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Home inspections are important to have done on every home being bought or
sold.
Wildlife Control at Home
Control Wildlife Damage Around the Home With Common Sense Control Methods
Whether you are a home gardener, enjoy
landscaping around your home or just own your own home, there are times
when certain species of wildlife can become a nuisance or a pest and
cause
 damage to plants and even economic losses. Wildlife damage
problems can occur throughout the year, but the fall and winter months
are times when food supplies and cover may become more limited for many
wildlife species, causing them to find your home or landscape an
attractive place to call home. Solving wildlife damage problems may
seem out of your control - but most often, you have more control over
the problem than you think. It might not be easy - but if you think
through the problem and put forth some effort - you can often cut your
losses and maybe even eliminate them.
Many different species of wildlife can
become a nuisance and cause problems under certain conditions.
Raccoons, skunks, snakes, woodchucks and other rodents such as moles,
house mice, and tree squirrels can often cause problems. In addition,
whitetail deer populations have increased to the point in many urban
environments where they are becoming a nuisance by browsing on
landscape plantings. Other problem wildlife can include starlings,
pigeons, sparrows, or the nuisance woodpecker damaging the wood siding
on your home, just to name a few.
Think Through the Problem
People experiencing a problem caused
by critters usually want an easy, quick solution and often ask "Is
there something I can spray to get rid of this pest?" It is never quite
that easy. Preventing and controlling wildlife damage requires a
thought process and often includes using integrated pest management
techniques. A successful wildlife damage program often makes use of a
combination of control options and usually begins with an accurate
assessment of the damage and identification of the desired outcome.
Wildlife damage management is the opposite of managing property to
attract wildlife. To manage for wildlife, you must make sure that
animals have sufficient food, water, and cover throughout the year. If
you have unwanted animals around your home, it is a sure bet that there
is food, water and cover in the area. The solution is to remove at
least one of these elements - and if you can remove two, it’s even
better.
Try this sequence in thinking through a wildlife damage problem:
- Identify the wildlife species causing
the problem. This is the most important step. Correctly identifying the
species of wildlife causing damage may seem simple, but it can be
challenging under certain circumstances. Learn about the life history
and habitat requirements for the wildlife species that may be a
potential problem in your area.
- Are there cultural techniques which
you could use to modify the habitat and reduce the chances of having a
wild life damage problem? For instance, there may be certain plants
which could be used in your home landscape that might not be an
attractive food source for deer. Would more frequent mowing or
herbicide use reduce the amount of weedy cover needed for a build up of
rodent populations?
- Is there some way you can keep the animal causing damage from getting into the
site?
- If you can’t build them out, can you
repel them from the area? Sometimes you can use chemical, home-made,
visual or sound repellents to solve and control a problem.
- If you can’t put up an effective
barrier or repel the animals from the problem site, the last step may
involve removing from the area the animals that are causing the damage.
It may be necessary to trap, shoot, use gas cartridges in dens, or use
poison baits to control a wildlife damage problem. Of course, when
considering these alternatives for controlling most wildlife species
you should check with a Conservation Agent or local animal damage
control agent to get approval. Often these persons will also provide
some assistance.
- Remember that no entire species of
wild animal is a nuisance or pest all the time. The trick is to deal
only with the animal(s) causing damage, not try to eradicate the entire
population.
- A final consideration: Is it worth
the effort? It takes quite a bit of time and money to solve and control
a wildlife damage problem. Can you tolerate some damage or losses
caused by wildlife? Remember the aesthetic benefits derived from
viewing wildlife and the importance of managing habitats for those
wildlife species you wish to attract to your property. Ask yourself if
the economic loss is greater than the control cost. If it is, then it
is worthwhile to develop and implement a wildlife damage control
program.
Living With Wildlife
Wild animals contribute to our
enjoyment of nature and outdoor recreation, but they can also damage
property, agriculture, and natural resources and threaten human health
and safety. Equipped with the right information and tools, most
homeowners can solve their own problems and learn to live with
wildlife. For example, trimming trees and shrubbery are ways of
changing a habitat to make it less attractive to unwanted flocks of
birds or even snakes.
The following information may assist
in keeping that curious raccoon out of the garbage can, that persistent
rabbit or deer out of the garden, that goose or duck out of the
backyard pool, that woodpecker off the siding, and that swooping bat
out of the attic. Caution should always be taken to avoid overly
aggressive animals.
Squirrels and Other Rodents
To keep these animals from becoming a
permanent part of the family home and yard, screens, vents, and fan
openings; keep doors and windows in good repair; tighten eaves; replace
rotten boards; cap the chimney; trim overhanging trees; remove bird
feeders or use squirrel-proof feeders; and remove acorns and other nuts
from the yard. Chipmunks can be deterred by removing denning habitat,
which includes logs, rock walls, and stones.
Woodchucks
These animals, also known as
groundhogs, sometimes burrow near buildings, browse in gardens, and
damage fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Fencing can help reduce
woodchuck damage. The lower edge of the fence should be buried at least
10 inches in the ground to prevent burrowing. The fence should be 3 to
4 feet high, with a surrounding electric hot-shot wire placed 4 to 5
inches off the ground.
Opossums and Skunks
Opossums and skunks become a problem
to homeowners by raiding garbage cans and bird feeders; eating pet
foods; and living under porches, low decks, open sheds, and any other
areas that provide shelter. Skunks also dig holes in lawns, golf
courses, and gardens. Both animals sometimes kill poultry and eat eggs.
