VERTEBRATE DAMAGE CONTROL RESEARCH IN AGRICULTURE; CALI, COLOMBIA FIELD STATION 1974 ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT

ALTHOUGH THE EARED DOVE (ZENAIDA AURICULATA) HAS BEEN REPORTED AS A SERIOUS PEST IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES, IT WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON COLOMBIAN AGRICULTURAL CROPS. RAT POPULATIONS ON SAN ANDRES ISLAND, OFF THE COAST OF THE COUNTRY, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSSES OF UP TO 75 PERCENT OF THE COCOANUT CROP. RESULTS OF DIPHACINONE BAIT STUDIES SHOWED THAT THIS DAMAGE CAN BE REDUCED TO ZERO BY PROPER TREATMENT OF THE CROWN OF THE PALM TREE. VAMPIRE BAT ATTACKS UPON CATTLE WERE SIMILARLY CONTROLLED THROUGH THE USE OF THE ANTICOAGULANT DIPHENADIONE. HOWEVER, SINCE THE CATTLE WERE WIDELY SCATTERED, THE COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION OF ALL OWNERS IN AN AREA WAS FOUND TO BE ESSENTIAL. IN NICARAGUA, THE DICKCISSEL (SPIZA AMERICANA), A BIRD THAT FEEDS ON RICE AND SORGHUM, WAS STUDIED WITH LITTLE SUCCESS. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS SHOW THAT DRC-736 (MESUROL) MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE REPELLENT. MONTHLY TRAPPING PROGRAMS CONDUCTED ON RODENTS IN THE SAME COUNTRY PROVED TO BE USEFUL FOR DETERMINING POPULATION LEVELS AND SHOULD BE CONTINUED AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING A MORE GENERAL PICTURE OF THE SITUATION.