Nutria Damage Management

Damage Prevention and Control Methods

Nutria, Myocastor coypus

Preventive measures should be used whenever possible, especially in areas where damage is prevalent. When control is warranted, all available techniques should be considered before a control plan is implemented. The objective of control is to use only those techniques that will stop or alleviate anticipated or ongoing damage or reduce it to tolerable levels. In most cases, successful control will depend on integrating a number of different techniques and methods.

Timing and location of control activities are important factors governing the success or failure of any control project. Control in sugarcane, for example, is best applied during the growing season, after damage has started. At this time, nutria in affected areas are relatively stationary and concentrated in drainages adjacent to fields. Conversely, efforts to protect rice field levees or the shorelines of southern lakes and ponds should be initiated during the winter when animals are mobile and concentrated in major ditches and other large bodies of water.

Nutria are best controlled where they are causing damage or where they are most active. Baiting is sometimes used to concentrate nutria in specific locations where they can be controlled more easily. After the main concentrations of nutria are removed, control efforts should be directed at removing wary individuals.

Exclusion

Fences, walls, and other structures can reduce nutria damage, but high costs usually limit their use. As a general rule, barriers are too expensive to be used to control damage to agricultural crops. Low fences (about 4 feet [1.2 m]) with an apron buried at least 6 inches (15 cm) have been used effectively to exclude nutria from home gardens and lawns. Sheet metal shields can be used to prevent gnawing damage to wooden and styrofoam structures and trees. Barriers constructed of sheet metal can be expensive to erect and unsightly.

Protect baldcypress and other seedlings with hardware cloth tubes around individual plants or wire mesh fencing around the perimeter of a stand. Extensive use of these is neither practical nor cost-effective. Plastic seedling protectors are not effective in controlling damage to baldcypress seedlings because nutria can chew through them. Sheet piling, bulkheads, and riprap can effectively protect stream banks from burrowing nutria. Installation requires heavy equipment and is expensive. Use is usually restricted to industrial or commercial applications.

Cultural Methods and Habitat Modification

Land that is well-drained and free of dense, weedy vegetation is generally unattractive to nutria. Use of other good farming practices, such as precision land leveling and weed management, can minimize nutria damage in agricultural areas.

Draining and Grading. Any drainage that holds water can be used by nutria as a travel route or home site. Consequently, eliminate standing water in drainages to reduce their attractiveness to nutria. This may be extremely difficult or impossible to accomplish in low-lying areas near coastal marshes and permanent bodies of water. Higher sites, such as those used for growing sugarcane and other crops, are better suited for this type of management.
On poorly drained soils, contour small ditches to eliminate low spots and sills and enhance rapid drainage. Use precision leveling on well-drained soils to eliminate small ditches that are occasionally used by nutria.

Grading and bulldozing can destroy active burrows in the banks of steep-sided ditches and waterways. In addition, contour bank slopes at less than 45^o to discourage new burrowing. Sculpting rice field levees to make them gently sloping is similarly effective. Continued deep plowing of land undermined by nutria can destroy shallow burrow systems and discourage new burrowing activity.

Vegetation Control. Eliminate brush, trees, thickets, and weeds from fence lines and turn rows that are adjacent to ditches, drainages, waterways, and other wetlands to discourage nutria. Burn or remove cleared vegetation from the site. Brush piles left on the ground or in low spots can become ideal summer homes for nutria.

Water Level Manipulation. Many low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast are protected by flood control levees and pumps that can be used to manipulate water levels. By dropping water levels during the summer, stressful drought conditions that cause nutria to concentrate in the remaining aquatic habitat can be simulated, thus increasing competition for food and space, exposure to predators, and emigration to other suitable habitat. Raising water levels in winter will force nutria out of their burrows and expose them to the additional stresses of cold weather. Water level manipulation is expensive to implement and has not yet been proven to be effective. Nevertheless, this method should be considered when a comprehensive nutria control program is being developed.

Other Cultural Methods. Alternate field and garden sites should be considered in areas where nutria damage has occurred on a regular basis. New fields, gardens, and slab-on-grade buildings should be located as far as possible from drainages, waterways, and other water bodies where nutria live.
Late-planted baldcypress seedlings are less susceptible to damage by nutria than those planted in the spring. For this reason, plant unprotected seedlings in the early fall when alternative natural foods are readily available.

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Frightening

Nutria are wary creatures and will try to escape when threatened. Loud noises, high pressure water sprays, and other types of harassment have been used to scare nutria from lawns and golf courses. The success of this type of control is usually short-lived and problem animals soon return. Consequently, frightening as a control technique is neither practical nor effective.

