In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, find out what’s happening with wildlife habitat in the Upper Peninsula, learn about avian influenza with Wildlife Veterinarian, Dr. Megan Moriarty, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about muskrats and how to avoid potential conflicts with them.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Karen Sexton
Main Interview Guest(s): Dr. Megan Moriarty
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
In this episode of the Wildtalk Podcast, find out what’s happening with wildlife habitat in the Upper Peninsula, learn about avian influenza with Wildlife Veterinarian, Dr. Megan Moriarty, and hear listener questions answered in the mailbag segment. The episode wraps up with a discussion about muskrats and how to avoid potential conflicts with them.
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD). You can also email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov, and even send your question as a sound file that you record on your phone to be played on the air!
Episode Hosts: Hannah Schauer and Rachel Leightner
Producer: Eric Hilliard
Around the State Guest: Karen Sexton
Main Interview Guest(s): Dr. Megan Moriarty
Questions or comments about the show? Contact the DNR Wildlife Division at 517-284-9453 (WILD) or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.
Announcer:
You know what that sound means? It's time for the Michigan DNR's Wildtalk Podcast. Welcome to the Wildtalk Podcast, where representatives from the DNR's Wildlife Division, chew the fat and shoot the scat about all things habitat, feathers and fur. With insights, interviews, and your questions answered on the air, you'll get a better picture of what's happening in the world of wildlife here in the great state of Michigan.
Hannah:
Welcome to Wildtalk, I'm your host Hannah Schauer, and with me today is Rachel Leightner.
Rachel:
In this month's episode, we'll be talking with Dr. Megan Moriarty about avian influenza. We'll answer some of your questions from the mail bag, and then we will also be revealing the winners of our Wildtalk Podcast camp mugs sometime during this episode. So you can find out how you can win one too.
Hannah:
We've also got Karen Sexton on the show to talk about what is going on in the Upper Peninsula. But right now we're going to shine our wildlife spotlight on the spotted turtle.
Rachel:
A small turtle named for the round yellow spots on its smooth dark carapace, the spotted turtle is one of our rare turtle species here in Michigan.
Hannah:
As an adult, the carapace or shell of a spotted turtle averages, just nine to 13 inches in length, and the spotting is quite variable in number. They will also have a few spots on their mostly black colored head, and the outer portion of their legs.
Rachel:
Now the females and males do have some differences in their appearance, so some of those differences are eye color and the color of the lower jaw. So in males, the eyes are brown and the chin is tan, brown, or black in color, while females have orange eyes, and yellowish or orange chin.
Hannah:
All right. So now you know a little bit about what they look like, let's talk a little bit about where they're found. So spotted turtles are found in shallow bodies of water, like ponds, swamps, bogs, and marshes. They like to have clear shallow water with plenty of muck at the bottom, and abundant aquatic vegetation.
Rachel:
That's because that's where most of these turtle's food typically is found. Now these small turtles are omniverse and their favorite foods include worms, spiders, tadpoles, mollusks, and small crayfish, how delicious. They're breeding season is right when these turtles emerge from winter dormancy in March or April, and the nesting usually occurs around mid-June. Now females usually look for a sunny open spot with sandy soil in which to dig a nest cavity for her two to seven eggs.
Hannah:
And after the turtle lays their eggs, the nest is left on its own. The female turtle doesn't guard the nest or anything like that. And the incubation period is highly dependent on temperature. And so that's why they're looking for that sunny spot with sandy soil, because the sun basically helps to incubate those eggs.
Hannah:
As I mentioned, the incubation period is dependent on that temperature, but most of the young spotted turtles will emerge from the nest in August or September. Now the temperature also impacts the sex of the baby turtles, which I find fascinating. And in the case of spotted turtles, warmer temperatures usually produce females, while cooler incubation temperatures lead to males.
Rachel:
I find that to be so fascinating. I'm not sure there are any other species that have that kind of temperature impact on their eggs.
Hannah:
Yeah, I'm not sure. I know most turtles do, I'm not sure if other reptiles do as well. It is really interesting.
