animals.
Not to mention the obvious impacts on farming and native species.
There are plenty of ways to justify their control- but how is it best
done?

Before I answer that question, you need to ask yourself several questions first;

1. Are foxes the key problem are there other issues? E.g. lamb
starvation, mismothering or exposure
2. Do you have a goal for undertaking fox control i.e. to reduce
the loss of stock? Management options need to be linked to objectives
3. If you commence a fox control program, are you able to
implement it over a sustained period? This is a key question if the
protection of native species is your objective i.e. long term control
is the only practical option
4. Have you thought about how you are going to monitor and
evaluate the program? In terms of operational monitoring e.g. costs
and resources and performance monitoring using performance indicators
i.e. increase in lamb numbers by x%

Now that you have answered those 4 questions it is time for my answer
(which should come as no surprise) – fox control is best done using a
range of techniques, over a long period of time in coordination with
neighbors (the wider the area the better). The Friends of Venus Bay
Peninsula Inc. and Tarwin Landcare group are coordinating respective
fox control programs with success for the protection of stock and
species such as hooded plovers. The Friends of group have been doing
so for the last 6 years with the support of Parks Victoria and the
DSE. Showing that coordinated long term control, over a wide
geographical area, can be done.

To help you determine what techniques suit your needs, local vermin
control contractor, Peter Wright has kindly provided the following
information:

Fox control options

Shooting
Pros: Cheap, can target individual animals, low off target risk, what
you shoot is what you get
Cons: Limited areas, noisy for neighbours, only get the fox you can see
Note: The use of firearm to control foxes must conform to relevant
firearm legislation

Baiting
Pros: Relatively cheap, targets all animals at all times, effective
all year round
Cons: Risk to off target animals, (dogs and cats) caching of baits,
hard to gauge effectiveness, lot of paperwork and regulations
Note: 1080 pest animal bait products can only be purchased by
authorised persons, these being:
· A person holding a valid Agricultural Chemical User Permit
(ACUP) with 1080 endorsement issued under the Agricultural and
Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use Act) 1992
· A person or entity holding a valid Commercial Operator
Licence (COL) with a vermin destroyer endorsement issued under the
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1992, or
the staff listed on the COL who have completed a Course in Minimising
the Risks in the Use of 1080 Pest Animal Bait Products for Vertebrate
Pest Control

Trapping
Pros: Off target animals can be released, results can be seen
Cons: Can be expensive, need specialised equipment so not viable for self use

Exclusion fencing
Pros: Permanent year round protection
Cons: Expensive, doesn't remove foxes

Companion animal
Pros: Year round protection
Cons: Doesn't remove foxes

Fumigation
Pros: Takes out mum and the kids while they are in the den
Cons: Dens are hard to locate, only useful during the breeding season
(spring) and unlikely to control the dog foxes

Fleabane- as seen along a roadside near you!

You can read about in a recent edition of the Weekly Times or see it for yourself- it appears to be everywhere! Fleabane is what it is called. There are three main species of fleabane (Conyza spp.) in Australia, namely tall fleabane, flax-leaf fleabane and Canadian fleabane- they are all considered weeds. Fleabanes are an erect annual herb; single stemmed and can reach 2m in height (tall fleabane, flax-leaf reaches 1m when mature). Stems and leaves are covered with fine hairs.  Leaves are grey green and narrow. Flowers are carried in branched heads with each cluster of tiny flowers being enclosed in a series of narrow green bracts.

Seeds are connected to a parachute of fine hairs and seeds only germinate/emerge from (or near) the soil surface. For this reason, the three closely related species are major weeds in minimal tillage cropping systems where the majority of seed remains in the soil surface. Tall fleabane is the more common fleabane in the Gippsland region found along roadsides, horticultural and non cropping areas.

Fleabane Fast Facts;

·         Tall fleabane is edible to native browsers such as wallabies but rarely eaten if other food is available

·         Crimson Rosellas have been reported eating the flowers of tall fleabane along with deer at the beginning of the flowering period

·         Fleabane is rated as having a medium high level impact on high value native vegetation communities in Victoria namely grassy woodlands and volcanic plain grasslands (DPI Weed Risk Assessment 2007). Dense stands of fleabane can smother native grassy vegetation.

