ST. PAUL – Gophers are increasingly becoming a problem in the region while farmers and producers are being left to fend for themselves, according to some County of St. Paul council members.
Reeve Glen Ockerman says the region is seeing increased damage caused by Richardson’s ground squirrels, commonly referred to as gophers, and that the problem has worsened since strychnine was pulled from use in 2021.
“For the last 40 years, we always had access to strychnine. It was never an issue. We kept them manageable, even on recreation areas,” he said, adding, he was confused about why strychnine was banned in the first place.
Damages
According to Ockerman, gophers are not only damaging fields but also expensive farm equipment. “[About] $300,000 to $400,000 worth of equipment can be destroyed by gophers,” he said. “You put a rock through a combine [and] that wouldn’t kick up otherwise,” for example, added Ockerman.
Gophers also thrive in dry areas where forage is already in short supply. “We’re always short on grass,” Ockerman explained. “The gophers are thriving, and it’s wrecking equipment and production. They’re a real pest.”
Coun. Darrell Younghans, who farms in the area himself, is also looking for a solution. “On my own farm . . . it’s not at a point of huge economic loss yet,” he said. “But if we don’t get strychnine back, I can see in a year or two [that] it’ll be a significant hardship.”
Younghans said gophers reproduce fast. Before the ban, he recalled losing about an acre of canola from rented land, which amounted to about $600 to $800. “If we hadn’t been able to use strychnine, they would’ve multiplied so fast that I could’ve lost thousands in crop damage,” he said.
It’s not just crops, Younghans said.
Gophers dig burrows and mounds, and because most farmers do not use tillage in farming anymore, those mounds are not leveled out, he explained.
It’s also not uncommon for cattle and horses to get hurt or break their legs from mounds or burrows, Younghans said.
Lack of alternatives
The federal government banned the use of strychnine for ground squirrel control in 2021, citing risks such as environmental damage and secondary poisoning to non-target species.
But Ockerman says producers were never properly consulted, and that no effective alternative has been offered. “If we’re going to keep feeding the world, we need certain products that work,” he said.
Producers are willing to use alternatives if they work, “but we’re not getting results.”
He also disputes claims that strychnine poses widespread harm. “There’s always protocols to use strychnine,” said Ockerman. “Not just anybody could get it. I’ve never heard of an incident where there was damage because of strychnine. It was controlled by municipalities.”
He feels the federal decision was made without proper input from farmers and producers. “They didn’t talk to the producers. I don’t know who they listened to.”
Urban-rural disconnect
Both Ockerman and Younghans believes the ban to strychnine reveals how much disconnect there is between rural and urban Canada.
“There’s such a divide between rural and urban. People don’t realize what it takes to grow food,” Younghans said. “They’ve been so far removed from farming for generations, they have no idea what goes on.”
Ockerman further criticized the federal government. He said decision-makers make decisions without understanding realities on the ground. “
They don’t have gophers destroying farms in Ottawa,” he said. “They don’t know what they’re talking about. The decision-makers don’t know what we’re up against.”
Ockerman invites policymakers to visit affected regions before making decisions. “We’ll show them the damage.”
Data
Ockerman and Younghans said they welcome the provincial government and other provincial entities to take steps to help address the gopher problem.
On June 30, the Government of Alberta sent a letter to the federal government to reverse the ban on strychnine.
The Alberta Shadow Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food John Barlow is also requesting data from municipalities on gopher damages.
The purpose of the request, according to Barlow’s letter, is to “provide a clear and credible summary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Good, with the goal of encouraging timely action to support Prairie producers facing increasing severe pest damage.”
Municipalities have until July 30 to respond.
During the July 8 County of St. Paul meeting, council discussed the feasibility of collecting and quantifying data related to gopher damages in such a tight deadline but did express interest on helping gather the information.
“We are going to supply whatever we can,” said Younghans.
