Prairie Dog Control

Reasons the Town Mitigates Prairie Dogs

Prairie dogs pose numerous threats to the public health and safety, including:

• Prairie dog colonies are extremely susceptible to the plague. This Disease spreads so quickly that once a colony contracts it, the population usually dies off within a week. During this week, however, they are highly contagious and can pass the plague on to other animals, or worse, humans.
• Prairie dogs are infested with fleas and lice, increasing the risk for both human and pet infestation, which includes contracting diseases associated with fleas and lice.
• Prairie dog mounds can harm livestock who step in them, and their tunnels run the risk of collapsing under the weight of humans or livestock and injuring them.
• Prairie dogs reduce the vegetation in the surrounding area due to it being its food source, but also intentionally as a way to help protect their colony from predators.
• Prairie dog mounds can also house dangerous creatures such as snakes.

For these reasons, Section 6.24.090 of the Firestone Municipal Code requires that landowners and the Town remove prairie dogs and other animals considered pests on private and public property in order to control pest populations and reduce the health and safety risks associated with them. For information on the Town’s prairie dog mitigation efforts, contact our Public Works Department at 303-833-3544.