Rachel:
So we mentioned that this turtle is rare in Michigan, but they are listed as a threatened species in Michigan. The spotted turtle is also undergoing a species status assessment for potential listing under the federally endangered species act.
Hannah:
So needless to say, if you see one of these rare turtles, it would be quite a treat. And we are interested to know if you do see a spotted turtle. We are currently collecting citing reports of spotted turtles, wood turtles, blandings turtles, and box turtles via iNaturalist. And you can join our Herps of Michigan project on iNaturalist, to share your sightings with us, if you spot any of these turtles. And then that information gets relayed on to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and other partners as part of that species assessment that you mentioned, Rachel. So if folks are looking for more information on iNaturalist and our Herps of Michigan project, you could check out the iNaturalist app, and you can also visit michigan.gov/wildlife, and look for the report wildlife sightings spot, and then you can learn more there.
Rachel:
All right, thanks for that information, Hannah. Next step, we will find out what's happening in the Upper Peninsula. So you'll want to stick around.
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Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Karen Sexton is back on the show with us today to chat about the happenings in the Upper Peninsula. Thanks for joining us today, Karen.
Karen:
Happy to be back.
Rachel:
Well, what would you say is the biggest accomplishment that the UP has tackled this quarter?
Karen:
As you know, we had a cold, long, extended, wet spring, and so finding the days in which to conduct some of these surveys in the time period and parameters of the protocol can be quite tricky. And then when you have those colder days, wet days, windy days, it makes it almost a Herculean task. It was the first year that we have reinstated drumming grouse surveys. We concluded doing those back in 2014 for a number of different reasons. And coming into the spring, we knew that we were going to be able to reinstate those. And a lot of folks worked in pull together historical data reidentifying which routes were going to be a priority this spring.
Karen:
And so we had a couple of key players in the Upper Peninsula, point person who coordinates this effort for us, Heather Shaw, working closely with our Upland Game Bird Specialist, Adam Bump. And so everybody pulled everything together and got staff prepared and equipped, and trained to get the work done this spring and doing those surveys. In addition to the drumming grouse surveys, staff were out there conducting sharp-tailed surveys as well. Those types of surveys, the sharp-tailed one, are specific to the Upper Peninsula region, that is where we have isolated, sharp-tailed populations. And so the team on the east end of the state were out there doing those surveys, and we even piloted a sharp-tailed abundance survey this year to try to create some more efficient processes for surveying that species.
Karen:
And in addition to doing that, the staff also did sharp-tailed [inaudible 00:07:36] survey, which we do annually as well. Aside from that, staff we're out doing our fawn to adult spring survey as well. Great effort by the team to get out there during the optimal conditions to get those things done. A lot of very early morning surveys followed up with sometimes those night surveys, including the woodcock ground surveys as well.
Hannah:
My goodness. Yeah, that's quite the undertaking, especially with the wacky spring weather you guys had up there. So I'm sure as you said, a Herculean task. So on that note, talking about all the great work that folks have been accomplishing this spring, looking forward, what is probably the biggest project that you folks have looming on the horizon?
Karen:
You shore to shore bird trail being developed in large by our team out of the Newberry unit, so Kristie Sitar, wildlife biologist, and Jane Rohr our wildlife technician out of there have been working for multiple years developing this project. And, like I said, it's a birding trail. It covers over 400 miles on the east end. It was initiated a few years ago actually through our partners at Sea Grant in which there are additional birding trails across the state.
Karen:
And Sea Grant has often assisted or led some of those other trails to be developed. But this one in large is being led by our own wildlife staff. So they're pulling together all of the partners, and the list is quite extensive from team members at some of the local chambers to our partners at Fish and Wildlife Service, the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, the National Forest Service, and the list goes on and on, and I know that I'm not going to touch on all of them.
