Flood Recovery for Rural Areas - part 6

Rodent Control After a Flood

Safety Precautions and Elimination

Following floods, rats and other rodents may move into buildings to escape flood waters. Snakes are often forced into places where they are not usually found. Upon re-entering flooded homes or buildings, you will need to be wary of these possibilities. Rats can carry disease and parasites, while snakes may be poisonous or at least frightening. Neither pose serious problems but the chance of an incident increases after a disaster.

Where the Rats Are

Because of the danger of rat infestation, use caution when entering flooded buildings:

Carry a solid club and a flashlight.
Inspect likely hiding places for rats. Check closets, drawers, mattresses, appliances, upholstered furniture, stacks of clothes or paper, dark corners, attics and basements.
Be extremely careful when approaching rats. They may be aggressive.

Controlling Rats

If rats continue to be a problem after flood waters recede, contact your county Extension agent or professional pest control operator for advice. If you proceed on your own be extremely careful with any rodenticide or trap. To minimize rat problems:

Remove trash piles and piles of damaged furniture or equipment. Store materials on platforms or shelves 12 to 18 inches above the ground.
Remove food sources. Store food supplies in rat-proof bins or containers. Suspend garbage containers from trees or posts. Remove animal carcasses, as they may attract rats.
If you are bitten by a rat, wash the wound with soap and water and see a doctor immediately. Rats may carry diseases and at the least, rat bites can cause infection. If the rat is captured or killed, health authorities may wish to check it for rabies or other diseases. When picking up a carcass, use the inside of a plastic bag to avoid touching it. Double-seal it in plastic and freeze until further notice.

Maintaining Livestock Health After a Flood

Safety Rules for Farm Clean-up

Delay permanent repairs until buildings are thoroughly dry.

Spread wet feeds to dry. Avoid feeding wet feeds to livestock unless absolutely necessary.

To avoid a fire hazard, move wet hay outside and spread it out to dry.

Move livestock to unflooded pastures to prevent disease.

Get rid of pests such as rodents, snakes and insects.

Promptly dispose of animal carcasses.

Disassemble, clan, dry, and lubricate farm machinery.

Do not start motors or engines until they are cleaned and reconditioned.

Clear and open drains ditches, channels, small streams, and tile-drain outlets. Drain floodwater, if possible from fields.

Plug breaks in dikes; use temporary structures to stop breaks and prevent further high water.

Clear debris, especially barbed wire and other materials which could be dangerous to livestock, from lots and fields. Avoid overexertion and strain in lifting and moving heavy objects or loads.

When using kerosene, keep away from heat, sparks, and open flame.

Issues of Disease Control and Sanitation

If your fields or farm buildings have been flooded, take special precautions against flood-related accidents or diseases in poultry and livestock. Give animals extra care, particularly if they have been stranded by floodwater, and have been off regular feeding schedules. Keep fields clear of harmful debris, and clean buildings as soon as possible. In addition, watch for signs of flood-related diseases, such as lameness, fever, difficulty breathing, muscle contractions or swelling of shoulder, chest, back, neck or throat. Be prepared to contact a veterinarian if you spot trouble.

Disease Control

Following a flood there may be danger of infectious diseases in livestock, but unless serious outbreaks of infection have occurred recently, the situation should not be alarming. Observe these precautions:

Where large numbers of animals are assembled, watch for any indication of infectious diseases such as pneumonia, foot rot or leptospirosis. These diseases are more likely to occur where cattle are crowded on wet ground and where horn flies and houseflies are abundant.
Promptly report any sign of disease to a local, state or federal veterinarian.
Contact a veterinarian about vaccinating animals for immunity from flood-related diseases such as anthrax, blackleg and swine erysipelas.

Feed and Water

Provide clean, uncontaminated water.
Inspect feeds such as corn, wheat and hay. Do not feed flood-damaged or moldy hay unless it has been tested for mycotoxins, toxic substances produced by fungi.
Do not use any feed or forage that may have been contaminated by chemicals or pesticides.

Pasture Land

Standing water may have ruined some pastures. Lack of adequate forage could force animals to eat poisonous plants. Before restocking flooded pastures, remove debris, especially along fence lines and in corners. Livestock could be injured from pieces of barbed wire, sharp metal and trash.

