- [VOICEOVER] MONTANA AG

LIVE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY

THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT

OF AGRICULTURE,

THE MSU EXTENSION SERVICE,

THE MSU AG EXPERIMENT

STATIONS OF THE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE,

THE MONTANA WHEAT

& BARLEY COMMITTEE,

THE MONTANA BANKERS ASSOCIATION,

CASHMAN NURSERY &

LANDSCAPING, AND

THE GALLATIN GARDENERS CLUB.

(BANJO MUSIC AND COWS MOOING)

♪ IF YOUR HERBICIDES

AND FUNGICIDES AND

♪ THE VEGGIES YOU ARE GROWIN'

IN YOUR GARDEN START TO MOLD

♪ IF THE ANTS ARE ATTACKIN'

AND YOU'RE HAVIN' A HARD TIME

♪ CALL MONTANA AG LIVE

♪ KNAPWEED IN THE DITCH AND

THE OLD BULL'S GOT A ITCH

♪ TICKS UPON MY SHEEP AND

THE WOOL IS REALLY CHEAP

♪ THE GOPHERS IN THE PASTURE

ARE EVEN WORSE THAN LAST YEAR

♪ MONTANA AG LIVE WHERE ARE YOU?

(BANJO AND STRING INSTRUMENTAL)

- [JACK] GOOD EVENING AND

WELCOME TO MONTANA AG LIVE,

ORIGINATING TONIGHT

FROM THE STUDIOS OF KUSM

ON THE BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS OF

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY.

I'M JACK RIESSELMAN,

I'LL BE YOUR HOST OR

MODERATOR THIS EVENING.

I THINK THOSE OF YOU

WHO'VE WATCHED THE PROGRAM

IN THE PAST, KINDA

KNOW HOW THIS GOES.

YOU HAVE QUESTIONS

FOR OUR ESTEEMED PANEL

AND THEY WILL DO THE BEST

TO FIND A CREDIBLE ANSWER

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CALL

'EM IN AND WE'LL REALLY TRY

TO GET 'EM ON THE

PROGRAM THIS EVENING.

THIS EVENING, AS MANY

OF YOU RECOGNIZE,

OUR GUESTS, OUR

PANEL, LIKE TOBY DAY,

TOBY'S OUR EXTENSION

HORTICULTURAL SPECIALIST.

A LOT OF YOU KNOW MIKE

IVEY, MIKE HAS BEEN

AROUND MSU FOR A LONG

TIME, HE'S AN ENTOMOLOGIST

AND A VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE

ENTOMOLOGIST, SO IF YOU

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT BUGS

THIS EVENING, GET 'EM IN

AND WE'LL DEFINITELY

TRY TO ANSWER 'EM.

WE HAVE A NEW GUEST THIS

EVENING, OUR SPECIAL GUEST,

HIS NAME IS LANCE MCNEW,

LANCE IS A WILDLIFE

HABITAT ECOLOGIST, AND HE

WORKS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF

ANIMAL SCIENCE, HE'S BEEN

HERE FOR ABOUT A YEAR,

CAME TO US FROM KANSAS

STATE UNIVERSITY, AND IT'S

A PLEASURE TO HAVE

HIM ON OUR PROGRAM.

HIS SPECIALTY, IN ADDITION

TO BEING AN ECOLOGIST

FOR WILDLIFE, ALSO IS HANDLING

SMALL PESTS, FOUR-LEGGED

PESTS, CREEPY PESTS, WHATEVER.

SO, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS

ABOUT MICE, VOLES, RACOONS,

ANYTHING LIKE THAT THIS EVENING,

HERE'S A CHANCE TO FIND OUT

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

A LOT OF YOU KNOW MACK

BURGESS, MACK IS OUR SMALL FARM

SPECIALIST, MACK IS HERE

TO ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME

OF THE ISSUES WITH SMALL FARMS,

IN ADDITION TO DISCUSSING

SOME OF THE ANIMAL ISSUES

THAT SMALL FARM

SPECIALISTS DO FACE.

THE PANEL TONIGHT TO ANSWER

THE PHONES, I WOULD THINK

YOU RECOGNIZE MANY OF

THESE PEOPLE, DON MATHRE,

TRACY EKLUND, AND CHERYL

MOORE-GOUGH, SO THE PHONE'S

NOT RINGING YET, GET

YOUR QUESTIONS IN

BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL

LEFTOVER FROM LAST WEEK.

WE'RE GONNA TRY TO ANSWER

AS MANY AS POSSIBLE.

TOBY, THIS PERSON IS FROM

CASCADE, THEY HAVE TO PICK

HARALSON APPLES EARLY,

AROUND SEPTEMBER 1ST, BECAUSE

THEY HAVE A BEAR PROBLEM

UP THERE, WILL THEY RIPEN

ON THE SHELF?

- NOT NECESSARILY, I MEAN,

THE SUGARS THAT ARE PRODUCED

ON THOSE, I'M GONNA GUESS

THAT'S PROBABLY AS THE ENZYMES

BREAK DOWN THEY PRODUCE MORE

SUGARS, BUT IF THEY'RE PICKED

UNRIPE, THERE IS SOME

RIPENING THAT WILL HAPPEN WITH

THE ETHYLENE THAT'S PRODUCED

FROM THOSE APPLES, BUT I DON'T

THINK YOU'LL EVER GET 'EM TO

THE POINT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE

IF YOU LEFT THEM ON

THE TREE LONG ENOUGH.

- [JACK] WHEN DO YOU NORMALLY--

- PICK HARALSON'S?

- YEAH.

- THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION,

IT'S GONNA BE, LIKE

CASCADE COUNTY,

PROBABLY ABOUT NOW.

BUT, YEAH, YOU'D BE

PICKIN' 'EM FAIRLY EARLY

COMPARED TO MOST APPLES.

- ONE QUICK QUESTION,

THEN WE'LL MOVE ON

TO ANOTHER ONE.

HOW COLD WILL APPLES

TOLERATE A FROST?

- OH, APPLES PROBABLY

TOLERATE CLOSE TO 26 DEGREES.

- OKAY.

- SO, IF WE'RE GONNA GET

THOSE COLD TEMPERATURES, YOU

CAN LEAVE 'EM ON THE TREE,

THEY HAVE A LOT

OF SUGAR IN THEM.

SOUNDS GOOD, LANCE, THIS

CAME IN FROM LIVINGSTON, AND

THIS IS KIND OF A COMBINATION

QUESTION FOR MIKE AND LANCE.

THEY'D LIKE TO ATTRACT BATS TO

THEIR YARD, AS THEY HEAR THEY

CAN HELP CONTROL MOSQUITOES.

DO THEY REALLY, NUMBER ONE,

ATTRACT OR DESTROY MOSQUITOES,

OR NUMBER TWO, WHAT DO THEY

DO TO GET MORE BATS AROUND?

YOU GUYS, HAVE AT IT.

- YES, SO BATS, THAT'S

THEIR PRIMARY FOOD SOURCE,

ARE MOSQUITOES, SO THEY EAT

A LOT OF FLYING INSECTS,

BUT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE LIVING

IN LOWLAND, RIPARIAN AREAS,

YEAH, THEY'RE HITTIN'

THE MOSQUITOES HARD.

- [JACK] IS THERE ANY WAY

YOU CAN ATTRACT 'EM TO 'EM?

- SURE, SURE, THERE ARE

A NUMBER OF WAYS, YOU CAN

BUILD BAT HOUSES, A LOT

OF, A LOT OF EXISTING

INFRASTRUCTURE IN MONTANA

IS ACTUALLY HIGHLY CONDUCIVE

TO HAVING BATS ON YOUR PLACE.

BAT HOUSES, DESIGNS CAN BE

FOUND ONLINE RELATIVELY EASILY,

IF YOU CONSTRUCT A COUPLE

OF THOSE IN AREAS THAT HAVE

ADEQUATE FOOD RESOURCES,

IF THEY'RE HAVIN' MOSQUITO

PROBLEMS, THEN THAT

WOULD PROBABLY DO IT.

YOU WANT TO BUILD THOSE

THINGS ON THE SHADY SIDES

OF YOUR HOUSE AND YOU

SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIND BATS,

SO, THEY'RE OUT THERE.

- OKAY, AND THEY'RE

NOT HARMFUL TO PEOPLE?

- ABSOLUTELY NOT.

- OKAY.

MIKE, HOW EFFECTIVE ARE

THEY AT KEEPING MOSQUITOES

DOWN, IN YOUR OPINION?

- WELL, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO

ERADICATE THEM, THE WHOLE POINT

OF EATING MOSQUITOES,

BATS WILL EAT ANYTHING

THAT'S FLYING AND THE

REASON THEY'RE EATING

A LOT OF MOSQUITOES IS

BECAUSE THAT'S THE DENSEST

FOOD SOURCE, IF THEY'RE

EATING MOSQUITOES.

- OKAY.

- I MEAN, THEY'RE MURDER

ON FLYING INSECTS IN

GENERAL, AT NIGHT.

A LOT OF OUR MOSQUITOES THAT

ARE CORPUSCULAR, THAT IS,

THAT THEY'RE OUT AT DUSK AND

DAWN WILL BE HIT A LITTLE BIT

LESS BECAUSE THE BATS ARE MORE

ACTIVE A LITTLE BIT LATER,

BUT FOR THE NIGHT-FLYING

MOSQUITOES, THEY'RE

BUT, THE QUESTION IS, IF YOUR

TOLERANCE IS ONE MOSQUITO

BITE, THEY'RE NOT

GOING TO GET 'EM ALL.

- ALL RIGHT, SOUNDS GOOD, WHILE

I HAVE YA UP, THIS PERSON,

NOW THIS IS INTERESTING, FROM

CONRAD, CAME IN LAST WEEK.

THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH FIVE

CANS OF HORNET SPRAY AND IT

DOESN'T SEEM TO BE

WORKING, ANY SUGGESTIONS?

- THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT USING

IT RIGHT, FIRST OFF, IT DEPENDS

ON WHICH KIND OF HORNET SPRAY

YOU'RE USING, IF YOU ARE

JUST SPRAYING THE AIR, IN

GENERAL, AND EXPECTING THAT

TO TAKE CARE OF HORNETS,

THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT FLYING

INSECT SPRAY WORKS.

THERE'S TWO KINDS, THERE'S

ONE THAT YOU USE ON NESTS,

THAT YOU STAND BACK AND

IT'S KIND OF FOAMY AND YOU

HIT THE NEST WITH

IT FROM A DISTANCE.

IF YOU'RE NOT A GOOD SHOT,

THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK.

AND THEN, THERE'S ANOTHER

ONE WHERE YOU ACTUALLY

STILL TARGET THE

ACTUAL FLYING WASP.

IF THERE'S NOT PYRETHROID

IN THE AIR WHEN THEY FLY

THROUGH IT, IT'S

NOT GOING TO HIT IT.