Karen:
But as I mentioned, over 400 miles with lots of different staff covering lots of different areas and pulling together all the materials, including a fold out brochure map that is consistent with all of the other Sea Grant birding trails in the stat. Website development from some of our own department staff, and working with some of those partner agencies as well. Trail signs across all of those 400 miles, including a few highlighted kiosks, but then making sure that each of those locations for birding are identifiable.
Karen:
All of it is going to be coming to a head here come mid August. The team is working really hard to make sure that all of these final details are wrapped up and plan to do a kickoff event during the weekend of August 19th at the Wild Blueberry Festival there in Paradise, Michigan. What a great place to kick off a birding event, just miles away from a Whitefish Point, which everybody knows is an absolute hotspot for a birding activities. The team is looking forward to it, all the partners are looking forward to it, and we hope that folks come out and enjoy some fun and enjoy that birding trail.
Rachel:
That sounds like an incredible project that required a lot of planning and effort and time. Thank you so much for sharing. People should put that on their calendars and make sure to go check it out in August. You mentioned a lot of great work that's being done by your UP staff. Are there any other impressive contributions you'd like to mention?
Karen:
I'll go ahead and share, Caleb Eckloff, wildlife technician out of the Gwinn unit, worked with wildlife biologist, Brian Roell out of that unit, to dev to develop a project proposal for all-terrain wildlife management area, in which they would develop a planting of native forbs and grasses at that all-terrain property, about 58 acres. With the intention of diversifying the landscape within that area and focusing on supporting sharp-tailed habitat.
Karen:
There's also a project out of the Portage Marsh wildlife management area, which is the Escanaba unit. Colter Lubben, who's currently acting wildlife biologist is also the wildlife technician for that work unit developed a project proposal where the overarching goal is to ensure that black terns, which is the species of the greatest conservation need, continue to use Portage Marsh for nesting. The staff don't always get to focus on species of greatest conservation need. And so they are looking forward to implementing this project and working with some new partners on the effort as well.
Hannah:
Thanks Karen. We really appreciate you taking the time to share the work that's happening with wildlife in the Upper Peninsula. Be sure to stick around, next up, we will be talking about avian influenza.
Announcer:
Did you know that Michigan lies where the Atlantic and Mississippi migratory flyways intersect? This brings over 340 species of birds to Michigan each year. Follow MI Birds on Facebook to learn more about our feathered friends, year round guided bird walks, stewardship events, and community science opportunities near you. My birds is an education and outreach program created by Audubon Great Lakes and the Michigan DNR. Search MI Birds on Facebook, that's M-I Birds.
Rachel:
Welcome back to Wildtalk, today, Dr. Megan Moriarty is joining us to talk about avian influenza. Welcome to the show Megan.
Megan:
Oh, thanks so much for having me.
Rachel:
Now, before we jump into avian influenza, could you tell us a little bit more about your role with the DNR? And what got you interested in studying wildlife diseases?
Megan:
Sure. So I am the wildlife veterinarian and epidemiologist at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. I'm based at the Wildlife Disease Lab in Wast Lansing. We are co-housed with Michigan State University's Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. So it's a great way to collaborate with folks at MSU and the DNR.
Megan:
I have been interested in wildlife health since I was a kid. And that was my goal in veterinary school was to find a way to work with free-ranging wildlife, particularly in issues relating to their conservation and management. And I'm originally from California, so I just recently moved to Michigan with my family for this new position. And it's been quite an adjustment, but I'm really happy that I'm here. And there's really great diversity of wildlife, and I'm still learning about new species in Michigan, so it's really exciting for me.
Rachel:
We are certainly happy to have you here in the wildlife division. I'm glad you're settling in now. Now back to avian influenza, let's just start with the basics. So what is avian influenza? And why is the DNR concerned about it?
Megan:
Avian influenza is a type of virus. It's an influenza A virus, and it primarily infects poultry, but it can also infect wild birds as well. And the virus is typically carried by free flying waterfall. The virus is classified by a combination of two groups of proteins. There's the hemoagglutinin proteins or the H proteins, and then there's the neuraminidase proteins or the N proteins.
