Western farmers miss spring window for gopher poison

The first window for Alberta and Saskatchewan farmers to use strychnine to control ground squirrel populations is closing, and many producers are now hoping for better luck next spring.

After mid-June, applying the poison is ineffective because the rodents have already caused most of their crop damage, said Wade Nelson, who farms near High River, Alberta, about 66 kilometres south of Calgary. "After the middle of June, you're pretty well out of luck," Nelson said.

Health Canada had banned strychnine over concerns for endangered species like burrowing owls and swift foxes. But the federal government announced in March that producers could again use two-per-cent liquid strychnine until November 2027 to control Richardson's ground squirrels, commonly called gophers in Western Canada.

The sole manufacturer of the chemical in Canada, Regina-based Agromax, received the undiluted strychnine only recently and has already started distilling it for distribution. "Distribution will go out to the municipalities starting at the beginning to the middle of next week," said Brent Punga, the company's president. The delay stemmed from a shortage of fuel in India that caused flights to be cancelled and dangerous goods to be deprioritized.

The federal government designated two strictly regulated application periods: March 1 to June 15 before vegetation emerges, and July 15 to September 1 after vegetation dies down. A single ground squirrel can eat a five-metre circle around every hole it digs, causing serious crop damage. Nelson lost an entire 70-hectare canola field to gophers years ago, taking a $200-per-acre loss beyond his input costs after insurance paid just $55 an acre.