Repellents

No chemical repellents for nutria are currently registered. Use of repellents without the proper state and federal pesticide registrations is illegal.

Toxicants

Zinc Phosphide. Zinc phospide is the only toxicant that is registered for controlling nutria. Zinc phosphide is a Restricted Use Pesticide that can only be purchased and applied by certified pesticide applicators or individuals under their direct supervision. It is a grayish-black powder with a heavy garlic-like smell and is widely used for controlling a variety of rodents. When used properly, zinc phosphide poses little hazard to nontarget species, humans, pets, or livestock.

Zinc phosphide is highly toxic to wildlife and humans, so all precautions and instructions on the product label should be carefully reviewed, understood, and followed precisely. Use an approved respirator and wear elbow-length rubber gloves when handling this chemical to prevent accidental poisoning. Mix and store baits treated with zinc phosphide only in well-ventilated areas to reduce exposing humans to chemical fumes and dust. When possible, mix zinc phosphide at the baiting site to avoid having to store and transport treated baits. Never transport mixed bait or open zinc phosphide containers in the cab of any vehicle. Store unused zinc phosphide in a dry place in its original watertight container because moisture causes it to deteriorate. Immediately wash off any zinc phosphide that gets on the skin.

Past studies have shown that zinc phosphide can kill over 95% of the nutria present along waterways when applied to fresh baits at a 0.75% (7,500 ppm) rate. Today, the use of zinc phosphide at this concentration is illegal. Federal and state registrations, however, allow lower rates to be used. For example, the label held by USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services (EPA Reg. No. 56228-9) allows for a maximum 0.67% (6,700 ppm) treatment rate. At this rate, approximately 94 pounds (42.7 kg) of bait can be treated with 1 pound (0.4 kg) of 63.2% zinc phosphide concentrate.

Where to Bait. The best places to bait nutria are in waterways, ponds, and ditches where permanent standing water and recent nutria sign are found. Baiting in these areas increases efficiency and reduces the likelihood that nontarget animals will be affected. Small chunks of unpeeled carrots, sweet potatoes, watermelon rind, and apples can be used as bait.

The best baiting stations for large waterways are floating rafts spaced 1/4 to 1/2 mile (0.4 to 0.8 km) apart throughout the damaged area. In ponds, use one raft per 3 acres (1.2 ha). Rafts measuring 4 feet (1.2 m) square or 4 x 8 feet (1.2 x 2.4 m) are easily made from sheets of 3/8-to 3/4-inch (1.0- to 1.9-cm) exterior plywood and 3-inch (7.6-cm) styrofoam flotation. Install a thin wooden strip around the perimeter of the raft’s surface to keep bait from rolling into the water. The raft should float 1 to 4 inches (2.5 to 10.2 cm) above the surface and should be anchored to the bottom with a heavy weight or tied to the shore (Fig. 5).

Figure 5. Examples of a 4-foot (1.2-m) square raft (left) and a 6-inch (15.2-cm) square baiting board, which are used to concentrate nutria for shooting, trapping, or poisoning. These baiting platforms are constructed of plywood and styrofoam and baited with sweet potatoes.

In small ditches or areas where nutria densities are low, use 6-inch (15.2-cm) square floating bait boards made of wood and styrofoam, in lieu of rafts (Fig. 5). These can be maintained in place with a long slender anchoring pole made of bamboo, reed, or other suitable material that is placed through a hole in the center of the platform. This allows the board to move up and down as water levels change. Attach baits to small nails driven into the surface of the platform. Bait boards should be spaced 50 to 100 feet (15.2 to 30.5 m) apart in areas where nutria are active.

Other natural sites surrounded by water can also be baited for nutria. Small islands, exposed tree stumps, floating logs, and feeding platforms are excellent baiting sites. Avoid placing baits on muskrat houses and beaver lodges. Baits can be attached to trees, stumps, or other structures with small nails and should be kept out of the water.

Baiting on the ground should only be used when water sites are unsuitable or lacking. Ground baiting is justified and effective when eliminating the last few nutria in a local population. Use care when ground baiting because baits may be accessible to nontarget animals and humans. Place ground baits near sites of nutria activity, such as trails and entrances to burrows.

Prebaiting. Prebaiting is a crucial step when using zinc phosphide because it leads to nutria feeding at specific sites on specific types of food (such as the baits; carrots or sweet potatoes are preferred). Nutria tend to be communal feeders, and if one nutria finds a new feeding spot, other nutria in the area will also begin feeding there.

