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Overview
Small woodland animals may be cute to look at, but they can cause much damage to crops, livestock, buildings and equipment if not controlled properly. The animals listed below are regulated as an agricultural nuisance in Alberta, which means people can control them on their property if they so choose.
Mice control
There is no way of placing a monetary value on human suffering and damage caused by mice. The greatest loss is probably not what mice eat, but what is wasted, contaminated or destroyed. They also carry disease which impacts public health.
Mice are a large group of mammals, with more than 130 species found worldwide. In Alberta, there are seven species of mice and 12 species of voles.
The most troublesome and economically important of the species found in Alberta are the house mouse, the whitefooted mouse and the meadow vole (commonly called field mouse).
Pocket gophers and ground squirrels
Pocket gophers (moles) and ground squirrels can cause considerable damage to garden and crops by feeding on roots and vegetation.
Pocket gophers and ground squirrels require different control methods. Read the following manuals for extensive detail on how to manage these pests.
Skunks
People generally relate skunks to the foul-smelling, defensive spray they discharge when scared or threatened. In many parts of North America, skunks are the major carriers of rabies.
Skunks eat many harmful insects and rodents but also prey on eggs and young of waterfowl and other ground nesting birds. They sometimes cause problems in bee yards by feeding on bees as they emerge from the hive. Skunks also occasionally prey on farm poultry and eggs.