Megan:
So the current outbreak that we are experiencing right now is an H5N1 virus, so that's the type of H protein and N protein in the virus that we are in the middle of the outbreak right now. And each combination of H and N protein is a different subtype. And then within subtypes, avian influenza viruses are then characterized by how pathogenic or how much disease they cause in poultry. And so a highly pathogenic virus is quite lethal for poultry. The current strain of H5N1 in this outbreak can occasionally transmit from birds to mammals, but it's primarily an avian virus.
Rachel:
Now, it has been found in several states in the country, but could you tell us a little more about where it has been found so far in Michigan?
Megan:
At this point it's been found in wild birds throughout Michigan. Our surveillance approach, or the way that we are looking for this virus is called passive surveillance. And what that means is that we are testing dead wild birds, and our emphasis is on testing, highly susceptible groups of birds. So we can get more into that, but it's primarily waterfowl and raptors and scavengers, so those are groups that we're kind of focused on. And we are using what we're calling a watershed based approach to sampling. And so instead of testing at the county level, because there's so many counties in Michigan and we have somewhat limited resources and we're really trying to get a good sense of where the virus is throughout the state.
Megan:
And so what we've decided to do is focus on these larger regions or watersheds, where a lot of migratory birds and local birds as well will kind of congregate and group themselves. And so at this point, we do have detections of highly pathogenic avian influenza throughout the lower peninsula in the various watersheds. We also have some detections in the Upper Peninsula, and we're continuing to sample there as well. And we expect that, unfortunately, we will probably get more detections. The reality is that most likely this influenza virus is present throughout Michigan in wild birds. And so people really should be cautious.
Hannah:
You mentioned that waterfowl, scavengers, and raptors are susceptible bird species. And then you also mentioned that it's possible for other species like mammals to get avian influenza. Could you talk a little bit more about why those particular types of birds are susceptible, and then maybe touch on where we found it in mammals?
Megan:
One of the most important things for people to keep in mind is that really any bird is potentially susceptible to HPAI, but some are much more likely to become infected and die from the virus. And so waterfowl and shore birds are certainly in the high risk group. So that includes a lot of the dabbling ducks, geese, and swans, for example. And then raptors are also quite susceptible, and particularly in this outbreak, they've been really heavily impacted. So we've seen a lot of severe illness and death in many raptor species, particularly bald eagles, but several different hawks and a handful of falcons and several different owl species as well.
Megan:
And then the scavengers are the third group that we think of, so a lot of turkey vultures, crows, and terns are some examples that fit in that group. And the thought process there is that, scavengers are more likely to come across and ingest a bird that could have died also from HPAI, those are some groups that tend to be quite susceptible. I think we're going to talk a little later, maybe, about bird feeders, but there's been a lot of questions about the risk of songbirds. And songbirds are certainly a lower risk group of animals or a group of birds, but there have been some isolated reports of HPAI and various songbirds.
Megan:
So in terms of mammals, it is possible, as I mentioned, that HPAI viruses, although they're primarily in birds, they can sometimes cross over into mammals. And so just last week, we got confirmation of three red fox kits that were neurologically abnormal, and presented to a rehabilitation center here in Michigan, in the Southeastern region. And they did test positive for HPAI. They were in a part of the state where we have had some waterfowl die offs due to HPAI, but it was nonetheless a really interesting finding to have it detected in mammals. That was our first mammal detection in Michigan.
Megan:
But, again, interesting because it goes along with several other detections throughout the upper Midwest and Canada, also in red fox kits. So there have been several isolated incidents or reports of neurologic red fox kits, and they have all turned out to be HPAI positive.
Megan:
I think it's just a good reminder for people that this virus can infect mammals, it's potentially a zoonotic pathogen, which means that it can also infect humans, so it can be transmitted from domestic and wild animals to people. Fortunately, the risk is considered low by the CDC. There has been a case identified in a human being in Colorado, but so far that's the only case in the United States. So I don't think it's cause for people to panic, but just a good reminder that we should be careful.
