Latest news with #gophers
CTV News
09-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
New Sask. Wildlife Federation program aims to reduce high gopher population
WATCH: Saskatchewan farmers have been dealing with a number of conditions this growing season, including gophers. Mick Favel reports. The Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF) is now offering support to landowners dealing with a high number of gophers. Every year, gophers are a significant cause of crop loss and land degradation. Damage is happening at a heightened level in 2025. Darrell Crabbe is the executive director of the SWF. He said the foundation has received hundreds of calls from people being impacted, as well as from those looking to help. 'The amount of crop damaged due to gophers is in the millions of dollars every year,' said Crabbe. The SWF has 122 branches across the province and plans to work with landowners who contact the federation. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) will be playing a part by also offering practical assistance. Wade Probe is a landowner south of Regina. A section of his land is being overrun by gophers and is in need of a solution. 'They can cause destruction to property inside our buildings. They tear apart bags of seed. I'm scared to drive my vehicle over some of the property,' said Probe. The SWF hopes landowners call to notify where their property is in case gophers are spotted nearby. According to Crabbe, the new program will be free and will continue to be available for years to come. All moves to get the gophers under control are planned to be done in a responsible and ethical manner.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Saskatchewan landowners dealing with gophers
Regina Watch WATCH: Saskatchewan farmers have been dealing with a number of conditions this growing season, including gophers. Mick Favel reports.
CBC
05-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Province urges Ottawa to reverse gopher poison ban, calls rodents a 'destructive force'
Health Canada started phasing out the use of strychnine in 2020 over concerns it harms other wildlife. Without the poison, the Alberta government said gophers are spreading "unchecked" across agricultural land and farmers can't keep them under control.
CTV News
27-06-2025
- CTV News
Gopher poisoning at Calgary condo building sparks concern among area residents
The use of pesticide at a southeast Calgary condo building has dog walker Lindsay Beyko worried about the potential danger the product poses to people, pets and wildlife. Beyko says she has stopped walking by the Riverside Gate Condos along Lynnview Road S.E. since finding out they've been using a commercial poison to manage the gopher population. 'In the community [Facebook] group, people started posting about how there's poison traps that have been set out, and that they're seeing more gophers that are slow, and they're like, 'What's wrong with these gophers? What's going on?' I was like, 'Well, unfortunately, they've been poisoned,'' Beyko said. Local company Cal-Rid Pest Control declined an interview with CTV News, but said it was hired by the Riverside Gate condo board to set up the bait stations within the fenced property on June 20. 'The treatment involved the use of Rozol RTU, a federally registered rodenticide approved by Health Canada, applied only into active burrows and secured within Tier 1 tamper-resistant bait stations,' Cal-Rid CEO Brie Richardson said in a statement. 'No bait was applied on public land. Signage was posted and the application was performed by licensed technicians in full compliance with all federal, provincial and municipal regulations.' Calgarians voice concern over gopher poisonings Cal-Rid Pest Control declined an interview with CTV News, but says it was hired by the Riverside Gate condo board to set up bait stations within the condo's fenced area. The problem for Beyko is that the poisoned animals are dying outside the fenced property, where there's no signage. She's concerned other animals could eat the dead gophers. 'You have a hawk that eats a gopher that is poisoned, and then all of a sudden that hawk gets sick. Who says that that hawk doesn't fly to your backyard, die, and your dog goes out there and sees a dead bird – and by nature, they're going to go for it,' she said. Erik Johnson with Grove Eco-Friendly Pest Control says he doesn't use Rozol RTU at his company because it takes several days for the animal to die. Rozol RTU The warning label on Rozol RTU. 'The rodenticides that are used in most cases are relatively safe in small quantities – like if your dog gets into them or something. But animals that eat multiple poison rodents are going to be severely affected, so that means smaller animals – especially like hawks and owls – are very vulnerable,' he said. Johnson said he installs a wire mesh barrier underground for smaller jobs, which prevents the gophers from being able to dig underneath. He also suggests homeowners keep their grass short and clear of any debris that can facilitate the ground-squirrels burrowing and hiding underneath. For larger areas, Johnson says lethal trapping is an option. 'It's just a more humane way to go, and it's not going to cause any issues with secondary poisoning to other wildlife,' Johnson said. Calgarians voice concern over gopher poisonings Cal-Rid Pest Control declined an interview with CTV News, but says it was hired by the Riverside Gate condo board to set up bait stations within the condo's fenced area. Cal-Rid says some of the bait stations were tampered with on June 24, and by the next day, all stations had been 'removed without authorization.' 'Given the recent interference and public attention, all further baiting has been paused,' Richardson said in a statement. When asked about the situation, because of its proximity to Beaver Dam Flats, the City of Calgary said it 'doesn't comment on gopher control that occurs outside of City property.' CTV News spoke to a person on the property on June 26, who self-identified as a board member but declined an interview or other attempts by CTV News to reach the condo board have been unsuccessful.
