Rodents—particularly voles, ground squirrels, and gophers—can have a big economic impact on orchard and vineyard production costs.Rodents cause obvious damage to orchards and vineyards, especially to young trees that have yet to establish a large root mass. They also can girdle adult trees when they chew on the trunk. Examples of girdled trees and young trees that can be easily pulled out the ground are the obvious costs to orchard management, says Mike Omeg, a cherry grower from The Dalles, Oregon. But then there are the hidden costs. That's when the gopher or squirrel eats some—but not all—of the root system. "The tree lives,but it's never healthy and never produces normal yields," Omeg said. He believes growers spend more on annual rodent control than they think they do. Oregon State University Extension estimated that growers spend an average of $95 per acre for rodent control, according to the 2012 Enterprise Budget for high-density, sweet cherry production. The budget is based on actual orchard management costs of a cross-section of commercial growers.
展开▼
