Starlicide

Abstract: Birds damage thousands of tons of ripening cereal grains worth millions of dollars annually in Africa. In Sudan, Denver Wildlife Research Center (DWRC) personnel are working with the Ministry of Agriculture to reduce crop losses to depredating birds. Although the red-billed quelea (Quelea quelea) is the primary pest in most of the countries, many other species also cause severe damage (Anon. 1980). In Sudan these other species include village weavers (Ploceus cucullatus), golden sparrows (Passer luteus), red bishops (Euplectes orix), and occasionally masked weavers (Ploceus taeniopterus). The control measures used by the Sudan Plant Protection Department are directed at population reduction of highly gregarious species (such as quelea) through the aerial application of the avicide fenthion (O,O-Dimethyl O-[3-methyl4-(methylthio)phenyl]phosphorothioate). Because of the potential primary and secondary poisoning problems posed by fenthion, development and application of an alternate control chemical is desirable. Our objective was to determine the susceptibility of 4 species of birds (which damage cereal crops in Sudan and certain other African countries) to 3 chemicals regularly used in bird damage control in the United States (Dolbeer 1980): the avicide, Starlicide (3-chloro-4 methylbenzenamine); the repellent, methiocarb (3,5-dimethyl-4-(methylthio)phenyl methylcarbamate); and the frightening agent, Avitrol (4-aminopyridine). Our laboratory tests were designed to indicate the potential of Starlicide as an avicide in Africa, help explain the variable results obtained with methiocarb, and provide a basis for initiating field trials with Avitrol.

Abstract: Author(s): Knittle, C Edward; Schafer, Edward W, Jr; Fagerstone, Kathleen A | Abstract: Compound DRC-1339 is a restricted-use, slow-acting avicide that is registered to control a number of avian pests It is unique because of its selective high toxicity to most pest birds, low-to-moderate toxicity to most mammals and predatory birds, and lack of known secondary hazards when used on baits The most widely known product containing DRC-1339 is Purina Mills' Starlicide Complete®, a pelleted bait used to control blackbirds and starlings in feedlots Other DRC-1339 registrations are held by the US Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA/APHIS), for the use of nonpelletized baits at feedlots and for the control of gulls in or near their nesting colonies Over 20 State Special Local Need 24(c) registrations have also been issued to APHIS for special DRC-1339 uses To consolidate these registrations, APHIS has submitted data to amend its feedlot registration for blackbirds and starlings, and applied for three registrations for control of 1) raven and crow depredations on livestock and for wildlife protection, 2) pigeons in and around structures, and 3) blackbirds, starlings, and crows at preroosting staging areas Because most of the submitted data were collected in the 1960s and 1970s, none of it was produced under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) regulations; therefore, new data will probably be needed to support these registrations Future data needs and procedures for collecting valid information for DRC-1339 are suggested

Abstract: During 1990 and 1991, feral pigeon (Columbia tivia) baiting programs using compound DRC-1339 were con in 6 cities in Kentucky and Tennessee. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Damage Control (ADC) personnel evaluated each problem site, selected bait sites, supervised prebaidng, mixed, and toxic bait. In most cases, local personnel conducted the prebaiting and disposed of dead birds. Seven pigeon flocks con 95-735 birds were reduced by up to 100% with 1 or 2 baitings with 0.37 % DRC-1339-treated bait. Most birds died at their areas or on rooftops where they were not visible to the public. Use of the bait sites by nontarget birds was minimal, and no non kills were found during carcass pickup. DRC-1339 appears to be a very effective, selective, and safe means of urban p' population reduction. Pros. East. Wildl. Damage Control Conf. 5:58-62. 191 Uncontrolled feral pigeon populations may create problems in urban areas if their droppings accumulate on buildings, sidewalks, automobiles, and other structures. Large concentrations of droppings in roosting areas may contain the pathogenic fungi Hestoplasma capsulattWn or Cryptococcus neoformans, and at least 40 other diseases or parasites that can be transmitted to humans are associated with pigeons or pigeon excreta (Weber 1979). Management options for nuisance urban pigeons are becoming increasingly limited by cost-effectiveness, lack of availability of registered toxicants, and public attitudes toward control methods. Many cities and towns have traditionally poisoned pigeons with toxic baits such as strychnine, or held organized pigeon shoots periodically to keep populations in check. In 1988, all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registrations for above-ground uses of strychnine were temporarily cancelled (Thomas 1988), leaving Avitrol (4aminopyridine) as the only oral pigeon toxicant available for general use (use of trade names does not imply endorsement of products by the USDA). When used as labeled, Avitrol is a repellent intended to move birds away from a specific site. Although Avitrol is effective in many situations, the erratic behavior and visible distress of birds after ingestion of the toxicant can create public outcry. Organized pigeon shoots can be an effective control method (Hoy and Bivings 1987), however this practice often meets with negative mediacoverage and strong opposition from certain segments of the public, forcing some communities to abandon shooting and seek other solutions. Live-trapping followed by euthanasia can be effective. However, traps are expensive to construct and tend, the desired level of control may require several weeks or months of ' Present address: P.O. Box 76, Woodard Circle, Grambling, LA 71245. intensive effort, and some birds may be trap-shy and diffic capture. Ornitrol (20,25-diazacholestenol dihydrochloride currently registered as a chemosterilant for pigeons. Howe it is difficult to treat the entire target population repeatedly the necessary 7-10 days, the effects are short-term, and st ants only slow population growth ratherthan reducing rum Compound DRC-1339 (3-chloro-4-methylbenzenami HCL) is a relatively slow acting avicide that is highly toxic starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), blackbirds (Icteridae), crowded (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and pigeons. Also, it is less toxic most nontarget raptors and mammals. DeCino et al. (1966 reported Compound DRC-1339 LDso values of 3.8 mg/kg fc starlings, 1.8-3.2 mg/kg for red-winged blackbirds (Agelaiu phoeniceus),1.8 mg/kg for crows, 17.7 mg/kg for pigeons, 32( 1,000 mg/kg for Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii), an > 1,000 mg/kg for rats. Birds ingesting a lethal dose usually different within 3-50 hours, and become listless and inactive during the hours immediately prior to death. Secondary-poisoning ha arils to raptors and mammals appear to be low due to that relatively low toxicity of the compound to these animals, an the near-complete metabolism or excretion of the chemical prior to the death of the target birds (Cunningham et al. 1980 DRC-1339 was first registered in 1967 as a 1 % pelleted bait for starling control at livestock feedlots (Glahn 1982), and commercially available as Starlicide Complete (Ralston-Punt Company, St. Louis, Missouri). No national EPA registration has been obtained for DRC-1339 use on feral pigeons, although 8 states currently have Section 24(c) (Special Local Nee( registrations (E. W. Schafer, Denver Wildlife Research Center pers. commun.). Section 24(c) registrations for feral pigeon were obtained in Kentucky during September 1988, and i Tennessee during May 1989. DRC-1339 98% Concentrate c~ be purchased and used only by ADC employees or person working under their direct supervision. This paper summarize methods and results of pigeon-baiting programs conducted in