- LIKE, IF I MAY, IS IT

ACTUALLY A HORNET THAT THEY'RE

PROBABLY WORRIED ABOUT?

'CAUSE I'M THINKING THEY

PROBABLY HAVE YELLOW JACKETS,

WESTERN YELLOW JACKETS

ARE MORE OF A PROBLEM, AND

CAN YOU TALK JUST A LITTLE

BIT ABOUT WHERE THEY LIVE.

- WELL, THERE'S NINE SPECIES

IN THIS GROUP IN MONTANA,

AND THE BIG ONE IS THE

BALD-FACED HORNET, WHICH MAKES

THE FOOTBALL-LIKE NEST IN A

TREE, AND THEY'RE NOT ALL THAT

COMMON AROUND HOUSES.

WE HAD A WHOLE BUNCH

OF 'EM THIS YEAR.

THEN THERE'S THE SMALLER,

MORE BRIGHTLY COLORED

YELLOW JACKETS, AND SOME

OF THOSE ACTUALLY WILL LIVE

IN THE WALLS OF HOUSES

AND THAT KIND OF THING.

OTHERS LIVE UNDERGROUND,

IN OLD RODENT BURROWS.

SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY WILL

MAKE NESTS IN BRUSH AND STUFF.

SO, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU

HAVE, AND MOST PEOPLE ARE

TRYING TO CATCH THEM WHEN

THEY'RE COMING IN NEAR

THEIR HOUSE, FLYING AROUND,

AND NOT AROUND THE NEST.

IF YOU HAVE A NEST PROBLEM,

THEN YOU CONTROL IT DIFFERENTLY.

- I WAS JUST THINKING, THAT

IN THIS CASE, THEY MAY BE

FINDING THE NEST, BUT IT

ALSO MIGHT BE A YELLOW JACKET

THAT MIGHT BE IN THE GROUND,

SO I WOULD FIND OTHER SOURCES,

MAYBE THERE'S TWO OR THREE

THAT ARE AROUND AREA,

RATHER THAN JUST THE

NEST YOU'RE SEEING.

- YEAH, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE

WILL, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE

OUTDOOR TABLES AND STUFF,

THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE COMING

IN AND THIS YEAR THEY STARTED

HITTING A LOT EARLIER,

AS THINGS DRIED UP.

AND, THEY'RE ATTRACTED TO

BEER, SODA, FATTY MEATS, THAT

KINDA THING, SO, IF YOU'RE

HAVING A BARBEQUE THEY CONSIDER

THEMSELVES INVITED. (LAUGHTER)

- [MACK] HOW FAR WILL

THEY FLY FROM THEIR NESTS?

- UNTIL THEY FIND SOMETHING

TO EAT. (LAUGHTER)

MOSTLY THEY'RE PREDATORS,

THEY'RE ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL

IN THE GARDEN, THEY'RE MOSTLY

PREDATORS ON OTHER INSECTS.

- I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

- MACK, I UNDERSTAND BOZEMAN

HAS A WINTER'S FARMERS' MARKET,

THIS CAME IN FROM BOZEMAN,

IT STARTS OCTOBER 18TH,

I GUESS THERE'S SOME IN

MISSOULA AND HELENA, ALSO.

WHAT WOULD BE AT A FARMERS'

MARKET, A WINTER'S FARMERS'

MARKET, THAT GROWERS

WOULD HAVE, THAT THE BEARS

HAVEN'T EATEN?

- YEAH RIGHT, (LAUGHTER)

YEAH, SO BOZEMAN IS GOIN' INTO

IT'S FOURTH YEAR OF THE

WINTER'S FARMER'S MARKET.

I UNDERSTAND MISSOULA

HAS ONE AS WELL.

HELENA'S FARMERS' MARKET

GOES UP NEARLY UNTIL

CHRISTMAS TIME.

PRODUCERS OF VEGETABLES

IN THOSE AREAS ARE GOING

TO BE SELLING ALL

SORTS OF STORAGE CROPS,

YOU MIGHT BE HARVESTING

RIGHT ABOUT NOW, ARE GONNA BE

SOME OF THE BEST QUALITY

VEGETABLES YOU'LL FIND ALL YEAR.

SO, CARROTS AND ONIONS,

POTATOES, WINTER

STORE QUITE WELL,

WELL INTO THE WINTER.

AND THEN, A NUMBER OF PRODUCERS

IN A LOT OF THOSE AREAS ARE

ALSO STARTING TO USE HIGH

TUNNELS TO EXTEND THEIR GROWING

SEASON, THEY'RE GROWING

SPINACH, LETTUCE, OTHER GREENS,

ALSO WELL INTO THE WINTER.

LAST WINTER, I KNOW WE HAD

EXCEPTIONALLY MILD WINTER,

AND THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL

PRETTY MUCH CONTINUOUSLY

THROUGH THE WINTER.

SO, YEAH, IT'S AN EXCITING,

EXCITING ADDITION.

- SOUNDS GOOD.

LANCE, THIS CAME IN THIS

EVENING FROM LEWISTOWN.

THIS PERSON UNDERSTANDS,

AND I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS

CORRECT OR NOT, YOU CAN SET US

STRAIGHT IF IT'S NOT, HE SAYS

HE UNDERSTANDS THAT WHEN

BEEF, COWS, WALK THROUGH

SAGEBRUSH, THEY DISRUPT SAGE

GROUSE, BUT WHEN BUFFALO DO,

OR BISON, THEY DON'T, IS

THAT TRUE, AND WHY WOULD

THAT HAPPEN?

- I DON'T KNOW OF A SINGLE

PEER-REVIEWED STUDY OR EMPIRICAL

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THAT,

AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE'VE

BEEN WORKING ON A NUMBER OF

STUDIES WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY

USING TARGETED GRAZING

BY CATTLE TO IMPROVE

SAGE GROUSE HABITAT,

UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS.

SO, WHEN A COW OR A BISON,

OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF LARGE

ANIMAL OR YOU WALK THROUGH

SAGEBRUSH, YOU MIGHT

DISTURB THE BIRD, BUT IN

MOST CASES, IT WILL ALWAYS

COME BACK TO THAT GENERAL AREA.

NOW, YOU WANT TO MINIMIZE

DISTURBING SAGE GROUSE

OR ANY OTHER GRASS

GROUND-NESTING BIRD WHEN THEY'RE

INCUBATING NESTS.

AND, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT

FOR SAGE GROUSE, BECAUSE

ONCE THEY ARE FLUSHED

FROM THEIR NESTS, COMPARED

RELATIVE TO OTHER BIRDS,

THEY DON'T WANT TO RETURN

TO THE NEST.

- YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ON

THE SAGE GROUSE, I BELIEVE

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

JUST RECENTLY DECLARED THEM

NOT AN ENDANGERED OR

A THREATENED SPECIES.

YOU WANT TO COMMENT

ON THAT A LITTLE BIT?

- SURE, I WAS VERY HAPPY

WITH THIS LISTING DECISION,

FOR MANY REASONS, BUT

PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT'S GOOD

FOR THE SAGE GROUSE.

AND I THINK IT'S A TESTAMENT,

TO THE EFFECTIVENESS

OF LOCAL CONSERVATION

PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN PRIVATE

LANDOWNERS AND GOVERNMENT

AGENCIES AT THE GRASSROOTS

LEVEL TO CONSERVE ANY WILDLIFE

SPECIES AND WILDLIFE HABITAT

IN GENERAL, ACTUALLY IT'S

PROBABLY MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE

THAN ANY OTHER

APPROACH THAT WE HAVE.

SO, WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST

YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF OR SO,

SUCCESSES FROM THESE LOCAL

CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS,

NOT ONLY IN MONTANA,

WITH THE SAGE GROUSE AND

ARCTIC GRAYLING, BUT WE'VE

SEEN IT SUCCESSES ALL ACROSS

THE COUNTRY, FROM COTTONTAILS

IN THE EAST, TO DELISTING

OF BLACK BEARS IN LOUISIANA.

ALL OF IT DRIVEN BY LOCAL

CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIPS,

WHERE THE FOLKS ADMINISTERING

HABITAT CONSERVATION

PROGRAMS ARE BRINGING

PRIVATE LANDOWNERS INTO

THE PARTNERSHIPS, AND

THAT IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE.

- IT WORKS A LOT BETTER.

- IT DOES.

AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT

MODEL TO USE FOR GOOD.

SOUNDS GOOD, TOBY, THIS

PERSON HAD A GOOD RASPBERRY

CROP LAST YEAR, THIS YEARS

WAS NOT SO GOOD, WHICH MEANS

IT WAS TERRIBLE. (LAUGHTER)

THEY SAY THE CANES ARE FOUR

YEARS OLD, AND THIS IS THE FIRST

YEAR THEY FLOWERED THIS LATE,

IS THERE A PROBLEM IF THEY

FLOWER IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER?

WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE

THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON,

ONE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE

JUNE BEARING, YOU MAY HAVE

EVER BEARING RASPBERRIES,

WHICH THEY WILL FLOWER,

THIS LATE

IT'S A LITTLE BIT LATE FOR 'EM.

THE OTHER PART OF IT TOO,

IS JUST THE ENVIRONMENTAL

CONDITIONS, I'VE HAD SOME

FLOWER AND STILL PRODUCE

RASPBERRIES, AND I

HAVE JUNE BEARING.

SO, I THINK IT'S

JUST ENVIRONMENTAL,

A LONGER FALL, AND THEREFORE

IT'S SETTING FRUIT BUDS

AND THEN FLOWERING.

IS IT GOING TO REDUCE CROP?

MAYBE A LITTLE BIT NEXT

YEAR, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S

GONNA REDUCE IT THAT MUCH.

- SOUNDS GOOD, MIKE,

FROM BIG SKY, THEY HAD

THREE SOUR CHERRY

TREES, AND I DIDN'T KNOW

SOUR CHERRIES WOULD

SURVIVE IN BIG SKY.

- IN BIG SKY?

- THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS HERE.

- OUR BIG SKY?

- OUR BIG SKY,

BUT THEY MAY BE FROM SOME

OTHER PLACE, AND VACATIONING

IN BIG SKY, BUT ANYWAY,

AT THE END OF THE SUMMER

THE LEAVES WERE AFFECTED BY

SOME INSECT-LIKE CREATURE,

THAT WAS JET BLACK, THREE

QUARTER INCH LONG, ANY IDEA

WHAT THEY ARE,

WOULD THAT BE SLUGS?

- UP ON THE LEAVES

OF THE CHERRY TREE?

- YEAH, AND THEY'RE JET BLACK.

- PEAR SLUGS?

- I BET IT IS PEAR SLUGS.

- PEAR SLUGS, YEAH, OKAY.

- PROBABLY.

- BUT, THEY'RE NOT GOING

TO HURT ANYTHING THIS LATE,

ARE THEY?

- NO, NO, 'CAUSE WINTER'S

GONNA KILL THE TREES ANYWAY.