Hannah:
What might people notice if a bird were to have avian influenza? What signs or symptoms might they observe?
Megan:
So birds can have a variety of clinical signs. They can also have no clinical signs, so it's kind of a spectrum. So some birds can actually be asymptomatic carriers, so they can be infected with the virus, but then move along their day and potentially infect other birds. So some wild birds fit into that category.
Megan:
Others, like the raptors as I mentioned, can really get quite sick and can die. So in birds, you could see anything from sudden death and kind of an increased mortality rate, or a die off of large numbers of birds. But then you can also sometimes see signs before birds die. You can see neurologic signs, for example, like circling or tremoring or birds having seizures. Sometimes even just an abnormal head or neck position or an inability to hold up their head. And so it can be quite sad.
Megan:
Respiratory signs are other things to keep an eye out for. So in birds, sometimes that will look like kind of crusted eyes or crusts on their nares, on their bill, and then also sometimes even coughing and sneezing. And then again, some very non-specific things. Sometimes birds can just appear weak or lethargic or have diarrhea, or sometimes just have discoloration of their head and neck and extremities. So again, it's kind of a good reminder that it's, unfortunately, nonspecific and testing is really the only way that birds can be accurately diagnosed with HPAI. We can't, unfortunately, look at them and know if they're infected or not.
Rachel:
And if anyone comes across birds who are displaying these types of characteristics, is there any type of way they are supposed to report this?
Megan:
Observations from the public are really valuable to us at the DNR. That really helps us track the disease and it's spread, and really document what's happening in our wild populations. And so we are asking people to report observations of sick or dead wild birds, particularly, if there's a mortality event of three or more birds in a single location, or some of those susceptible species that I mentioned. Or also neurologically abnormal or sick mammals, particularly foxes or fox kits.
Megan:
And so I think the best way for people to report those, is to call the DNR's Wildlife Disease Lab, and the phone number is (517) 336-5030. Also, calling local field offices, and you can find that on our website as well, is another great way. And then there's also the Eyes in the Field online reporting tool, and so that's a great way for people to record their observations as well.
Megan:
And as I mentioned, unfortunately, we're not able to test every sick or dead wild bird or mammal, but we are definitely interested in those observations. And so even if we are not able to test the animal for HPAI, even capturing that information on the online reporting tool is really valuable, and we appreciate that
Rachel:
Now this time of year, a lot of folks put up bird feeders. And could you share some tips on how to clean and disinfect those bird feeders? And how HPAI might affect songbird?
Megan:
I think if people are going to keep their bird feeders up, the good news is that the guidance that protects wild birds from all kinds of diseases is the same for HPAI. So really cleaning bird feeders and bird baths with soap and water, and then disinfecting them with a dilute bleach solution, is the way to go. A one part bleach to nine parts water is generally recommended, so that makes a 10% bleach solution, and that should be mixed fresh daily. So it doesn't last long once you've made it, but you can use it within 24 hours.
Megan:
The recommendation is to clean those bird feeders once a week, and be really diligent about that. And then additionally, cleaning up fallen bird seed is important, because the goal here is that we really want to reduce congregation of birds. So we don't want many different species of birds mixing and in high concentrations, like you can find with fallen bird seed.
Megan:
And then probably most importantly is that people should really exercise caution and consider taking their bird feeders down, if they have domestic poultry like backyard flocks of chickens or turkeys or ducks. Because, again, those birds are really susceptible and it's kind of the perfect storm to have wild birds and domestic birds mixing or in close proximity. So really people should consider taking feeders down, if they have that scenario.
Megan:
And then if people really want to go above and beyond and protect the really susceptible wild birds in their neighborhood, if they know there's a lot of raptors nearby or waterfowl that they want to help protect, that's another potential indication that you could remove your bird feeder, at least temporarily, until the outbreak passes.
Rachel:
And shifting gears just a little bit, so we have some time before the fall hunting seasons begin, but could you give our hunters who are listening some tips on how to properly handle their harvested birds, things like turkeys and waterfowl?