Protecting Dairy Cows

Try to milk at regular times. It is better to lose the milk from one milking than to stress high producing cows.
If you must use a neighbor's milking parlor, try to keep the two herds separate.
If feed supplies are limited, give the largest portion of available feed to the highest producing cows and those recently fresh. This may be a good time to cull the herd.
Clean and sanitize milking parlor, dairy barn and equipment before returning to normal use.
Watch for signs of mastitis, which is likely to flare up if milking methods, time and equipment have been changed.

Sanitation

Clean out hog houses, barns and chicken houses. Spray buildings with a good disinfectant before animals occupy them again. Air buildings thoroughly to dry them out.
Remove debris from dairy barns. Scrub and disinfect walls, ceilings, floors, stanchions and other equipment.
Scrub the milk house and equipment with detergent and hot water. Sanitize equipment, walls, ceilings and floors with dairy sanitizer equipment.

Disposing of Animal Carcasses

Prompt and sanitary disposal of animal carcasses is necessary to protect the living animals in an area from disease.

Search all pastures for dead animals as soon as possible. Carcasses may have some commercial value, so send them to a rendering plant if possible.

If rendering is impractical, dispose of the dad animals on the premises. Use the following procedure:Immediately after finding a carcass, cover it with crude oil or kerosene to keep away dogs, buzzards, and vermin.

Fat swine are the only animal carcases that will burn satisfactorily. Used railroad ties can be used as starters.

Bury other carcasses. Use power equipment if it is available Choose a site where subsurface drainage will not reach water supplies.

Bury the carcasses at least three to four feet deep so predatory animals won't be able to reach them. If quicklime will hasten decomposition.

Flooded Farm Vehicles and Equipment

Tips on Cleaning and Reconditioning

Try to clean tractors, trucks and farm equipment as soon as possible. Delay will make dirt and silt harder to remove and may cause considerable rusting and corrosion. If you use farm vehicles and equipment before proper reconditioning, you may seriously damage them. Have your dealer or another expert recondition engines. They need to be completely disassembled for cleaning and reconditioning. Do not try to move or start an engine that has been submerged until it has been cleaned and reconditioned, since dirt will damage bearings and precision parts. If the tractor was submerged only to the platform, you will need to service only the wheel bearings and moving parts that were under water.

Emergency Cleaning

If you must use the tractor or engine immediately, or if you think the cost of professional reconditioning is not worthwhile, use the following procedure. This procedure isn't thorough enough to prevent possible damage or need for overhaul in the future.

Clean exterior thoroughly with a hose. Scrub greasy deposits with solvent.
Remove spark plugs or fuel injectors, air cleaner, intake manifold and carburetor. Clean these parts thoroughly with solvent.
Drain the crankcase. Flush the crankcase with oil and refill with clean oil. Also disconnect fuel lines, blowing them out with compressed air.
Crank the engine slowly with spark plugs or fuel injectors removed to force water out of cylinders. Squirt light lubricating oil into each cylinder and let it stand for about five minutes. Then crank the engine slowly to lubricate cylinder walls and rings.
Replace all filters: engine, fuel, hydraulic.
Completely flush out the fuel system tank, pump, lines with #1 diesel fuel. Be extremely careful to avoid fire danger.
Replace starter and generator. Have an expert service them.
Drain and flush the transmission and final drive with solvent. Refill with new, clean oil.

Wheel Bearings, Cooling Systems and Batteries

Remove and clean unsealed wheel and track bearings with solvent. Lubricate and replace the bearings. Factory-sealed bearings should not need cleaning if the seal is unbroken.
Flush the cooling systems with fresh water, and clean the radiator fins.
Replace the battery, if necessary. If it was submerged, it will probably need to be replaced.