- RIGHT! (LAUGHTER)

- GOOD POINT, IF

THEY'RE IN BIG SKY.

- THAT'S RIGHT, IF

THEY'RE IN BIG SKY.

- LET'S MOVE ON,

MACK, THIS PERSON,

FROM MISSOULA, HAS

HEARD OF A NEW LAW

REGARDING COTTAGE

FOOD, WHAT IS THE NEW

ISSUE HERE, I'M NOT

FAMILIAR WITH IT?

SO, AS OF OCTOBER

FIRST, MONTANA JOINS

ABOUT 30 OTHER STATES

WHO HAVE ENACTED

A LAW SPECIFICALLY

REGULATING THE SALE OF FOODS

TYPICALLY AT FARMERS'

MARKETS, FACE-TO-FACE

TRANSACTIONS, FOODS

PREPARED IN HOME KITCHENS.

AND THIS IS CLARIFYING A

KIND OF A CONFUSING BUNCH

OF OLDER LAWS, SO IT PUTS

IT ALL IN ONE PLACE AT THE

STATE LEVEL, THAT SPECIFICALLY

DOES ALLOW THE SALE

OF CERTAIN NONPOTENTIALLY

HAZARDOUS BAKED GOODS,

SO BREADS, COOKIES, FRUIT

JAMS, THINGS LIKE THAT, IN

FACE-TO-FACE TRANSACTIONS

WITHIN THE STATE OF MONTANA,

DIRECT, AT FARMERS' MARKETS

OR FLEA MARKETS, CRAFT FAIRS,

THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND SO, THERE'S SOME NEW

REGULATION OUT THERE, IT'S

FAIRLY STRAIGHT FORWARD, IT'S

A BIG SIMPLIFICATION OF WHAT

WAS OUT THERE BEFORE, AND

YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR COUNTY

HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND

IT'S A $40 REGISTRATION AND

A SUBMISSION OF YOUR RECIPES

AND THEN YOU'RE LEGALLY

ALLOWED TO SELL THOSE

THINGS AT FARMERS' MARKETS

AND DIRECT.

- THAT'S GONNA DO SOMETHING

FOR MY WAISTLINE AND IT'S

NOT GOOD. (LAUGHTER)

- BEFORE IT USED TO BE YOU

COULD SELL PRODUCTS LIKE THAT,

BUT IT WAS ONLY UP

TO A CERTAIN AMOUNT.

WHAT WAS IT, 400 OR 600

DOLLARS, OR AM I WRONG

ABOUT THAT?

- YOU KNOW, IT VARIED FROM

PLACE TO PLACE, AND I'VE

HEARD SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS,

I DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS,

BUT IT'S STANDARDIZED

ACROSS THE STATE NOW.

- GOOD.

- THIS IS INTERESTING,

LANCE, AT THE BEGINNING

OF THIS SUMMER,

THERE WERE LOTS OF

GROUND SQUIRRELS

AT THE GALLATIN REGIONAL

PARK, NOW THERE ARE NONE.

DO GROUND SQUIRRELS MIGRATE

OR WAS THERE AN ERADICATION

EFFORT AT THE PARK

THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF?

- I'M UNSURE IF THERE WAS AN

ERADICATION EFFORT AT THE PARK,

BUT IT MAKES SENSE THAT

YOU'D SEE A LOT MORE GROUND

SQUIRRELS DURING THE

EARLY SUMMER THAN NOW.

BECAUSE GROUND SQUIRRELS

REPRODUCE IN THE SPRING, WHEN

THEY COME OUT OF THEIR BURROWS

AT THE END OF THE SPRING.

THEIR JUVENILES ARE ACTUALLY

DOWN IN THE BURROWS AND ONCE

THEY GET OLD ENOUGH, THEY

START FORAGING AROUND THE AREA.

AND, EVENTUALLY, IN LATE

SUMMER, THEY'LL DISPERSE.

SO, THE ANNUAL CYCLES OF

GROUND SQUIRRELS IS CYCLIC.

SO, YOU SHOULD SEE

LESS IN THE FALL.

WHY YOU'RE NOT SEEING ANY

AT ALL IS PROBABLY DUE TO,

PERHAPS LIMITED FOOD RESOURCES

DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR.

PERHAPS THEY'VE SHIFTED

PREFERENCES TO OTHER TYPES

OF HABITAT, YOU MIGHT

NOT BE HIKING THROUGH.

- SOUNDS GOOD, WHILE WE

HAVE YOU, THIS JUST CAME IN.

THE BATS CREATED SOME

OTHER, ADDITIONAL INQUIRIES.

WHERE DO THEY GO

IN THE WINTER TIME?

- (CHUCKLE) WELL,

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE

TYPE OF BAT THAT YOU'RE

TALKING ABOUT, A LOT

OF BATS ARE MIGRATORY.

THERE ARE, I THINK, I'M

NOT A BAT EXPERT, BUT I

THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE

SPECIES THAT ARE ACTUALLY

RESIDENT AND ARE SHORT

DISTANCE MIGRANTS.

- SOUNDS GOOD.

- WE DO HAVE SOME CAVES THAT

ARE WINTER HABITATS, YOU

GET DOWN DEEP ENOUGH IN

THE CAVE AND IT GETS TO THE

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE OF THE

AREA, RATHER THAN GETTING COLD.

AND, THEY WILL HIBERNATE DOWN

IN THERE, I KNOW LOUIS & CLARK

CAVERNS HAS

OVER-WINTERING COLONIES.

THEY'RE VERY SUPSEPTIBLE TO

DISTURBANCE WHILE THEY'RE

HIBERNATING, AND SOME

WILL MIGRATE CLEAR SOUTH.

- SOUNDS GOOD.

- AND ACTUALLY, WE ARE SOUTH

TO SOME SPECIES OF BATS, SO

SOME OF THE BATS THAT MIKE'S

TALKING ABOUT ARE ACTUALLY,

THEY'RE SUMMERING IN CANADA

AND THEY'RE MOVING DOWN

HERE TO WINTER, SO.

- GOOD TO KNOW, TOBY,

FROM HAMILTON, THEY HAVE

A DROUGHT-STRESSED EVERGREEN

THIS FALL, WHAT DO THEY DO?

- JUST KEEP WATERIN'

IT. (LAUGHTER)

YEAH, WATER IT, CLEAR UNTIL THE

GROUND FREEZES, THAT'S GONNA

BE THE BEST THING YOU

CAN DO FOR THAT TREE.

ALSO, AS I'VE SAID MANY

TIMES, IN FEBRUARY,

ESPECIALLY IN MARCH, IF WE

START GETTIN' THOSE CHINOOKS,

THOSE WARM TEMPERATURES, AND

YOU DON'T HAVE SNOW COVER,

GET OUT THERE WITH A

SPRINKLER AND WATER THAT TREE.

- SOUNDS GOOD, FROM FLORENCE,

AND THEY LIVE IN THE

COUNTRY NEAR FLORENCE.

HE HAS A GROUP OF WILD

TURKEYS, SOMETIMES 10-20,

THAT COME AND GO

ON HIS PROPERTY.

NUMBER ONE, ARE THEY PROTECTED?

HOW CAN HE GET RID OF THEM?

I'M HERE. (LAUGHTER)

AND, CAN HE SHOOT THEM?

I'M HERE. (LAUGHTER)

- (LAUGHTER) YEAH, YOU WANNA

GET RID OF THEM, I THINK

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE

YOU CAN CALL TO DO THAT.

BUT, THEY'RE NOT FEDERALLY

PROTECTED, THEY'RE A STATE

GAME BIRDS, SO THEY ARE

REGULATED AT THE STATE LEVEL,

SO THERE ARE SEASONS, THERE

ARE SEASONS FOR WILD TURKEYS

IN MONTANA.

SO, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU

ARE, SO FOR PORTIONS OF THE

STATE THAT ARE IN EASTERN

MONTANA, THERE'S MORE OF AN OPEN

SEASON, WHEREAS, AS YOU MOVE

FARTHER WEST, IT BECOMES

MORE OF A DRAW, OR SELECTED

HUNTING OPPORTUNITY FOR REMOVAL.

IF YOU'RE HAVING A NUISANCE

SITUATION, WHERE YOU'VE TRIED TO

ENCOURAGE HUNTING ON YOUR

PROPERTY TO REMOVE THOSE BIRDS,

OR AT LEAST REMEDIATE THE

NEGATIVE IMPACTS, IF YOU'VE DONE

A GOOD JOB AT THAT, THEN

YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR LOCAL

WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST ABOUT PERHAPS

GETTING A NUISANCE PERMIT

TO HARRASS OR HAZE OR

OTHERWISE GET RID OF THE BIRDS.

- SOUNDS GOOD.

- WE HAVE AN URBAN

TURKEY IN BOZEMAN.

THERE IS A WILD TURKEY LIVING

DOWN RIGHT IN RESIDENTIAL

AREAS IN TURKEY, IN BOZEMAN,

- AND, YOU DON'T WANNA

TRY PETTIN' IT, I GUESS.

- OH, NO, NO. (LAUGHTER)

APPARENTLY, IT BEATS

UP DOGS, PRETTY WELL.

- THEY CAN BE PRETTY ORNERY.

- ALL RIGHT, MIKE, THIS

PERSON'S HOUSE IS FILLIN' UP

WITH LARGE, SLOW-FLYING FLIES.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GET

RID OF THEM AND ANY IDEA

WHAT THEY MIGHT BE?

- YEAH, THEY'RE CLUSTER

FLIES, IT HAPPENS EVERY FALL.

AND, THEY'RE A REAL

PROBLEM, THEY'RE PARASITES,

THEY'RE LARVAE ARE

PARASITES OF EARTHWORMS,

AND THEY COME OUT IN THE

FALL AND LOOK FOR A PLACE

TO HIDE OVER WINTER.

AND, THEY WANT A WARM

PROTECTED PLACE, SO WHAT

THAT MEANS IS, YOUR

WINDOWS, ON THE INSIDE, AND

THEY'RE COMING IN THROUGH

CRACKS AND CREVICES

AND CRAWL SPACES.

THEY'LL GET INTO THE, YOU

COULD BE HORRIFIED SOMETIMES

IF YOU GO INTO THE CRAWL

SPACES AND SEE HOW MANY

OF THEM THERE ARE DOWN THERE.

AND THEN, IF IT GETS WARM,

THEY COME UP, THEY SEE LIGHT,

THEY GO THROUGH THE HOLE, AND

THEY END UP IN YOUR HOUSE,

THEN THEY GO TO THE WINDOWS,

THEY'RE SLOW-FLYING BECAUSE

THEY'RE COLD.

- OKAY.

- YOU CAN HIT 'EM WITH

THE FLY SWATTER, YOU CAN

SUCK 'EM UP WITH A VACUUM

CLEANER, YOU CAN SEAL UP

YOUR HOUSE A LITTLE BETTER.