Megan:
The most important advice is to really try to avoid harvesting or handling wild birds that are obviously sick or found dead. That's just general and kind of good practice, but particularly with this HPAI outbreak, I think that's warranted. And then, again, practicing good hygiene, washing your hands at every step of the way, immediately after handling game, and then at every stage of kind of dressing and cleaning up afterwards. So hand washing, hand washing, hand washing, and of course, soap and water is the best policy, but if that's not available, then an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, until you can get to some water and soap is sufficient.
Megan:
Another good recommendation is that when you're dressing game birds wearing disposable gloves, if you can, is also a good idea during this time. And then potentially dressing birds in the field, when possible, and using a distinct set of tools that are then cleaned and disinfected and not used back home, if you have pet birds or domestic poultry at home as well is another good policy. And then there's also really good advice from USDA APHIS, they have a great handout for hunters that people can access online.
Megan:
Going along with that guidance, it's also recommended that people can double bag the offal and feathers and close off the inner bag, and then take off your gloves, put it in the second bag, tie that off. And then ideally, if you can bleach the bottom of that bag, that's best. And then it can actually go in the trash or the landfill, as long as there's no access to it from other wildlife. It's also highly recommended that people thoroughly cook their game meat. And so the recommended temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit, or well done, that will kill the virus and the meat is then safe to consume.
Hannah:
So do you have any other safety tips for people who may come across dead or dying birds? Or also, you mentioned that domestic poultry are particularly susceptible, and removing bird feeders, if you have those. But any other tips for people who might have domestic poultry or where they could find more information about those safety precautions?
Megan:
We do recommend against people handling any sick or dead wild birds or mammals during the outbreak, but we also recognize that sometimes it's necessary to remove those animals off the landscape. So people can always call wildlife professionals at the DNR for guidance. But if the general public does need to move a bird, then we recommend using a shovel or inverting a trash bag and wearing gloves so that you don't have any direct contact with that bird or mammal. And then, again, double bagging the carcass and spraying the outside with bleaches is a good policy. And then, of course, washing your hands afterward.
Megan:
Most important piece of advice for domestic birds is to really ensure separation between your domestic birds and wild birds. So that includes the birds themselves, so if wild birds are hanging out near the enclosure that you have for poultry, then consider bringing the poultry inside or having them with a roof over their head and some distance between wild birds and the domestic birds. But that also includes their food and water bowls as well. So ensuring that wild birds don't have access to those things, because the virus can indirectly be transmitted on things like water bowls and food bowls.
Megan:
And I there's really good guidance from USDA APHIS as well as MDARD for ways to keep your poultry safe. And I do want to share the number for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. If people have any unusual deaths or even a suspicion of HPAI in their domestic birds, then they can call MDARD at 1(800)292-3939 during the day, or their after hours, emergency is (517) 373-0440.
Hannah:
We'll certainly include links and information in our show notes. And if folks are interested in learning more about avian influenza or have poultry and want to know about biosecurity, the folks can visit michigan.gov/avianinfluenza. And most of what we've talked about is probably linked off that page as well.
Hannah:
Thank you so much for joining us today, Megan, and sharing all this great information about avian influenza and what folks can do to keep wild birds and themselves safe. We really appreciate it.
Megan:
Thanks so much. I really appreciate the opportunity and thanks so much for everyone's interest and vigilance. It means a lot.
Hannah:
Stick around, next up, we'll be answering questions from the mail bag.
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Hannah:
Welcome back to Wildtalk. Now let's dig into the mail bag and answer some of your questions.
Speaker 6:
One, two, three.
Hannah:
First off, Amy and Sarah both wrote in about river otter sightings, which is really neat. River otters can be found throughout Michigan, and our most common in clean bodies of water with ample food supply. Now, they aren't always easy to observe, however, because they traverse great distances along waterways in their home range. And they don't stay in one spot continuously or for very long. Some of the river otter's favorite foods include fish as well as crayfish, clams, and amphibians. They're very agile swimmers, so count yourself lucky if you see one. Very exciting for Amy and Sarah to see those.