Starting and Initial Operation

Examine the machine and turn it over by hand after you have cleaned and replaced all parts. If it turns freely, it is probably ready for operation. Turn on the engine and operate the machine at low speed until you are sure all parts are working smoothly.
If there is a substantial amount of dirt in the crankcase, transmission or gear train, change the oil and oil filter after operating the machine for a few hours. Using fresh lubricant is cheaper than paying for additional repairs.
Additional Steps for Trucks and Cars
Remove inside door panels. Clean and lubricate latches and window raising mechanisms.
Remove seats and floor mats. Brush and vacuum thoroughly. Clean washable surfaces with soap and water. Use rug or upholstery shampoo on non-washable areas. Dry thoroughly.
Disassemble leaf springs. Clean or replace spring pads if necessary.
Have brakes and steering mechanism checked before you drive the vehicle.

Reconditioning Farm Implements

Follow applicable steps above, and clean rest of machine as follows:

Chains. Soak chains in solvent for several hours, then remove chains and allow solvent to drain out of them. Soak chains for several hours in light oil, then drain off excess oil and replace chains on machine.
Gears and sprockets. Clean exposed gears and sprockets with cleaning solvent. Coat gears with light oil.
Gear cases. Inspect enclosed gear cases for water or grit. Water may be present below the oil. If you find water or grit, or if you are in doubt, drain the case, flush it with solvent and refill with clean oil.
Belts. Examine all belts for tears or cracks. Repair or replace them as necessary.
Cutting parts. Remove knives and cutter bars from mowers and combines. Clean and dry them. Coat cutter parts with light oil and reassemble. Inspect the insides of combines and remove accumulated dirt, chaff, debris or water.
Soil-working tools. Clean dirt and rust from surfaces of soil-working tools such as mold boards, discs and cultivator shovels. Coat these tools with rust preventive grease or used crankcase oil.

Tips For Handling Flooded Soils

General Guidelines

Open all drainage ditches.
Remove debris from fields and pastures. Look carefully for partially hidden objects that could injure livestock or damage machinery. Check hedge and fence rows carefully.
To prevent severe soil compacting, avoid running trucks and heavy farm equipment over wet soils. Most soils are not dry enough for traffic or cultivation until the top 5 or 6 inches crumble, rather than slick over or pack.
Encourage the growth of cover crops such as rye or wheat. Any type of plant growth is effective in drying waterlogged soils.
It is usually not necessary to remove silt deposits. After soils are dry enough to work, level and mix silt deposits into original topsoil, if practical.
Apply animal manure and incorporate into soil. Check with your county Extension agent for recommended application rates.
The fertility level of flooded soils will probably change over a period of time. Do not guess at requirements. Take soil samples to determine new fertility levels. Follow recommendations. Allow for nutrients supplied by applied animal manures. When sampling silted fields, make sure the samples represent the soil mix that will exist after deposited silt is mixed with the original topsoil.
Avoid deep tillage or subsoiling unless advised by an agronomist. Deep tillage or subsoiling is rarely beneficial and could be harmful.

Clean-Up, Soil Testing and Cover Crops

If sediment came from fertile fields of your upstream neighbors, the fertility status of the field will probably be unchanged or higher than before the flood. If heavy sedimentation occurs, these soils should be tested to determine nutrient status. Take soil samples at a 6- to 8-inch depth in at least 15 locations per field. Each soil sample should represent 20 acres or less. Areas with significant differences in textures should be sampled separately. Sand deposits may have to be removed or spread over other areas and mixed with the more productive soil beneath. Sand deposits on top of silty or clay-type soils deeper than 4 inches may decrease potential crop yield, particularly crops planted the fall prior to spring flooding. Determine the location, depth and amount of coverage of sand. Call your county Extension agent for further guidelines.

Salvaging Crops After Flooding

Recovery of Alfalfa, Pastures and Hay

Many factors affect the extent of crop damage after a flood. Seasonal temperatures can be a major factor. During spring flooding, temperatures are colder and plants can survive longer under water. Plants that encounter flash-flooding along creeks where the water rises and recedes quickly are most likely to survive. They will experience less oxygen depletion than submerged plants. Other factors for survival include water movement and plant height. Standing water is more harmful than moving water. Plants with some leaves protruding from the water are more likely to live. Restoration of alfalfa, irrigated pastures, perennials and hay will depend heavily on all of these factors. But it also depends on the steps you take toward recovery.