BUT, THEY'RE LIKE THE POOR,

THEY WILL BE WITH US ALWAYS.

- I WAS GONNA SAY, 'CAUSE

I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS

DOING SIDING WHEN I WAS IN

CONSTRUCTION, AND YOU WOULD

PULL SIDING OFF A HOUSE, OR

YOU WOULD GET INTO SOME OF

THE WALLS THAT HAVE INSULATION

AND THE AMOUNT OF FLIES

THAT WERE IN THERE,

SOMETIMES WAS PHENOMENAL.

- AND, ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT HAPPENS, THEN, IS THEY

DIE IN THERE AND THERE'S

THESE, A GROUP OF BEETLES

CALLED CARPET BEETLES

THAT LIVE ON DEAD INSECT

CARCASSES, AND THEY WILL

GET IN THERE AND THEN YOU

WILL IN THE SPRING, HAVE

PEOPLE BRING IN LIKE, A HANDFUL

OF THESE LITTLE

BEETLES WONDERING WHERE

AND, THAT COULD BE

WHERE THEY'RE AT.

- INTERESTING, SOUTH

OF ALBERTON, LANCE,

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO ELIMINATE

OR DISCOURAGE PACK

RATS FROM NESTING

IN THE ENGINE OF A

VEHICLE PARKED OUTSIDE?

THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A

POISON-FREE OPTION, SINCE THERE

ARE PETS NEARBY.

SURE, START THE VEHICLE ONCE

IN A WHILE, THAT WOULD BE

MY RECOMMENDATION, SO, I

KNOW THAT'S NOT AN OPTION

FOR PROJECTS, I HAVE A

COUPLE OF THOSE MYSELF.

BUT, YEAH, THEY CAN BE

PRETTY NASTY, SO, MOTHBALLS.

DUMP A BUNCH OF MOTHBALLS

IN THERE, JUST MAKE SURE

THAT YOU'RE CLEANING THOSE

OUT, PRIOR TO WHEN YOU WANNA

ACTUALLY USE THE VEHICLE,

'CAUSE THAT CAN BE BAD.

- (LAUGHTER) I BELIEVE THAT.

- AGAIN, JUST AS COMMENTS, I

WORKED FOR YEARS FOR A SERVICE

STATION WHERE WE WOULD

CHANGE OIL AND WE WOULD TAKE

FILTERS OUT OF CARS, AND YOU

WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY CARS

YOU WOULD TAKE THE FILTER OUT

AND THERE WOULD BE SOME TYPE

OF PACK RAT NEST,

IN THE AIR FILTER.

SO, JUST THE PERFORMANCE OF

THE VEHICLE MUST HAVE BEEN

COMPROMISED BY THAT,

IT WAS QUITE PHENOMENAL

AND YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE

HOW MANY TIMES YOU WOULD

SEE THAT, IT'S CRAZY.

- CHANGE YOUR FILTERS,

THEN. (LAUGHTER)

- YEAH, EXACTLY, CHANGE

YOUR FILTERS MORE OFTEN.

- EVERY 300 PACK

RATS. (LAUGHTER)

- IT ALSO COMPROMISED THE

PERFORMANCE OF THE PACK RAT.

- (LAUGHTER) WELL, YOU KNOW,

WE NEVER DID FIND THE PACK RATS

IN THERE, WE ALWAYS JUST FOUND

THEIR NESTS, CHEWED WIRES,

THINGS LIKE THAT.

- OKAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'VE

HAD PACK RATS FOR A WHILE.

MACK, THIS CAME IN FROM

HILL COUNTY, WHICH IS HAVRE,

SHE HAS ABOUT THREE

QUARTER ACRE GARDEN "FARM",

SHE NEEDS HELP, WHO

SHOULD SHE CONTACT, THE

COUNTY AGENT UP THERE OR

WHO WOULD YOU SUGGEST?

OR YOU, CALL MACK, (LAUGHTER)

PHONE'S OUT THERE, THAT'D WORK.

- YEAH, GIVE ME A CALL, I'D

BE GLAD TO VISIT WITH YOU

ABOUT WHATEVER KIND OF HELP

IT IS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR.

[TOBY} AND, NICOLE GRAVE,

WHO IS THE EXTENSION AGENT

IN HILL COUNTY IS A GREAT

AGENT, SHE IS VERY RESPONSIVE,

DOES A VERY GOOD JOB OF GETTIN'

BACK TO FOLKS AND IF SHE

DOESN'T KNOW THE ANSWER, I

KNOW THAT SHE GETS IN TOUCH

WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

- WHEN SOMEBODY WITH THREE

FOURTHS OF AN ACRE GARDEN

SAYS, "I NEED HELP!", I

THINK THEY NEED HELP PICKIN'

TOMATOES OR

SOMETHING. (LAUGHTER)

- THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT,

TOO, SOMEBODY TO RUN

THE ROTOTILLER, HUH?

- YEAH. (LAUGHTER)

- FROM ANACONDA, AND THIS

IS AN INTERESTING QUESTION

I'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF.

WHAT IS THE TECHNICAL

DIFFERENCE AND THE DEFINITION

OF A RANCH AND A RANCHETTE?

YEAH, I GOT 'EM. (LAUGHTER)

I'M NOT SURE IF THERE IS A

TECHNICAL DEFINITION, AS I,

DEAL A LOT WITH, MOST OF MY

RESEARCH OCCURS ON RANGE LANDS

AND HOW I DEFINE A RANCHETTE,

IS WHEN A RANCH, A WORKING RANCH

OF 1,000 OR MORE ACRES IS

SUBDIVIDED INTO 10, 20,

30 ACRE PARCELS.

- [JACK] I THINK THAT'S

PROBABLY A VERY GOOD DEFINITION.

- I DON'T KNOW, WHAT

DO YOU GUYS THINK?

- IF YOU CAN'T SELL ENOUGH

PRODUCE OF THE LAND TO PAY

THE PAYMENTS, IT'S A RANCHETTE.

- OKAY.

- ISN'T A RANCHETTE JUST A

FEMALE VERSION OF A RANCH?

(LAUGHTER)

- OKAY, NOW YOU'RE

GETTING ME IN TROUBLE.

- WE'RE DONE NOW.

FROM BILLINGS, MIKE THIS

IS INTERESTING, TOO.

THIS PERSON HAS SEEN

PRAYING MANTIS AND SLUGS

FOR THE FIRST TIME, TELL

US MORE, WHY THAT MIGHT BE

AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

WHAT PRAYING MANTIS MIGHT--

WELL, IF YOU'RE SEEING

PRAYING MANTISES IN BILLINGS,

IT'S BECAUSE YOUR NEIGHBORS

ARE PROBABLY BUYING THEM

FROM ONE OF THE

ORGANIC SUPPLIERS.

VERY, VERY RARE TO FIND

A NATIVE PRAYING MANTIS

IN MONTANA, THEY DO OCCUR,

THEY'RE QUITE SMALL,

BUT, IF YOU'RE SEEING

THE BIG CHINESE MANTIS,

YOU CAN BUY THE EGG MASSES,

THEY'RE CALLED 'OOTHECA'

AND YOU CAN BUY THEM, AND

PEOPLE WILL RELEASE THEM

IN THEIR GARDEN.

THEY THEN LEAVE AND GO

TO THE NEIGHBOR'S GARDEN

AS SOON AS THEY COME

OUT, SO THAT'S ONE THING.

AS FAR AS SLUGS, SLUGS ARE

CYCLICAL AND THEY'RE HERE

THEY'RE NATIVE, SOME OF

'EM, THERE'S SOME EXOTIC

ONES AS WELL, IN GARDENS,

BUT IT'S JUST WHETHER OR NOT

THERE WAS A GOOD YEAR FOR THEM.

- SOUNDS GOOD, QUICK ONE,

IS IT TOO LATE IN THE SEASON

TO DIVIDE IRIS?

- IT IS, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO

DIVIDE IRIS, PROBABLY NO MORE

THAN A MONTH AFTER THEY FLOWER.

- SOUNDS GOOD, REED

POINT, LANCE, THIS PERSON

SAID THEY HAVE AN

EXPLOSION OF RABBITS

IN THE REED POINT AREA, WHICH

IS BETWEEN BIG TIMBER AND

BILLINGS IS THERE ANY OUTSIDE

SYMPTOMS OF TULAREMIA ON

EITHER LIVE OR DEAD RABBITS,

AND WILL TULAREMIA GO TO PETS?

- LOTS OF QUESTIONS THERE,

SO THE REASON THEY'RE SAYING

A LOT MORE RABBITS, IS THAT

RABBITS, RABBIT POPULATIONS ARE

CYCLIC, SO THEY COME UP AND

DOWN, IN MORE THAN ANNUAL

CYCLES, SO, OVER

A PERIOD OF TIME.

TULAREMIA IS A DISEASE OF

CONCERN IN RABBITS, BUT, TO MY

KNOWLEDGE IS THERE'S NO

DISCERNIBLE, OVERT WAY TO TELL

THAT A RABBIT DIED OF TULAREMIA.

IF YOU FIND A DEAD RABBIT,

THAT HAS, THAT YOU CAN'T FIND

ANY TYPE OF WOUND OR YOU

CAN'T OTHERWISE DETERMINE

WHY IT DIED, THERE'S A GOOD

CHANCE THAT IT DIED FROM SOME

PATHOGEN, A PATHOGEN OF

SOME KIND, AND TULAREMIA IS

A COMMON ONE.

AS FAR AS PETS, I DO NOT KNOW.

I WOULD ASSUME THAT, I

WOULD ASSUME IT WOULD BE

A VERY RARE THING.

- OKAY, I THINK THAT'S CORRECT.

- YEAH.

- TULAREMIA THIS YEAR,

THROUGHOUT THE WEST

HAS BEEN QUITE COMMON

HAS IT NOT?

- WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF

IT'S BEEN COMMON ACROSS THE

ENTIRE WEST, BUT I DO KNOW

THAT I HAVE ONE GRADUATE

STUDENT WORKING ON A

RESEARCH PROJECT ON BEAVERS,

AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER

OF BEAVERS THAT WE HAVE

FOUND DEAD, THAT HAVE, AND

WE'VE TAKEN THEM INTO THE STATE

VET FOR NECROPSY AND SHE THINKS

THAT THEY DIED OF TULAREMIA.

- I READ AN ARTICLE RECENTLY,

FROM COLORADO WHERE I THINK

THEY SHARE THEY'VE HAD ABOUT

A DOZEN CASES OF TULAREMIA

AND A COUPLE PEOPLE HAVE

ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY BECAUSE

OF TULAREMIA.

- THAT'S UNFORTUNATE.

- IT'S ON THAT ISSUE, ONCE IT

FREEZES, IT'S THEORETICALLY,

TULAREMIA DISAPPEARS,

IS THAT TRUE?

- I'M NOT SURE, MIKE,

IS TULAREMIA VECTORED

BY AN INSECT?

