Forest Wildlife

Deer damage to apple trees in commercial orchards is a major problem for growers in Maryland and surrounding states. The use of dogs contained within "Off-Limits Crop Protection Systems" has been shown to be an effective way to reduce deer damage in orchards. This research note summarizes results of using this fencing system around the 30-acre main orchard areas at the Western Maryland Research and Education Center.

The use of baited polywire/polytape fencing to protect field and row crops, home gardens, orchards, forest plantations, and other small acreage areas has been demonstrated by a number of studies. This report summarizes three demonstration studies on forest plantations ranging in size from 3 to 15 acres in Frederick and Howard counties in Maryland.

The Wildlife Management - Beneficial Birds series of Fact Sheets highlights several bird species that can assist woodland owners in managing rodents and other pests.

Farmers, gardeners, and others enjoy Tree Swallows because they are consumers of pest insects. Along with bats, bluebirds, and purple martins, they can play an important role in an integrated pest management strategy for controlling many farm and garden insect pests.

Eastern Bluebirds eat many of the insects that are common pests for gardeners and farmers. Their appetite for insects makes them an important part of an integrated management strategy for controlling different farm and garden insect pests. This fact sheet describes the habitat, diet, and methods for attracting Eastern bluebirds to your property.

Barn Swallows eat a wide range of both agricultural and community insect pests. Insects make up, on average, 99.8 percent of their diet. For this reason, attracting Barn Swallows to your property may be one more positive step in an integrated approach to managing agricultural and garden insect pests.

The American kestrel is the smallest member of the falcon family found in North America. Most Maryland farmyards provide suitable habitat for kestrels. In addition to describing many aspects of the kestrel, including distribution, habitat preferences, and food habits, this fact sheet illustrates how to try to attract kestrels to your property.

This fact sheet will describe many aspects of the Barn Owl including identification, distribution, habitat preferences, food habits, and how to try to attract Barn Owls to your property.

This fact sheet provides guidelines and recommendations to maximize the chances of successfully attracting purple martins and ensuring their return year after year.

This fact sheet discusses how to identify, the distribution and habitats of, and the benefits of having great horned owls on your property.