Rachel:
Have you ever seen a river otter, Hannah?
Hannah:
I don't know that I've seen one in the wild.
Rachel:
I have not either. I'd like to. I think I saw one of their slides down into a waterway. They certainly would be cool. I would like to see one.
Hannah:
All right, we had another question from Stacy who asks about ticks and how to be safe when out and about. First off, ew, and yes, they are out in full force right now. Just ask Rachel. So how many ticks did you find on yourself yesterday after just, I think, a few hours of being out in the field.
Rachel:
Oh, my gosh, this is the worst tick scenario I've ever been in. So I was at the Gourdneck State Game Area for no more than like an hour and 20 minutes. And I was there for about 15 minutes, when I had a clipboard, and looked down and I saw a tick on it. And it was like, you know that echoy feeling you get where it feels like the walls are closing in on you, and you've made a terrible mistake?
Rachel:
That's about how I felt, and then realized that I had a tick that I could feel on my arm. They were in my shirt, they were in my pants, they were in my socks. They were in my hair. I ended up pulling 17 ticks off of me, and it took me several hours to find them. And I have long hair and I pulled about seven of them out of my hair. So if you plan to be outside, I highly suggest you take all the precautions to avoid collecting ticks, like I did yesterday. It was straight out of a nightmare.
Hannah:
So we would suggest you check out our episode called Ticks, Ticks, Ticks from May of last year, to listen to our interview with the tick experts, to find out more about ticks and how to protect yourself. We cover a plethora of great tick related information in the interview. You can also visit michigan.gov/lyme, that's L-Y-M-E, for more information, as well as find out how to submit a tick for identification.
Rachel:
Yes, listen to the episode. Tuck your pan sent to your socks, pull your hair up, and put on bug spray, because it's unsettling. I still feel like I have ticks crawling on me today, even though I do not. Best of luck out there.
Rachel:
I had a couple of questions, too. The first one came in from Blair. So Blair, she lives in Northern Michigan, and has a black bear visiting homes in the neighborhood. It's getting into bird feeders and trash cans and she wants to know why? And what to do about it?
Rachel:
Well, first things first black bears are extremely food motivated. They love to eat. And right now, during June, July, their primary activity is going to be finding food and eating just about all day, every day. So it's fairly common this time of year for black bears to move into new areas where you may not have seen them before in exploration of food. And there's lots of different food sources that can attract a bear. So you'll want to identify, what's bringing the bear into the area, and then consider removing it.
Rachel:
So things to look for, bird feeders, outdoor pet foods, exposed garbage. If you recently had a barbecue and you've got food spills on your grill or your patio furniture that even can sometimes be enough of an attractant to bring a bear in, because bears have great senses of smell.
Rachel:
So fortunately, if you remove these food sources, the black bear will probably stick around for a few weeks hoping to find a meal, but it's eventually going to move on and find a much more easier and accessible meal. So taking these few steps to remove the food sources will prevent you from having future issues. And it will likely save you some money. Bears can destroy bird feeders trying to get into them. So there's some property damage that bears can do. So it can save you some money in terms of having to replace bird feeders or trash cans. It can provide you peace of mind, because you probably won't have the bear in the backyard where your kids might be playing. And it also is going to help that bear continue to be a bear by foraging for natural foods. Now's the time to be bear aware.
Rachel:
So I had a question, in my backyard, I'm finding red squirrels way more abundantly than I have seen them in the past. It just seems like we're frequently seeing them. And so I was curious how many babies red squirrels have, because it seems like every other day I'm seeing a new baby red squirrel. So Hannah and I did some research, because we had to know what's the deal with red squirrel babies and why are we seeing so many of them this time of year?