·         Each plant can produce up to 110, 000 seeds of which up to 80% can be viable (Widderick and Wu, 2007)

·         Tall fleabane is the main weed of lemon orchards in Portugal (Economou et al, 2002)

·         Seeds don't possess dormancy, in other words they can germinate anytime throughout the year (whenever temperature and moisture requirements are met)

·         The depth of seed burial affects the seed survival of fleabane

o   When sown on the surface, 5% of the seed remains viable after 12 months

o   When buried at 50mm, 10% of the seed remains viable after 12 months

o   When buried at 100mm, 15% of the seed remains viable after 12 months

As seeds only germinate from (or near) the soil surface this is a true survival mechanism

 

Control

Tackling the problem will require a long term approach based on good agronomy and applying integrated weed management principles in order to prevent or retard fleabane resistance to herbicides i.e. use a variety of chemical and non-chemical tactics.

Given that the plant is an annual, producing thousands of seeds, a control program that prevents seed-set is vital. Crop rotations and planting configurations should be managed to maximise competition against fleabane.

Kate Williams 

Too much Blackberry Jam?

With blackberry infesting roughly 8.8 million hectares of temperate Australia, biological control remains the only viable management option for many infestations (CSIRO, 2011). In South Gippsland there is a great deal of community interest in leaf rust-fungus as a tool for controlling blackberry. Below are some of the frequent questions I'm asked about the biological control agent.

 

What is blackberry leaf rust-fungus?

A defoliating disease host specific to European blackberries approved for use in Australia.  The rust-fungus has fruiting bodies (spores) that damage leaves occasionally green stems, stalks, sepals and unripened fruit and is capable of causing severe defoliation in susceptible species given the right conditions.

 

What are the right/suitable conditions for the leaf rust-fungus to establish?

Light is one of the more important requirements, generally sites that have full sun and or very little shade are suitable.  Sites in open woodland, open creek lines and fence lines etc are preferable.  Shaded sites are typically not suitable.  Rainfall and temperature are the other important factors. Sites receiving an annual rainfall of 800mm or greater with an average maximum daily temperature of about 20°C for the month of January are more likely to be successful (Weeds CRC 2005).   

 

Is the blackberry leaf rust-fungus safe?

Rust spores are not toxic to humans and animals but may cause irritation to people sensitive to pollens and dusts. In such cases, it is recommended to wear safety equipment such as goggles, a respiratory mask and gloves when handling rust spores or infected foliage (CSIRO 2011). Strains of the blackberry leaf-rust fungus (Phragmidium violaceum) were thoroughly tested by the CSIRO before approval was obtained to release it in the environment. They were shown in host-specificity tests to be highly specific towards weedy European blackberries.

 

 

Sounds like a cheap & easy way to solve my blackberry problem! Where can I get some?

You may already have the leaf-rust on your property it's widely established in Australia including in South Gippsland; spores of the blackberry leaf-rust are spread by wind and can travel long distances in relatively short periods of time. Although it can be effective, the leaf-rust will not completely kill a blackberry plant. The leaf-rust relies upon its host to survive, its not going to eat itself out of house and home now is it? Also keep in mind that Biological control will not be effective across the range where blackberry infestations occur and therefore an integrated weed management approach will be necessary if effective control is what you're after.  If effective control is not viable given the size and location of the infestation and costs associated with control etc then the leaf-rust is particularly useful.

 

What if effective/thorough control is viable for me and my situation?

Then don't rely solely on the leaf-rust fungus, use a combination of control measures, (termed integrated control) at an on-going and landscape scale i.e. talk to your neighbours; have a year by year action plan based on resources at your disposal and, (to quote USA sports brand, Nike) Just Do It! True recovery of large areas of land for the production of pasture and the establishment of seedlings in plantation forests should only be expected following this. In areas reserved for conservation of native flora and fauna, control of blackberry infestations is a first step towards achieving an increase in species diversity. Reinvasion by weeds is a recurrent challenge therefore revegetation or pasture improvement strategies should be considered in tandem with any weed control program (CSIRO, 2011).