- I DON'T BELIEVE SO, I

THINK IT'S CONTACT TO CONTACT

THAT'S THE WAY PEOPLE GET

IT, IS WHEN THEY'RE CLEANING

A RABBIT THEY CUT THEMSELVES.

- YES.

- I BELIEVE IT'S A DIRECT

CONTACT, I'VE NEVER HEARD

OF AN INSECT VECTOR OR

AN ARTHROPOD VECTOR.

- WELL, IF THAT'S THE CASE,

THEN I WOULD EXPECT IT

TO LULL A BIT AS THERE'S A

LOT OF DIE-OFF, ESPECIALLY

IN RABBIT POPULATIONS

HERE IN WINTER TIME,

AS THEY'RE PREDATED ON,

BUT IT WON'T GO AWAY.

IT'LL ALWAYS BE THERE

AT SOME ZERO PREVALENCE.

- MATT, THIS PERSON IS

CURIOUS, FROM GREAT FALLS,

ARE YOU SEEING AN INCREASE

IN SMALL FARMS THAT ARE

PRODUCING PRODUCTS FOR PROFIT?

- YEAH, YEAH, I AM, AND

IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THAT.

I'M DEFINITELY WORKIN'

WITH A NUMBER OF PRODUCERS

WHO'VE MADE A STEP INTO

THE LEVEL WHERE THEY'RE

EMPLOYING PEOPLE AND

MAKING A LIVING DOIN' IT.

I THINK THAT'S A

GOOD THING TO SEE.

- OKAY, LANCE, WE'RE GETTIN'

A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

SINCE YOU'RE THE GUEST, WE'RE

GONNA HIT YOU WITH A FEW

MORE OF 'EM.

DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR

A WAY TO CONTROL OR ELIMINATE

BADGERS IN CROP

AND OR RANCH LAND?

- THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY AT

REDUCING BADGER POPULATIONS

IS TRAPPING, AND SO,

THEY'RE REALLY EASY TO TRAP,

'CAUSE THEY COME OUT OF

THEIR BURROWS IN A CERTAIN

SPOT, SO THEY'RE PRETTY

EASY TO DO, SO, THAT'S WHAT

I WOULD RECOMMEND.

- BUT AREN'T BADGERS GONNA

TAKE OUT AN AWFUL LOT OF THINGS

THAT ARE EATING CROPS?

- OH, ABSOLUTELY, YEAH,

THANKS MIKE, I SHOULD HAVE

MENTIONED THAT.

YEAH, SO BADGERS ACTUALLY

DO, THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE

A LOT OF SERVICE TO THOSE

SMALL RODENTS AND THINGS

THAT ARE ACTUALLY

DEPREDATING CROPS.

SO, THEY'RE KINDA

NICE TO HAVE AROUND.

- YEAH, I WOULD AGREE.

- MIKE, EARWIG TREATMENT, IN

THE FALL TO REDUCE EARWIGS

FOR NEXT SUMMER, I DON'T

KNOW OF ANYTHING, DO YOU?

- WINTER WILL EVENTUALLY DO

IT, EXCEPT IN THE GARAGE,

WHICH IS WHERE THEY

ALL SEEM TO GO.

THAT IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS

WHERE CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING.

YOU CAN CLOSE UP FOOD SOURCES

TO KEEP THEM OUT, YOU CAN

CLEAN THINGS UP TO KEEP THEM

OUT, BUT THEY'RE GONNA BE

IN YOUR WOOD PILES AND SO ON,

THE QUESTION IS, IS ARE THEY

BAD ENOUGH TO

ACTUALLY TREAT FOR.

ARE THEY IN A PLACE WHERE YOU

REALLY NEED TO TREAT FOR THEM.

THEY'RE IRRITATING,

I'M AN ENTOMOLOGIST,

I LIKE INSECTS, I HATE

EARWIGS, (LAUGHTER) YOU KNOW.

- A LOT OF PEOPLE DO.

- THEY'RE REALLY NOT

VERY HARMFUL ARE THEY?

- SO, I FEEL FOR THEM,

THEY'RE IRRITATING, THEY TASTE

BAD, SO THEY GET INTO

THE DOG FOOD, DOG DOESN'T

WANT TO EAT IT, THEY'RE

ALWAYS IN PLACES WHERE YOU

DON'T WANT THEM, AND

THEY'RE SQUIRMY WHEN YOU GO

TO SQUISH THEM.

- AND YOU'RE AN

ENTOMOLOGIST? (LAUGHTER)

- YEAH, THEY'RE JUST A

PAIN, AND THEY'RE NONNATIVE,

THEY'RE ANOTHER ONE OF

THOSE THINGS THAT CAME

OUT OF EUROPE WITH US AND

THERE'S NO GOOD PREDATORS

OR PARASITES ON THEM.

- [TOBY] ANOTHER THING THAT

I SOMETIMES RECOMMEND IS JUST

PUTTIN' UP A ROLLED

UP NEWSPAPER, ROLL

ROLL 'EM UP TIGHT, THEY'LL

USUALLY FIND LITTLE FOLDS AND

PLACES WHERE THEY LIKE TO

HIDE AND THEN YOU CAN JUST

THROW OUT THE NEWSPAPER

OR RECYCLE IT.

- OH, NO, NO, YOU BURN IT.

- BURN IT?

- YES, IT'S MUCH MORE

SATISFYING. (LAUGHTER)

IF YOU LISTEN CLOSELY,

YOU CAN HEAR 'EM POP.

(LOUD LAUGHTER)

- ALL RIGHT, ENOUGH WITH

EARWIGS, LANCE, AND WE'VE HAD

SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT

VOLES AND GOPHERS, WHICH I

THINK THEY'RE REFERRING

TO GROUND SQUIRRELS.

THIS PARTICULAR PERSON FROM

BOZEMAN HAS LOTS OF VOLES

AND GOPHERS, GROUND SQUIRRELS

MOVING IN FROM THEIR

NEIGHBORS, IS THERE ANY WAY

THAT THEY CAN STOP THOSE

CREATURES FROM MOVING

INTO THEIR PROPERTY?

- TRY GETTING A NEW

NEIGHBOR. (LAUGHTER)

SO, YEAH, IT'S GONNA

BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO

CONTROL VOLES OR REDUCE

VOLES, IF YOU DON'T HAVE

A COMMUNITY LEVEL

KIND OF COOPERATIVE.

BECAUSE, YOU GUYS KNOW

THIS, SO VOLES ARE

HIGHLY PROLIFIC, SO THEY

HAVE LIKE, THEY CAN HAVE

MULTIPLE LITTERS IN A

SEASON, AND THEY CAN HAVE

A LARGE NUMBER OF PUPS

IN EACH LITTER, SO EVEN

JUVENILES CAN HAVE, CAN

BORE YOUNG IN THE SEASON

THAT THEY WERE BORN.

SO, THEY JUST KEEP COMIN'.

SO, IF YOUR NEIGHBORS

NOT HELPIN' YOU OUT,

THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE

A HARD TIME KEEPING

THEM OUT OF YOUR YARD.

BUT, THERE ARE A NUMBER

OF MEASURES WHICH, I MEAN,

I WAS WATCHING THE SHOW

LAST WEEK AND TOBY MENTIONED

A COUPLE OF MEASURES

FOR PREVENTING DAMAGE.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING

THAT YOU CAN DO IS TO CHANGE

THE HABITAT CONDITIONS,

SO REMOVE THE COVER.

SO, IF YOU'RE HAVING

PROBLEMS IN YOUR GARDEN,

GETTING INTO YOUR GARDEN,

THEN CREATE A BUFFER AROUND

YOUR GARDEN OF JUST BARE SOIL

OR ROCKS, THEY DON'T WANNA

COME UP OVER, RUN OVER THAT.

IN THE FALL, BEFORE WINTER,

YOU WANNA REMOVE, YOU WANT TO

CUT YOUR GRASS SHORT AND THEN

REMOVE ALL THE THATCH SO THAT

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY COVER

AND THE SNOW CAN KINDA GET

CAMPACTED THERE, TO PROTECT

YOUR TREES, YOU CAN WRAP THOSE

IN HARDWARE CLOTH, MAKE

SURE YOU'RE BURYING IT

TO THREE OR FOUR INCHES.

AND OF COURSE, DON'T

GIRDLE YOUR TREES WITH

THE HARDWARE CLOTH. (LAUGHTER)

- COULD YOU REALISTICALLY

EXPECT A INSTALLED RAPTOR PERCH

OF SOME SORT TO DRAW A

BIRD IN AND HELP YOU OUT?

- NO, THE DETERRENTS, OR THE

SCARE DEVICES FOR THINGS ARE

JUST KIND OF INEFFECTIVE, THEY

USUALLY WORK FOR TWO OR THREE

DAYS AND THEN ANIMALS

GET HABITUATED TO 'EM.

- YEAH, BUT I'M TRYIN' TO

BRING A REAL RAPTOR IN.

- WELL, THAT WOULD BE GOOD,

YEAH, IF YOU COULD DO THAT,

THAT WOULD HELP A LOT.

YOU CAN BRING DOWN POPULATIONS

WITH A CONCENTRATED

TRAPPING EFFORT, SNAP TRAPS

IN THE RUNS, BUT AS SOON AS

YOUR ENTHUSIASM FOR TRAPPING

WANES, THEY'RE GONNA

COME RIGHT BACK, SO YEAH,

TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.

- YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING A

BUNCH OF HERBICIDE QUESTIONS,

WEED PROBLEM QUESTIONS

TONIGHT AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE

JANE MANGOLD BACK ON PANEL,

NEXT WEEK OR TWO, WE'RE GONNA

HOLD THOSE FOR HER, BECAUSE

SHE'S MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE

THAN THESE PEOPLE

ARE IN THAT AREA.

FROM LAKESIDE, THIS ONE

I'M UNFAMILIAR WITH.

HOW WELL DOES A PRODUCT

CALLED CAB FRESH WORK TO KEEP

PACK RATS OUT OF

VEHICLES AND CABINS?

HAS ANYBODY EVER HEARD OF THAT?

- I'M SORRY, NO, I

DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.

- I HAVEN'T EITHER.

YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'LL

FIND OUT AND CHECK.

FROM MCALLISTER, WE GOT

LANCE UP, WE'LL JUST STAY

RIGHT THERE, HE HAS DEER

MICE GETTING INTO HIS HOUSE'S

BASEMENT, HE HAS BEEN

TOLD THAT POISONS THAT ARE

AVAILABLE NOW ARE NOT AS

EFFECTIVE AS IN THE PAST, DUE TO

A LOWER CONCENTRATION

OF ACTIVE INGREDIENT.

IS THAT TRUE?

- I'M UNSURE IF THAT'S TRUE,

BUT, YOU KNOW, IN MY HOUSE, I'M

CONSTANTLY BATTLING DEER

MICE GETTING INTO THE HOUSE.