To prebait, lightly coat small (approximately 2-inch [5.1-cm] long) chunks of untreated bait with corn oil. Place the bait at each baiting station in late afternoon, and leave it overnight. Use no more than 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of bait per raft, 4 pieces of bait per baiting board, or 2 to 5 pieces at other sites at one time. Prebaiting should continue at least 2 successive nights after nutria begin feeding at a baiting site. Large (more than 1 week) gaps in the prebaiting sequence necessitate that the process be started over.

Observations of prebaited sites will help you decide how the control program should proceed. If nontarget animals are feeding at these sites (as determined by sign or actual observations of animals), then prebaiting should start over at another location. Prepare and apply zinc phosphide-treated baits when nutria become regular users of prebaited baiting stations and nontarget animals are not a problem.

Applying Zinc Phosphide. Prepare zinc phosphide baits as needed to prevent deterioration. Treated baits are prepared in 10-pound (4.5-kg) batches (enough to treat one raft) by using the following ingredients: 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of bait (carrots or sweet potatoes are preferred), prepared as for prebaiting; 1 fluid ounce or 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of corn oil; and 1.7 ounces or 7.5 tablespoons (48.2 g) of 63.2% zinc phosphide concentrate.

To prepare treated baits, add corn oil to the bait in a 5 gallon (18.9 l) plastic or metal container. Stir the mixture until the bait is lightly coated with corn oil. Sprinkle zinc phosphide over the mixture and stir until the bait is uniformly coated. Treated baits have a shiny black appearance and should be dried for about 1 hour in a well-ventilated area until the color changes to a dull gray. Properly dried baits are weather-resistant and remain toxic until they deteriorate. Although treated baits can survive light rain, they should not be used when heavy rains are expected, or on open water that is subject to heavy wave action.

The amount of untreated bait eaten the last night of prebaiting determines how much treated bait should be used on the first night. When all or most of the untreated prebait is gone from baiting stations by morning, the same amount of treated bait is used on the stations the following night (e.g., up to 10 pounds [4.5 kg] per raft, 4 pieces per baiting board, and 2 to 5 pieces at other sites). When smaller quantities are eaten, reduce the amount of treated bait that is used per station proportionately. When only a few pieces of prebait on a raft are eaten, the raft should be removed and replaced with several scattered baiting boards.

The quantity of treated bait eaten each treatment night is the quantity that should be put out the following afternoon. Continue baiting until no more bait is being taken. Most nutria can be controlled after 4 nights of baiting. When densities are high, control may require more time.

Post-Control Procedures. Usually only 25% of the poisoned nutria die where they can be found. Many nutria die in dens, dense vegetation, and other inaccessible areas. Carcasses of nutria killed with zinc phosphide should be collected as soon as possible and disposed of by deep burial or burning to prevent exposure of domestic and wild scavengers to undigested stomach material containing zinc phosphide. Dispose of any leftover treated bait in accordance with label directions.

Cessation of damage is the best indicator that zinc phosphide is controlling problem animals. You can quantify the reduction in nutria activity by putting out untreated bait at baiting stations after the last application of zinc phosphide. The amount eaten at this time is compared to the amount of bait eaten on the last night of prebaiting.

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Fumigants

Several fumigants are registered for controlling burrowing rodents but none are registered for use against nutria. Some, such as aluminum phosphide, may have potential as nutria control agents, but their efficacy has not been scientifically demonstrated.

Trapping

Commercial Harvest. Damage to crops, levees, wetlands, and other resources is minimal in areas where nutria are harvested by commercial trappers. The commercial harvest of nutria on private and public lands should be encouraged as part of an overall program to manage nutria-caused damage. Landowners may be able to obtain additional information on nutria management, trapping, and a list of licensed trappers in their area from their state wildlife agency.

Leghold traps. Leghold traps are the most commonly used traps for catching nutria. Double longspring traps, No. 11 or 2, are preferred by most trappers; however, the No. 1 1/2 coilspring, No. 3 double longspring, or the soft-catch fox trap can also be used effectively. Legholds are more efficient and versatile than body-gripping traps and are highly recommended for nutria control work. Leghold traps should be used with care to prevent injury to children and pets.

Several ways of setting leghold traps are effective. Set traps just under the water where a trail enters a ditch, canal, or other body of water. Make trail sets by placing a trap offset from the trail’s center line so that nutria are caught by the foot. Traps can be lightly covered with leaves or other debris to hide them, but nutria are easily captured in unconcealed traps.

Bait can be used to lure nutria to leghold sets. Nutria use their teeth to pick up large pieces of food; therefore, bait should be placed beside, rather than inside, the trap jaws. Leghold traps are also effective when set on floating rafts that have been prebaited for a short period of time.

