Northern short-tailed shrew

The Northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) belongs to the order Eulipotyphla and the family Soricidae. While primarily insectivorous, these mammals are often considered nuisances in agricultural and horticultural settings due to their soil-disrupting activities and potential damage to plant roots.

Biologically, these shrews are characterized by a very high metabolic rate, requiring them to consume food frequently, often equaling their own body weight daily. They remain active throughout the winter, meaning their tunneling activity in the soil occurs year-round, regardless of seasonal temperature fluctuations.

Their primary damage to crops is indirect; by burrowing extensively, they disrupt soil structure and displace the root systems of garden vegetables, flowers, and nursery seedlings. These air pockets can cause roots to dry out, leading to plant stress or death. Furthermore, they are known to occasionally feed on seeds or tubers if their primary food source of insects is scarce.

Another agricultural concern is that their burrow systems provide secondary paths for more destructive rodents, such as field mice and voles. These secondary pests use the existing tunnels created by shrews to access protected crops, often leading to significant yield losses in potato fields, orchards, and decorative gardens.

Effective management focuses on habitat modification and exclusion. Growers can utilize mechanical soil compaction in non-planted areas to collapse tunnels, employ vibration-based pest repellers, or install hardware cloth underground to protect delicate root systems. Promoting natural predation by owls and hawks is also a recommended long-term biological control strategy.