SO, MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT

TO CLOSE UP ALL OF THE SMALL

GAPS, THEY CAN GET THROUGH

A SPACE THAT'S LESS THAN

A QUARTER OF AN INCH, EVEN.

SO, AND JUST LIKE THE VOLES

THEY ARE HIGHLY PROLIFIC,

SO YOU KINDA HAVE TO,

THEY'LL BE CYCLIC.

YOU'LL WHACK THE POPULATION

DOWN AND TWO MORE

WILL GET IN SOME LITTLE

CRACK IN YOUR HOUSE AND THEN

YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER BOOM,

AND YOU JUST KEEP AT IT.

SO, I'M NOT SURE ABOUT

THAT, REDUCED CONCENTRATION.

- ARE THERE SOME EFFECTIVE

POISONS FOR DEER MICE?

- SURE, WELL I MEAN, YES, SO

THERE ARE SEVERAL COMMERCIALLY

AVAILABLE AT ANY HARDWARE

STORE, RAT/MOUSE POISONS THAT

WILL WORK.

- TABLETS.

- YEAH, EXACTLY, WELL, AND

ACTUALLY I WOULDN'T WANT

TO PUT OUT TABLETS, THEY

MAKE THESE ENCLOSED TRAPS,

THAT ONLY A MOUSE CAN GET IN.

ALL RIGHT, SO ONE OF THE

THINGS ABOUT POISONING RATHER

THAN LIKE USING SNAP TRAPS

OR SOME OTHER DEVICE IS THAT

IT TAKES A WHILE FOR THAT TO

WORK, AND IF THE MOUSE GETS OUT

AND PERHAPS YOUR CAT CAN CONSUME

IT THERE MAYBE SOME RISK.

THAT'S PROBABLY WHY, IF THEY

HAVE LOWERED THE CONCENTRATION,

TO PREVENT SECONDARY TROPHIC

CASCADES OF THE POISON.

- SOUNDS GOOD, TOBY, THIS

PERSON WANTS TO STORE SQUASH,

SHE HAS A ROOT CELLAR,

ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR IT?

- WELL, THE FIRST THING I

WOULD DO WITH THE SQUASH IS

HOPEFULLY IT'S GOING TO BE

SUNNY IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS,

GET IT OUT IN THE SUN, GET

IT OUT IN THE WARMTH, IT'LL

SUBARIZE AGAIN, THAT

KIND OF THE OUTSIDE SKIN,

TOUGHEN UP THAT SKIN.

THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO

STORE IT IN A COOL, KINDA DRY

SPOT, OR DRIER SPOT, YOU DON'T

WANT THE HUMIDITY TOO HIGH,

I THINK 50, 60 PERCENT, WHICH

A CRAWL SPACE WOULD BE JUST

ABOUT PERFECT FOR THAT.

- OKAY.

- AND YOU WANNA WATCH AGAIN,

ANY KIND OF WOUNDING, AND SO

DON'T THROW IT IN A WHEEL

BARROW, DON'T GET ANY KIND

OF MARKS, DENTS, SCRATCHES,

ANYTIME YOU HAVE THAT, THAT'S

WHEN YOU CAN GET INFECTION,

THEN THE MOLDS WILL TAKE THOSE

OUT, SO BE GENTLE WITH THEM.

- THEY'LL CONTINUE TO

RIPEN IN STORAGE AS WELL.

SO, IF MAYBE YOUR BUTTERNUTS

DIDN'T QUITE FINISH UP

THOSE CAN CONTINUE TO

RIPEN SOME, NOT NECESSARILY

FROM A GREEN STAGE, BUT.

- OKAY, RIGHT, A COMMENT

FROM HELENA, THIS PERSON

CALLED IN AND SAID RABBITS

WITH TULAREMIA WILL HAVE

WHITE SPOTS ON THE LIVER, THAT

ARE VISIBLE IN A NECROPSY,

AND I THINK THAT'S TRUE,

I THINK I'VE READ THAT.

- YOU CAN DEFINITELY SEE LESIONS

INTERNALLY, BUT YOU CAN'T

TELL EXTERNALLY, IF

TULAREMIA KILLED A RABBIT.

- CLARIFIED THAT.

- THANKS FOR THE CALL.

- NO THAT'S GREAT, WE LIKE

COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS.

FROM BILLINGS, MACK AND

TOBY WHAT'S A SPINNING-TYPE

COMPOSTER, AND THEY FOLLOWED

THE DIRECTIONS, THEY USED

GRASS CLIPPINGS, DRY LEAVES,

WATER, ETC., BUT IT DOESN'T

WORK FOR 'EM, VERY WELL,

ANY THOUGHT ON THAT?

- MAYBE IT NEEDS MORE WATER?

- WELL, THROW A SHOVELFUL

OF SOIL IN THERE, GET SOME

MICROBES GOING, AND IF YOU

GOT TRILLIONS OF MICROBES

IN THAT SHOVELFUL OF SOIL,

THAT'LL HELP THE PROCESS,

THE OTHER PART OF IT TOO, IS

A LOT OF THOSE SPINNING-TYPE

COMPOSTERS SIMPLY DO NOT

HAVE ENOUGH VOLUME AND SO

THEY STAY COLD, AND SO YOU

REALLY NEED ABOUT A CUBIC YARD

REALLY, TO START THAT COMPOSTING

PROCESS, AND MOST OF 'EM

ARE TOO SMALL.

SO, GET THE LARGEST ONE

YOU CAN, AND IF YOU ALREADY

HAVE ONE, SELL IT IN A GARAGE

SALE, GET A BIGGER ONE.

I DON'T KNOW.

(LAUGHTER)

I LIKE PUTTIN' COMPOST

IN COMPOST PILES,

SIZE AS THAT SPINNER AND

IT WORKS A LOT BETTER.

- NOW THIS CAME IN FROM LAST

WEEK, AND I'M BRINGING IT

UP BECAUSE I'M CURIOUS, AND I

DIDN'T REALIZE THIS, BUT THIS

IS FROM A BIRD PERSON, AND

THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED

TO ALL THE FINCHES THIS

YEAR, IS THERE A REASON

THE POPULATION'S DOWN?

- YOU KNOW, I HEARD THAT

QUESTION EARLIER, AND I DIDN'T

REALLY HAVE A GOOD ANSWER

FOR IT, SO I DON'T KNOW MUCH

ABOUT FINCHES, I HAVE TO SAY,

SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON

WITH MIGRATORY BIRD

POPULATIONS AND THEY CAN BE

SUSCEPTIBLE TO ALL KINDS OF

THINGS, SO THERE COULD BE

LIMITING HABITAT CONDITIONS

HERE, BUT MORE LIKELY

THERE WAS SOME SORT OF

LIMITING FACTOR THAT OCCURRED

ON IT'S WINTERING GROUNDS.

- YEAH, I WOULD AGREE

WITH THAT ENTIRELY.

- IF THERE'S A DRASTIC CHANGE

FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT

USUALLY IT'S ACCOUNTED FOR

BY LARGE DIE-OFF ON THE

WINTERING GROUNDS OR IN

TRANSIT BETWEEN THE TWO.

- [JACK] ALL RIGHT, WHILE

WE HAVE YOU ON FROM HAVRE,

THIS PERSON SAW BLACK VULTURES,

A LOT OF BIRD QUESTIONS

TONIGHT, FEEDING ON A DEER

CARCASS, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT

BEFORE, ARE THEY NEW TO MONTANA?

IF SO, IS THIS RELATED

TO CLIMATE CHANGE?

THAT'S A TOUGH QUESTION

TO ANSWER, SOME

CONJECTURE ON YOUR PART?

SURE, YEAH, SO BLACK

VULTURES ARE RARE,

OR HAVE BEEN RARE AT

LEAST, IN MONTANA.

TO SEE ONE, UP NEAR HAVRE,

THAT WOULD BE VERY UNIQUE.

BUT I WOULD EXPECT TO

SEE MORE AND MORE BLACK

VULTURES AS WE CONTINUE

TO GET WARMER AND WARMER,

MILDER AND MILDER WINTERS, YES.

- [TOBY] WOULDN'T YOU SAY TOO,

WHEN I WAS A KID, GROWIN' UP

IN MONTANA, IT WAS RARE

IF I SAW A BALD EAGLE.

I REALLY THINK, AND I DON'T

KNOW IF YOU CAN TOUCH ON THIS,

BUT MAYBE JUST THE ELIMINATION

OF DDT, HAS THAT INCREASED

BIRD POPULATIONS,

RAPTOR POPULATIONS?

- WELL, CERTAINLY FOR

RAPTOR AND FOR VULTURES,

THE ELIMINATION OF DDT

HAD SIGNIFICANT AND RAPID

POSITIVE IMPACTS FOR THEM,

SO THAT MAY BE THE CASE.

DDT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED

FOR SEVERAL DECADES NOW,

SO THE RECENT OBSERVATION

OF A BLACK VULTURE, THIS FAR

NORTH IS PROBABLY LESS

TO DO WITH DDT PROBABLY,

THAN JUST A NORTHWARD SHIFT

IN THEIR DISTRIBUTION.

- SOME OF THE WORMING

AGENTS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH

VULTURES IN SOME PARTS OF

THE WORLD, IS THAT AFFECTING

OURS?

- I DO NOT KNOW.

- YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING

ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND

BIRD POPULATIONS, I LIKE

TO HUNT DUCKS, AND IN AREAS

THAT I HUNT DUCKS, IN

COLORADO AND MONTANA, WE'RE

SEEIN' IBIS NOW, WHICH 10

YEARS AGO YOU NEVER SAW,

BLACK IBIS, SO YOU DO

CHANGE PATTERNS OF ANIMALS

WHEN TEMPERATURES CHANGE,

FOR WHATEVER REASON.

OKAY, FROM BOZEMAN,

A QUESTION FOR MIKE,

THIS IS INTERESTING, THERE

ARE MANY DIFFERENT STINGING

INSECTS, IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC

TO ONE KIND, ARE YOU ALLERGIC

TO ALL THE OTHER KINDS?

FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE

ALLERGIC TO HONEY BEES ARE YOU

ALSO ALLERGIC TO WASPS?

- THIS IS A GREAT QUESTION.

- IT IS.

- AND, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT

WE TALK ABOUT A LOT, BECAUSE

SOME OF THESE THINGS, THEY'RE

NOT ALL THAT CLOSELY RELATED

TO EACH OTHER.

THE PROBLEM IS, THERE'S NO

EXPERIMENTAL METHOD THAT

WOULD MEET THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR VALID RESEARCH,

BECAUSE YOU'D HAVE TO JUST

TRY THIS, AND IT WOULD

PROBABLY END UP LOSING SOME

OF YOUR STUDY ORGANISMS.

SO, BASICALLY, YOU WANT TO

AVOID STINGING HYMENOPTERA

IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC

TO ANY OF THEM.