Use drowning sets when deep water is available. Otherwise, stake leghold traps to the ground, or anchor them to solid objects in the water or on land (such as floating logs, stumps, or trees and shrubs). Nutria caught in non-drowning leghold sets should be humanely dispatched with a shot or hard blow to the head. Nontarget animals should be released.

Live Traps. Nutria are easily captured in single- or double-door live traps that measure 9 x 9 x 32 inches (22.8 x 22.8 x 81.3 cm) or larger. Use these when leghold and body-gripping traps cannot be set, or when animals are to be translocated. Bait live traps with sweet potatoes and carrots and place them along active trails or wherever nutria or their sign are seen. A short line of baits leading to the entrance of a live trap will increase capture success. Live traps placed on floating rafts will effectively catch nutria but prebaiting is necessary. A large raft can hold up to 8 traps. Unwanted nutria should be destroyed with a shot or blow to the head. Nontarget animals should be released.

Floating, drop-door live traps catch nutria but are bulky and cumbersome to use. The same is true for expensive suitcase-type beaver traps. Unwary nutria can be captured using a long-handled dip net. This method should only be used by trained damage control professionals who should take special precautions to prevent being bitten or clawed (Fig. 6). Live nutria can be immobilized with an injection of ketamine hydrochloride. Funnel traps are not effective for controlling nutria.

Figure 6. Hand-caught nutria must be handled carefully to avoid being bitten or clawed.

Body-gripping Traps. The Conibear^® trap, No. 220-2, is the most commonly used body-gripping trap for controlling nutria. Nos. 160-2 and 330-2 Conibear^® traps can also be used. Place sets in trails, at den entrances, in culverts, and in narrow waterways. Large body-gripping traps can be dangerous and should be handled with extreme caution. These traps should not be set in areas frequented by children, pets, or desirable wildlife species.

Other Traps. Use locking snares to catch nutria when other traps cannot be set. Snares are relatively easy to set, safer than leghold and body-gripping traps, and almost invisible to the casual observer. Snares constructed with 3/32-inch (0.2-cm) diameter, flexible (7 x 7-winding) stainless-steel or galvanized aircraft cable are suitable for catching nutria. Ready-made snares and components (for example, cable, one-way cable locks, swivels, and cable stops) for making home-made snares can be purchased from trapping suppliers.

Place set snares in trails and other travel routes, feeding lanes, trails, and bank slides. Snares do not kill the animals they catch, so anchor the snare securely. Check snares frequently because they are often knocked down by nutria and other animals. Nutria caught in snares should be dispatched with a shot or blow to the head. Release any nontarget animals that are captured.

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Shooting

Shooting can be used as the primary method of nutria control or to supplement other control techniques. Shooting is most effective when done at night with a spotlight, however, night shooting is illegal in many states and should not be done until proper permits have been obtained. Once shooting has been approved by the proper authorities, nutria can be shot from the banks of waterways and other bodies of water or from boats. In some cases, 80% of the nutria in an area can be removed by shooting with a shotgun or small caliber rifle, such as the .22 rimfire. Care should be taken when shooting over open water to prevent bullets from ricocheting.

Shooting at Bait Stations. Baits can attract large numbers of nutria to floating rafts, baiting boards, and other areas where they can be shot. Shooting from dusk to about 10:00 p.m. for 3 consecutive nights is effective once a regular feeding pattern has been established. Feeding sites should be lit continuously by a spotlight and easily visible to the shooter from a vehicle or other stationary blind. At night, nutria can be located by their red-shining eyes and the V-shaped wake left by swimming animals. As many as 4 to 5 nutria per hour may be taken by this method. Shooters should wait 2 to 3 weeks before shooting nutria at the same site again.

Boat Shooting. Shooting can also be done in the late afternoon or early evening from a small boat paddled slowly along waterways and large ditches or along the shores of small lakes and ponds. Nutria are especially vulnerable to this method when water levels are extremely high or vegetative cover is scarce. At times, animals can be stimulated to vocalize or decoyed to a boat or blind by making a “maw” call, which imitates the nutria’s nocturnal feeding and assembly call. This call can be learned from someone who knows it or by listening to nutria vocalizations at night. Nutria become wary quickly, so limit shooting to no more than 3 nights, followed by 2 to 3 weeks of no activity.

Bank Shooting. Nutria can be shot by slowly stalking along the banks of ditches and levees; this can be an effective control method where nutria have not been previously harassed. Unlike night shooting from a boat or blind, bank shooting is most effective at twilight, both in the evening and morning. Several nutria can usually be shot the first night, however, success decreases with each successive night of shooting. Daytime shooting from the bank of a waterway is effective in some situations.