Agriculture Services FAQ

The Agriculture Services department has an external contractor who handles all beaver related complaints. This is a free service provided to Sturgeon County residents. If a resident has a concern, please call 780-939-8349 to request the contractor to assess the issue.

The Agriculture Services department has four seasonal agricultural inspectors on staff May through September. The inspectors are available at no cost to help assess, identify and control common pests and diseases of trees, shrubs, and other garden plants. However, the inspectors are not trained arborists, they would provide the resident with a list of local arborists if they wish for a more in depth assessment of the issue.

The Agriculture Services department has a Shelterbelt Program available to Sturgeon County residents. Bulk quantities of various tree seedlings are available to residents for purchase at a reduced cost. As well, a Shelterbelt Workshop is held in early spring to provide residents with information on tree placement and species selection. If residents attend the workshop, they receive an additional discount on their seedling order. In addition to this, the department has a tree planter and plastic mulch applicator available for rent. As part of the shelterbelt program, the rental fees are waived for residents wishing to plant their tree seedlings. The department also offers rolls of plastic mulch for purchase. Each roll is approximately 1500ft.

The Roseridge landfill facility, or to the Redwater transfer station depending on the nature of their waste and their location. More information on the types of waste accepted by each facility can be found on http://www.roseridge.ab.ca/ and http://www.redwater.ca/.

The Agriculture Services department offers a full list of available rentals which can be viewed here as well as the applicable fee(s).

Contact the Agriculture Services department 780-939-8349 to be added to a reservation schedule. Please provide the date and the time frame for which they need the facility as well as any additional requirements (ie: electricity for the powered shelters).

The Agriculture Services department has live animal traps available to rent as well as information in regards to baiting, trapping, and relocating/disposal of wildlife.

• Porcupines – Agriculture Services has a large trap available. It is generally advised to bait with something salty such as salted apples.
• Skunks – Agriculture Services has a few medium traps available. It is generally advised to bait with sardines.
• Raccoons – Agriculture Services has a few medium traps available. It is generally advised to bait with kibble, cheese or corn.
• Pocket gophers – the Agriculture Services department has specific traps available for purchase. They are $12 per trap. The department holds an annual pocket gopher workshop that demonstrates to residents how to set and place these traps. Each resident receives a free trap for attending the workshop.
• Richardson ground squirrels – if the resident is a producer and is trapping on his/her property, the Agriculture Services department has 2% liquid strychnine available for purchase at $10 per bottle. All information and training materials are provided to the resident when they come in to purchase.

The first point of contact should be through the Provincial Rat Hotline (310-RATS). A provincial specialist would send a request to Sturgeon County to investigate. The Agriculture Services department would send a pest inspector to assess the area and look for any signs of rat activity. If there appears to be suspicious activity on the property, pet safe traps would be left on the property for a short term and be re-inspected for any further activity. We recommend that residents watch for any further signs and to contact Sturgeon County if they notice anything.

Please contact Agriculture Services at 780-939-8349 who will send a request to a contractor to assess the situation and mitigate the issue through trapping. This is a free service provided to Sturgeon County residents.

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