I WOULD NOT SUGGEST TRYING

IT, IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT,

BUT, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT

IS SPECIFIC, BUT IT IS NOT

ADVISABLE TO TEMPT FATE.

- ARE THE BEE VENOMS THAT

YOU CAN GET TESTED FOR

WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN, IS

THAT A GENERIC BEE VENOM?

- GENERALLY, JUST AS FAR AS

I KNOW, AND NOW WE'RE INTO

MEDICAL STUFF, SO I PROBABLY

SHOULD JUST BE QUIET NOW,

BUT, AS FAR AS I KNOW IT'S

USUALLY HONEY BEES, IT MAY ALSO

BE YELLOW JACKETS,

BUT THERE'S A WHOLE

BUNCH OF, WELL THERE'S

TENS OF THOUSANDS

OF STINGING HYMENOPTERA TYPES.

THERE'S PROBABLY 750 KINDS OF

BEES JUST IN MONTANA, OR MORE.

AND THEN YOU GET INTO THE

STINGING WASPS AND SO ON, AND

THEY'RE ALL SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT,

BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE ACTUAL

PROTEIN THAT YOU'RE ALLERGIC

TO AND HOW CLOSE THAT IS.

AND THEY'RE ALL EVOLUTIONARY

RELATED, SO IT'S POSSIBLE

THAT THEY COULD BE.

- YOU KNOW WE ASKED FOR

SUGGESTIONS, AND WE'RE GETTIN'

LOTS OF 'EM, WHICH WE DO

APPRECIATE, FROM LAUREL AND

ALSO FROM MALTA, CALLERS

SAID THAT CAB FRESH WORKS

VERY WELL IN KEEPING AND

CONTROLLING MICE IN TRACTORS

AND OTHER TYPES OF EQUIPMENT.

- HAVE THEY TOLD US

WHAT CAB FRESH IS?

- I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAB

FRESH IS, THEY CAN CALL AND

READ THE LABEL TO US AND

WE WILL ALL LEARN SOMETHING

TONIGHT, EVIDENTLY IT WORKS.

- I'M GONNA LOOK THAT UP

AS SOON AS I GET HOME.

- SOUNDS GOOD, AND THEN FROM

OLESON, FIRST CALL I THINK

WE'VE EVER HAD FROM OLESON,

SUGGESTIONS FOR VOLE CONTROL,

AND WE KNOW THIS, TOMCATS,

CATS IN GENERAL ARE VERY,

VERY GOOD AT VOLE CONTROL.

LET ME JUST COMMENT ON THE

CATS, IF YOU WILL, SO YES,

IF YOU DON'T LIKE SONGBIRDS,

'CAUSE CATS KILL A LOT

SONGBIRDS, SO, IF YOU'RE

GONNA USE CATS THEN PUT THEM

OUT AFTER THE SONGBIRDS

HAVE HATCHED THEIR NESTS AND

THEY'RE FIXIN' TO LEAVE.

SO FROM LATE JULY UNTIL

WINTERTIME, THAT'S A GREAT TIME

TO PUT YOUR CATS OUT THERE

AND BE ASSURED THAT THEY'RE

NOT GONNA HAVE NEGATIVE

IMPACTS ON YOUR SONGBIRDS.

- SOUNDS GOOD, AND I

APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT,

THAT'S VERY, VERY TRUE.

NORTH OF WHITEFISH, LANCE,

DO MINK OR ERMINE LIVE HERE?

HE WAS OUTDOORS SAWING

WOOD WITH HIS SAW, SOUNDED

LIKE A RABBIT SCREAMING AND

SAW A SLINKY WEASEL-LOOKING

ANIMAL WATCHING HIM.

- YES, TO BOTH.

- OKAY, THEY'RE COMMON.

- YEAH.

- SO, MINK ARE MORE OF A

WETLAND, RIPARIAN-TYPE OF WEASEL

AND ERMINE, THEY STILL LIKE

RIPARIAN AREAS, BUT IF YOU SEE

MINK HANGING AROUND

LIKE, BEAVER DAMS.

AND MINK ARE ENTIRELY BROWN,

AND THEY HAVE A LITTLE

WHITE CHIN, WHEREAS ERMINE

HAVE MUCH MORE WHITE ON

THEIR BELLIES.

- OKAY, TOBY, FROM BILLINGS,

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY

TO KEEP CARROTS OVER THE WINTER?

- OKAY, KEEP CARROTS, ONE OF

THE THINGS IS, SO, IN STORING

YOUR VEGETABLES, WHAT YOU

WANNA DO IS YOU WANNA HAVE

A HIGH HUMIDITY, KINDA LOWER

TEMPERATURE, WHICH IS KINDA

HARD TO DO, SO MOST OF THE

TIME IT WOULD BE IN THE CRAWL

SPACE OR, IF YOU HAVE A

ROOT CELLAR OF ANY KIND.

A ROOT CELLAR CAN SIMPLY

BE JUST A TRASH CAN, BURIED

IN THE GROUND, A LITTLE BIT

OF STRAW IN THERE, THAT'LL

INCREASE THE HUMIDITY

AND KEEP IT COOL ENOUGH.

BUT, YOU WANT A KIND OF A

COOL, MOIST AREA FOR THOSE

CARROTS AND THEY SHOULD

KEEP, PROBABLY FOR A COUPLE

MONTHS ANYWAYS.

- BUT, YOU DON'T WANT THAT

ROOT CELLAR TO FREEZE, RIGHT?

- RIGHT, YEAH, YOU

DON'T WANT IT TO FREEZE.

- YOU JUST WANT IT TO BE

BASICALLY, A REFRIGERATOR.

- BASICALLY, YES.

- MAGIC OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY,

FRESH CAB, NUMBER ONE,

IS A BOTANICAL RODENT REPELLENT,

AND IT IS THE FIRST AND

ONLY GREEN REPELLENT REGISTERED

BY THE EPA FOR INDOOR

USE, SO, IT WORKS, AND IT GIVES

YOU A LOT MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT IT, SO, EVERYBODY

THAT'S CALLED IN, THANK YOU

ABOUT THAT, WE ALL LEARNED

SOMETHING THIS EVENING.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MICE

PROBLEMS ALREADY, SO I'M

GONNA MISS THAT ONE.

THIS PERSON IS FROM

MANHATTAN, MONTANA AND THEY

HAVE BEAVER DAMAGE, HOW

CAN THEY CONTROL THAT?

- I LIKE THAT THE CALLER ASKED

ABOUT CONTROLLING THE DAMAGE,

RATHER THAN THE

BEAVERS THEMSELVES,

SO, I SUSPECT THEY DIDN'T

ASK, THEY DIDN'T SPECIFY

WHAT TYPE OF DAMAGE

THEY'RE HAVING.

- PROBABLY--

- IS IT THE FLOODING OR--

- THE TREES.

- IS IT THE CUTTING?

- PROBABLY THE CUTTING.

- SO, I'LL JUST TOUCH

A LITTLE ON BOTH.

- OKAY.

- SO, FOR THE CUTTING, IF YOU

HAVE ORNAMENTALS OR ORCHARDS

OR EVEN COTTONWOODS AND ASPENS

THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PROTECT.

GET OUT THERE AND PUT EITHER

HARDWARE CLOTH OR SOME SORT

OF FENCING AROUND THEM, OR

I KNOW A NUMBER OF PEOPLE

WHO HAVE HAD LUCK USING LATEX

PAINT WITH A REALLY COARSE

AGGREGATE IN IT, AND PAINT

THAT ON THE TRUNK OF THE TREE,

AND THAT WILL DETER BEAVERS

FROM CUTTING 'EM AS WELL.

WHEN IT COMES TO FLOODING,

BEAVERS ARE EXCELLENT

ENGINEERS, BUT THEY ARE JUST

AS LAZY AS US, SO THEY LIKE

TO FIND CULVERTS, THAT'S A

GREAT PLACE, THERE ARE A NUMBER

OF DEVICES THAT THEY CAN

INSTALL TO PREVENT BEAVERS

FROM BEING ABLE TO CLOG A

CULVERT, OR YOU CAN INSTALL THEM

IN A BEAVER DAM, FOR KEEPING

A WATER LEVEL THAT WON'T

FLOOD OUT IN THE

GREATER FLOOD PLAIN.

BUT, BEFORE THEY DO THAT, I'M

GLAD THAT THEY WANT TO CONTROL

THE DAMAGE ITSELF, RATHER THAN

ELIMINATE THE BEAVERS, BUT

BEFORE THEY DO THAT THEY

SHOULD KINDA CONSIDER ALL THE

BENEFITS THAT BEAVERS

ACTUALLY PROVIDE.

SO, NOT ONLY WILDLIFE HABITAT,

BUT RETENTION OF WATER,

GROUND WATER RECHARGE,

SOIL AND NUTRIENT ADDITIONS

TO THE SOIL, EROSION CONTROL,

THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS.

BEAVERS ARE A LOT

OF NEAT THINGS.

- SOUNDS GOOD, ALL RIGHT,

FROM WOLF CREEK, TOBY, THIS

PERSON, NOT TOBY, WELL,

HE CAN TOUCH ON IT, TOO.

MACK, LET'S THROW THIS ONE

TOWARDS YOU, THEY HAVE A SMALL

FARM-TYPE SITUATION, THEY HAVE

DEER PROBLEMS THERE BUT THEY

ALSO HAVE BUCK DEER THAT

RUB THE BARK OFF THE TREES,

THEY WANNA KNOW WHAT TO DO

ABOUT THE DEER IN THE GARDEN

AND HOW TO PREVENT THE

BUCKS FROM DESTROYING TREES.

YOU GUYS WANNA HAVE AT IT?

- EIGHT FOOT TALL

FENCE. (LAUGHTER)

- HOW TALL A FENCE, SERIOUSLY?

- IT DEPENDS HOW

ATTRACTIVE WHAT YOU HAVE IS

RELATIVE TO THE

SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT.

- USUALLY, GENERALLY

SPEAKING, A SIX FOOT FENCE

OF WOVEN OR WELDED WIRE

WILL KEEP A DEER OR ELK

OUT OF SOMETHING THEY WANNA EAT.

IT WON'T KEEP THEM

INSIDE OF SOMEWHERE THEY

DON'T WANNA BE, SO, WHEREAS

AN EIGHT FOOT FENCE WILL.

SO, YES, I WOULD AGREE WITH

MACK, THAT IT DEPENDS AND

GENERALLY SPEAKING,

PUT A FENCE AROUND IT.

- AT THE HORTICULTURE FARM

AROUND THE ORCHARD AND THE GREEN

HOUSES THERE, WE PUT ABOUT A

SIX FOOT SIX WOVEN WIRE FENCE

AND IT HAS BEEN VERY

EFFECTIVE KEEPING DEER OUT,

THAT I'VE SEEN.

I'VE ALWAYS MENTIONED THAT IT

HAD TO BE A EIGHT FOOT FENCE

THAT THEY COULD JUMP OVER

IT, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN A DEER

IN THERE YET, SO.