Rachel:
And here's what we learned. Red squirrels are promiscuous, which means they reproduce with several different mates, which allow them to have two litters of babies in a year, and each litter can have between one and seven babies. So one to seven babies up to two times a year, that's a lot of babies. Now the breeding season is in February or March, so that early spring, but then they can also breed in the early summer, so in June and July, so two sets of babies, two times a year, these babies are weened, about seven to nine weeks of age and then they'll disperse, but they're only going to move into nearby areas. They're home range tends to be less than three acres. So they'll have lots of babies, but then the babies aren't going to go very far, which is probably why we're seeing so many of them right now. Now I know.
Rachel:
Well folks, as we zip this segment to a close, remember if you have questions about wildlife or hunting, you can call (517) 284-WILD or email dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov. Your question could be featured on the mail bag.
Rachel:
Now is your opportunity to win a Wildtalk Podcast mug. As a thank you to our listeners, we'll be giving away a mug or two every episode.
Hannah:
Our May mug winners are June Thomas-Truswell and Carolyn Horn. Check your email as we'll be getting in touch with you soon. Now they answered the question, what frog species do you hear in this sound clip? Now we won't play the sound clip for you again. You could check out last episode to hear it, but in that sound clip, the loudest species you would've heard were the spring peepers. And we also had a few wood frogs and chorus frogs in there, in the mix as well.
Rachel:
Now to be entered into the drawing this month, test your wildlife knowledge and answer our wildlife quiz question. This episode's question is, what disease impacts North American bats and has caused population declines, especially in species of bats that hibernate and caves and mines?
Hannah:
All right, email your name and answer to us at dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov to be entered for a chance to win a mug. Be sure to include the subject line as mug me and submit your answer by June 15th. We'll announce the winners and the answer on next month's podcast. So be sure to listen in and see if you've won and for the next quiz question.
Rachel:
Good luck. Now back to the show.
Announcer:
Did you know that you can take your hunting and fishing regulations with you wherever you go. Have access to the information you need when you need it right on your smartphone, just visit michigan.gov/dnrdigest to download the applicable hunting digest before you head out to the woods or the Michigan fishing guide before you hit the water. Download the most up to date regulations available today at michigan.gov/dnrdigest.
Hannah:
Well, if you have property with a shoreline, particularly on a lake or slow moving river or a marsh, you may have had experiences with muskrats. Now, muskrats can sometimes cause issues for landowners when they're underground boroughs along those shorelines or river banks cause collapses or cave-ins. And because they primarily feed on vegetation, they sometimes will get into your gardens.
Rachel:
Yes, they can certainly be pesky from time to time. But if you notice muskrat activity along your shoreline, you may want to try some habitat modification to make the area less appealing to muskrats, things like placing fencing under or around the docks, decks, porches, or gardens to keep those muskrats from tunneling underneath. That can be beneficial. This fencing should be at least three feet tall and made of thick wire, because they can dive deep and dig deep, so it needs to be a pretty robust fence. You will want to bury the fencing underground about 12 inches deep to keep the muskrats from digging under the fence. You may also want to place rocks or rip rap on the river banks or shorelines to prevent tunneling.
Hannah:
Now, muskrats are a game species and can be trapped during their open season with a fur harvester license. And you can find trapping season dates, bag limits, and regulations at michigan.gov/trapping. And muskrat season dates vary by which zone you are in, but generally seasons start in the fall and go through March 1st.
Rachel:
However, trapping season for muskrats is currently closed. So if you need assistance removing muskrats from your property, you may want to contact a local wildlife damage and nuisance control business to come remove the muskrat for you. They are permitted by the DNR to assist private landowners with the removal of certain wildlife from private property. So this includes muskrats outside of the open hunting or trapping season.
Hannah:
You can also find additional information on how to handle different conflicts with different wildlife, including muskrats and other species at michigan.gov/wildlife.
Hannah:
All right, folks that does it for our June episode. We hope you get out and enjoy Michigan's wildlife. And we'll see you back here in July.
Announcer:
This has been the Wildtalk Podcast, your monthly podcast airing the first of each month and offering insights into the world of wildlife across the state of Michigan. You can reach the wildlife division at (517) 284-9453 or dnr-wildlife@michigan.gov.