 

Kate Williams

South Gippsland Landcare Network

Run Rabbit Run!

A visible increase in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) numbers across south east Victoria has prompted Landcare groups along with the South Gippsland Community Weeds Taskforce to raise the issue.  As were all well aware, rabbits are nothing new to mainland Australia.  Since the late 18^th century they have hopped about the landscape digging warrens, decimating native vegetation, devouring pastures, sustaining fox populations and so on. Rabbits are that common these days that one doesn't bat an eyelid at the sight of bug's bunny peacefully nibbling grass on the roadside edge.

 Is it rabbits 'commonness' that has management efforts falling by the way side? Or is the effort to control rabbits by land managers undermined by the sheer magnitude of the problem? Or rather are we stepping back from the problem and depending on the release of a new biological control agent to save the day? The likely answer is yes to all of these factors.

It's a given that control programs cost money, as a result land managers often rely on once a year poisoning programs. Typically only on their own properties and when rabbit populations are high with no integration/follow up with other control methods. To achieve effective rabbit control effort must be continuous. Therefore it's not the effort that is undermining the result but rather the ineffective methods that are generally used. One needs to be able to; adopt and use integrated rabbit control, kill rabbits at a faster rate than they can replace themselves at all densities, ensure rabbit immigration into your control site is zero, monitor rabbits at low densities and take immediate action if the population increases and maintain a social environment with your neighbours and community that supports the goal of aiming for rabbit free.

The success of the myxomatosis virus released in 1952 was poignant, reportedly wiping out 99.8% of rabbits. However by the 1990's rabbits showed resistance to the virus and their numbers once again climbed back into the millions.  From 1996-1998 the Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) reduced rabbits by >50% in arid areas however once again, as with the myxo virus, numbers have bounced back.  If the history of biological control agents is anything to go by then we shouldn't depend on it to keep rabbit numbers under control, at least not in the long run.

If we stop tolerating the 'commonness' of rabbits and start to adequately control numbers we stand to win big time. A dairy farmer in Colac, Victoria (similar growing conditions to parts of South Gippsland) increased his milk production by 300% and doubled his fodder harvest over 5 years simply by tackling his rabbit problem. A sheep farmer in Colac, who also managed his rabbits effectively, increased his dry sheep equivalent from 1.75 to 7.75 over a 5 year period.

Whilst researching the topic of the impact on native vegetation from rabbits I came across this insightful quote; 'What's the difference between chainsaws, bulldozers and rabbits? Not much really. Though chainsaws and bulldozers are the preferred tool for clearing land, rabbits are just as effective. They eat tree seedlings so that when the mature trees die there are no young ones to replace them. The net effect is identical, only the time scale differs' (Pickard 1995, Managing Vertebrate Pests; Bureau of Resource Sciences and CSIRO).  Adequate control would give native vegetation a chance to regenerate and ultimately lend itself to providing habitat and food for native wildlife that was previously displaced by rabbits.

It's important to recognise that rabbits do impact us economically, socially and environmentally. We must not wait for the next biological control agent but rather act now to control their numbers using a variety of techniques, continuously and in coordination with our neighbours, (including public land managers) and local community. For further information on rabbit control visit the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) website at www.dpi.vic.gov.au or contact the South Gippsland Landcare Network Project Officer Kate Williams on 5662 5759 or email katew@wgcma.vic.gov.au. To record rabbit sightings in your area visit www.feralscan.org.au. Feral Scan is a citizen science website where you help map feral animals and the damage they cause.

Reference

Bloomfield, T., Paroz, G. Rabbits and Their Impact October 2010, LC0298 Department of Primary Industries, Attwood.

Photo caption: A single pair of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) can produce 30-40 young a year.

 

 Kate Williams, South Gippsland Landcare Network Project Officer