Alfalfa

Alfalfa can withstand submersion for a limited time, depending on its stage of growth. Dormant plants may withstand submersion for as long as seven to 10 days. Growing plants can usually withstand submersion for less than three to four days without damage. Alfalfa can recover from moderate silt deposits. Silt deposits of over 2 to 3 inches will weaken the stand, and you may need to regrade and re-establish in places. Limit reseeding of established fields to silted patches within the field. If the entire field is silted, rework and reseed the field. Where alfalfa stand is over two years old, overseed with temporary crop and reseed alfalfa at least one month after having reworked the field. You can reseed small areas with fast-growing grasses. This will help provide forage until the entire field can be reworked. In old fields, seeding to annual crops such as ryegrass will provide some hay and also will help control weeds.

Irrigated Pastures

You probably can restore irrigated pastures without serious production losses if silt deposits are not over 2 inches and erosion is minimal. Recovery usually depends on the type of legume. Alfalfa probably will recover from moderate silting better than white clover varieties. White clover will not survive silting that covers the ends of the growing stems or stolons. Ladino clover, however, will fill in stands from a few surviving plants if the area is not too large. Grasses such as ryegrass, orchard grass, fescue and meadow foxtail will probably grow through a moderate silt deposit, and can stand several days of flooding without injury. Tall fescue will tolerate more water than ryegrass or orchard grass. Meadow foxtail and reed canary grass can stand longer submersion than other perennial grasses. Subsurface water saturating the root zone of deep-rooted crops such as alfalfa can damage the plant as much as surface water. To take care of excess soil moisture, open drainage ditches as soon as possible.

Strategies for this Year and Next

Floods can affect weeds both the year they occur and in subsequent years. The biggest impact in the flood year will be the reduced competitive ability of the crop. Weeds will take advantage of the stunted or killed crops and grow to maturity. In the year after a flood, new weed problems will be likely. Some of the weeds carried into the field by flood waters may not have germinated in time to be noticed during the previous growing season. Mechanical and chemical methods need to be considered in both the flood year and subsequent years to manage weeds. A bioassay test in which seeds are planted in flooded and non-flooded soil samples can be helpful to determine if soils are safe for intended crops.

If the Crop Recovers

If the crop recovers after the flood, make an effort to reduce the impact of weed competition. This may not be practical if fields are too wet to enter for mechanical or chemical weeding.

Check fields regularly to monitor crop and weed development. Take note of weed species. Are there any new species? This may happen if weed seeds were carried into the field by floodwater. Make a field map of these weed locations and use it to plan next year s weed management program.
Consider whether herbicides can be safely applied. Most labels clearly specify the maximum growth stage of the crop at which the product can be used. Applications following a mid-season flood are very likely beyond this window of application timing. Most labels also caution against using herbicides if the crop is under any stress. Thus, the feasibility of herbicide use the same year as a flood occurs is limited.
If herbicide use is feasible but conditions are extremely wet, consider using a commercial sprayer equipped with floatational tires.

The Year After the Flood

Be alert for new weed problems the year after the flood. Some weeds may have germinated after you made an assessment of weeds during the flood year. Others may have remained dormant until this season. The flood may also have deposited soil that is different in texture, pH and organic matter content. These factors may influence herbicide performance and crop safety. Take soil samples and base herbicide selection and rates on current soil characteristics. The new soil may have herbicide residues from the previous season's application if the flood deposits mainly come from an adjacent field or treated roadside. These residues are unlikely to affect this year's crop, because deposits are usually very diluted and leached. If you suspect problems you can do a simple bioassay test to determine if planned crops are feasible in the flood-deposited soil. To carry out a bioassay test:

Take several soil samples from the flooded field (1 quart per sample) and plant three or four seeds of the planned crop in each one.
Collect soil samples from a known herbicide-free site to use as a standard and likewise plant three or four seeds of the planned crop.
Grow the seedlings for two to four weeks.
If plants in the flooded soil are normal and appear to grow as well as those in the herbicide-free soil, indications are strong that it is safe to plant your crop.
If crop growth in the flooded soil is abnormal, have an agricultural professional determine if the symptoms are related to possible herbicide residues in the soil or to other causes, such as nutrient deficiencies or diseases.