- JIM NYE, OUR FORMER WILDLIFE

SPECIALIST, HE DID A NUMBER

OF EXPERIMENTS TRYING TO SEE

WHAT THE BEST FENCE DESIGN WAS

TO KEEP DEER AND ELK OUT OF

ESSENTIALLY HAY FIELDS, OR AREAS

FOR HAY STORAGE, AND HE

DETERMINED THAT A SIX FOOT FENCE

OF WOVEN OR WELDED WIRE WAS

EFFECTIVE AT KEEPING DEER OUT

OF FOOD RESOURCES.

- SOUNDS GOOD, AND I'VE NOTICED

THIS MYSELF, THIS PERSON

FROM BOZEMAN'S NOTICED

THOUSANDS OF RAVENS, IN THE AREA

THIS YEAR, ARE THEY MIGRATING?

HOW LONG WILL THEY STAY, ANY

INFORMATION ABOUT WHY WE'RE

SEEING SO MANY THIS YEAR?

- SO, RAVENS CAN BE MIGRATORY,

OR NOT BE MIGRATORY, THEY CAN

BE RESIDENT BIRDS AS WELL.

IT COULD BE ANY NUMBER OF

REASONS WHY YOU'RE SEEING

MORE RAVENS THAN NORMAL.

IT COULD BE YOU'VE CHANGED

THE ENVIRONMENT, YOU'VE MADE

IT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO

RAVENS, SO THERE AREN'T ANY

MORE RAVENS, YOU'RE JUST GETTING

MORE OF THEM ON YOUR PLACE

FOR SOME REASON, BUT AS

FAR AS POPULATION LEVEL,

INFLUENCES OR

FLUCTUATIONS, I'M NOT SURE.

- WHAT DO YOU ACTUALLY

CALL A GROUP OF RAVENS?

- OH YES, I WAS THINKING THAT.

- IT'S A MURDER.

- AND IT'S ALMOST HALLOWEEN

AND THAT'S SO COOL. (LAUGHTER)

SORRY, I JUST HAD TO SAY THAT.

- WHAT ABOUT CROWS?

- I THINK IT'S ALSO A MURDER,

ISN'T IT?

- IT'S A CONGRESS.

- IT'S A CONGRESS, OKAY, SORRY.

- BOY, THE EDUCATIONAL

EXPERIENCE I'M GETTING TONIGHT

IS INCREDIBLE.

- I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY

MADE-UP, BUT IT SOUNDS GOOD.

- ANOTHER COMMENT FROM

MALTA, BLACK VULTURES

CAME TO MALTA FOR 20 YEARS,

ALWAYS ON APRIL 13TH.

AND, I'M NOT GOING TO VERIFY

THAT, BUT THAT WAS A COMMENT.

IN MAGRETTE, TOBY, QUICKLY,

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY

TO STORE CABBAGE?

- IT'S ALL ABOUT STORAGE,

OKAY, SAME THING, YOU'RE GONNA

WANT SOME HIGHER HUMIDITY,

COOLER TEMPERATURES AND

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD

CABBAGE FOR PROBABLY A GOOD

MONTH OR TWO, AT BEST.

- WELL, THE TRADITIONAL WAY,

FOR HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS

OF YEARS IS TO STORE

IT AS SAUERKRAUT.

- SAUERKRAUT, YES, I LOVE IT.

- THAT'S THE WAY TO KEEP

CABBAGE OVER WINTER AND MAKE

IT GOOD FOR YOU AND HEALTHY,

AND IT DOESN'T TASTE THAT

GREAT.

- IT TASTES BETTER

THAN CABBAGE. (LAUGHTER)

- MIX FIVE POUNDS OF

CABBAGE TO THREE TABLESPOONS

OF PICKLING SALT, I KNOW

THAT, JUST BECAUSE I'VE MADE

SOME SAUERKRAUT.

- SO, HOW IS KIMCHEE MADE?

- OH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EVEN

KNOW, I DON'T LIKE KIMCHEE.

- JUST LIKE EGGPLANT, RIGHT?

- EXACTLY, EXACTLY.

- IT'S BASICALLY ANOTHER

ASIAN FORM OF SAUERKRAUT,

AND IT'S A PICKLING,

AND IT'S AMAZINGLY NUTRITIOUS.

- IT IS.

- JUST ANOTHER KIND OF CABBAGE

PICKLED WITH SOME

SPICES THROWN IN.

- BUT IT IS, THAT'S

HOW YOU STORE CABBAGE

AND KEEP IT SO THAT YOU'RE

STILL HAVING SOMETHING TO EAT

BEFORE THINGS COME OUT IN MARCH.

- SOUNDS GOOD, WE'VE

CORRECTED THAT PROBLEM NOW,

SO, ALL RIGHT, MIKE, WHILE

WE GOTCHA, A LARGE BEE SWARM

MOVED INTO THE CEILING OF

OUR ABANDONED FARM BUILDING

THIS PAST SUMMER, WHAT'S

GONNA HAPPEN NEXT YEAR?

- WELL, IF THEY WENT IN THERE

AND THEY STARTED A HIVE,

SO THAT THEY'RE PRODUCING

COMB AND HONEY AND SO ON,

IT REALLY DEPENDS ON HOW

PROTECTED THAT WILL BE OVER

THE WINTER HOW SUCCESSFUL THEY

WERE AT MAKING UP A STORE.

THE ABILITY OF HONEY BEES

TO OVERWINTER AS FERAL OR

OR WILD HIVES IN MONTANA

HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN THAT

THAT THEY WON'T MAKE IT.

AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE

THINGS WHERE LAST YEAR

I HEARD A REPORT, THIS YEAR,

A REPORT OF A FERAL COLONY

OVERWINTERING LAST WINTER,

WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT

IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL.

SO, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS

THEY WILL EITHER DIE OFF OR

THEY WILL MAKE IT, AND IT'S

VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL WHICH.

- ALL RIGHT, LANCE, THIS

PERSON IS FROM GREAT FALLS,

HIS MOTHER HAS LARGE

MOUNDS OF DIRT IN THE YARD,

CAUSED BY SOME UNDERGROUND

ANIMAL, PROBABLY

POCKET GOPHERS, HOW CAN

THEY GET RID OF THEM

WITHOUT POISONING THEIR CAT?

- SO, YES, INDEED, I THINK

THEY DO HAVE POCKET GOPHERS.

POCKET GOPHERS ARE THE ONES

THAT CREATE THAT NICE, FINE

MOUND OF DIRT, AND THOSE ARE

ACTUALLY THE, THEY HAVE A

MAIN TRAILWAY UNDER THE

GROUND AND IT'S REALLY CLOSE

TO THE SURFACE.

AND, THEY CREATE ALL THESE

SIDE TUNNELS AND THEY PUSH

ALL THE DIRT UP THOSE SIDE

TUNNELS, AND THEY DON'T USE

THOSE SIDE TUNNELS.

SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK

THEY CAN TRAP OR POISON

POCKET GOPHERS BY DIGGING

IN THERE AND PUTTING

THE POISON OR WHATEVER IN

THOSE, UNDERNEATH THOSE

MOUNDS OF DIRT, AND THAT

JUST WON'T BE EFFECTIVE,

BECAUSE THEY DON'T

USE THOSE AT ALL.

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY

TO CONTROL POCKET GOPHERS

IS BY TRAPPING THEM, IF

THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.

THERE ARE SOME APPROVED

TOXICANTS FOR POCKET GOPHERS

INCLUDING, I BELIEVE IT'S

STILL APPROVED, STRYCHNINE.

IT'S ACTUALLY THE ONLY APPROVED

USE OF STRYCHNINE, I THINK,

IS UNDERGROUND.

SO, IF YOU HAVE POCKET GOPHERS

AND YOU WANT TO GET RID

OF THEM, POCKET GOPHERS, IN

CONTRAST TO GROUND SQUIRRELS,

ARE MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL,

SO TRAPPING IS THE MOST

EFFECTIVE ROUTE.

- ALL RIGHT, FROM CONRAD,

THIS PERSON WANTS US TO SPELL

THE NAME OF THE RODENT PRO

PRODUCT USED INSIDE EQUIPMENT.

WHAT I HAVE HERE IS C-A-B

F-R-E-S-H, AND IT MIGHT BE

HYPHENATED.

- OR, FRESH CAB.

- OR FRESH CAB, MAYBE IT'S

FRESH CAB, OKAY, THAT WORKS, ONE

OF THE TWOS.

QUICKLY, HOW DO YOU STORE

RED POTATOES, THE BEST WAY?

- THE SAME WAY, GET YOURSELF

A ROOT CELLAR FOLKS, THAT'S

GONNA BE IT, OR A COOL,

WET, HUMID ENVIRONMENT.

- OKAY, HERE WE HAD ANOTHER

QUESTION, ABOUT WHERE HAVE

ALL THE GRASSLAND BIRDS GONE,

ANY QUICK COMMENT ON THAT?

- OH, WOW, THAT'S A GREAT

QUESTION, AND IT WOULD BE A VERY

LONG ANSWER, SO, GRASS

AND BIRDS ARE ACTUALLY

THE MOST PRECIPITOUSLY

DECLINING GUILD OF BIRDS IN

NORTH AMERICA, AND MOSTLY

THAT'S BEEN DUE TO HABITAT

LOSS, OVER THE LAST

30 YEARS OR SO.

GRASSLAND HAS BEEN

DECLINING RAPIDLY.

I THINK WE'RE AT THE END

OF THAT DECLINE, PERHAPS,

IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THE

COST OF BIOFUELS GOES

IN THE FUTURE.

- IT'S HABITAT.

- BUT, IT'S ALL HABITAT DRIVEN,

SO POOR BREEDING HABITAT

RESULTS IN RAPIDLY DECLINING

GRASS AND BIRD POPULATIONS.

- WE'RE DONE FOR THE EVENING

FOLKS AND WE APPRECIATE

ALL THE PHONE CALLS, ALL THE

SUGGESTIONS, AND THE COMMENTS.

WE LOVE TO LISTEN

TO YOUR COMMENTS.

NEXT WEEK, KATE FULLER WILL

TALK A LITTLE BIT THE FARM BILL

AND SO FORTH, WE'LL SEE

YA THEN, GOOD NIGHT,

AND HAVE A GOOD ONE.

(BANJO MUSIC)

- [VOICEOVER] MONTANA AG

LIVE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY

THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT

OF AGRICULTURE, THE MSU

EXTENSION SERVICE, THE

MSU AG EXPERIMENT STATIONS

OF THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE,

THE MONTANA WHEAT &

BARLEY COMMITTEE, THE

MONTANA BANKERS ASSOCIATION,

CASHMAN NURSERY &

LANDSCAPING, AND THE GALLATIN

GARDENERS CLUB.

(ELECTRIC GUITAR FANFARE)