To keep opossums and skunks from denning under buildings, seal off all
foundation openings with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete. Chicken
coops can be protected by sealing all ground-level openings into the
buildings and by closing the doors at night. Foraging in garbage cans
may be eliminated by providing tight?-fitting lids and straps.
Bats
Bats prefer to avoid human contact;
however, they are known to establish roosts in attics and abandoned
buildings. Building and attic roosts can be eliminated by sealing entry
and exit holes (after the bats have left) with such materials as
1/4-inch hardware cloth, caulking, or wire mesh. If a bat makes its way
into the house, you can usually encourage it to leave after dark by
turning on lights and opening windows and doors.
Rabbits
Rabbits can be kept out of the garden
or away from ornamental plants and small trees by using products
containing repellents such as Hinder or by placing a 2-foot poultry
fence around the area. It is important to bury the fence at least 6
inches beneath the surface of the ground. For information about taste
repellents, check your local garden or farm center. Before using any
chemical repellents, read the label carefully and check with your State
pesticide regulatory agency for application guidelines.
Raccoons
Raccoons are attracted to easy food
sources, like garden produce, garbage, and pet food. To help prevent
scavenging, use metal trash cans that are fastened to a pole or to
another solid object. A strap or latch that secures the lid of the
garbage can is also helpful. To keep raccoons out of the garden, use
two strands of electric livestock fence. The strands should be placed 4
and 8 inches respectively off the ground and surround the entire
garden. Exercise caution when implementing this exclusionary method in
urban areas.
Raccoons will also readily inhabit
attics, chimneys, and sheds. Use metal flashing and 1-inch-mesh
hardware cloth to block entrances.
Snakes
The best way to keep snakes out of
your house and yard is to seal cracks and openings around doors,
windows, water pipes, attics, and foundations. Removing logs,
woodpiles, and high grass and controlling insects and rodents are also
helpful. Remove nonpoisonous snakes from inside buildings by placing
piles of damp burlap bags in areas where snakes have been seen. After
the snakes have curled up beneath the bags, remove the bags and snakes
from the building. To remove dangerous snakes, call a professional pest
control company.
Woodpeckers
These birds damage buildings by
drilling holes into wooden siding, eaves, or trim boards, especially
those made of cedar or redwood. If the pecking creates a suitable
cavity, the bird may use it for nesting. Effective methods of excluding
woodpeckers include placing lightweight mesh nylon or plastic netting
on the wooden siding beneath the eaves, covering pecked areas with
metal sheathing, and using visual repellents like "eye-spot" balloons.
Deer
Deer feed on row crops, vegetables,
fruit trees, nursery stock, stacked hay, and ornamental plants and
trees. Deer can be discouraged by removing supplemental food sources
and by using scare devices and repellents. The only sure way to
eliminate deer damage is to fence the deer out. A wire-mesh fence is
effective if it is solidly constructed and at least 8 feet high.
Electric fencing also helps reduce damage.
Coyotes and Foxes
These animals may carry rabies and
sometimes prey on domestic pets, rabbits, ducks, geese, chickens, young
pigs, and lambs. Coyotes also kill calves, goats, and deer. Net-wire
and electric fencing will help exclude foxes and coyotes; however,
because they are good climbers, a roof of net wire on livestock pens
may also be necessary. For more information about fencing, contact your
local county extension office.
The protection of livestock and
poultry is most important during the spring denning period. Foxes and
coyotes will often den close to farm buildings, under haystacks, or
inside hog lots or small pastures used for lambing. Shed lambing and
farrowing in protected enclosures can be useful in preventing predation
on young livestock. Additionally, noise- and light-making devices, such
as the Electronic Guard, may keep these predators away. Guarding dogs
are also useful in preventing predation on sheep. Regrettably,
dispersal methods are not effective in all situations, so other
methods, including trapping or snaring, may have to be used.
Mountain Lions and Bears
As bear and lion habitats continue to
decrease, interactions between these animals and humans continue to
increase. Bears are noted for destroying cornfields and trees,
scavenging in garbage cans, demolishing the interiors of cabins and
campers, and killing livestock. Lions are serious predators of sheep,
goats, domestic pets, large livestock, poultry, bighorn sheep, and
deer. Typical bear and lion predation on sheep leaves 10 or more killed
in a single attack, and both species are known to attack humans.
Prevention is the best method of
controlling bear and lion damage. Heavy woven and electric fencing can
effectively deter bears and lions from attacking livestock and damaging
property. Loud music, barking dogs, exploder cannons, fireworks,
gunfire, nightlights, scarecrows, and changes in the position of
objects in the depredation area often provide temporary relief. The
best way to protect pets is to keep them inside an enclosed kennel or
shelter. Using guarding dogs, removing garbage and dead carcasses, and
placing crops and beehives at considerable distances away from timber
and brush may reduce damage by bears. Mountain lions also prefer to
hunt where escape cover is close by; removal of brush and trees within
a quarter of a mile of buildings and livestock may reduce lion
predation.
Professional relocation of damaging
mountain lions and bears is sometimes necessary. For more information
about State laws and regulations concerning relocation or lethal
control of mountain lions and bears, contact your State wildlife agency.
Remember, think through your problem
before attempting to invest in a control program. What is the easiest,
cheapest, most practical way to control the problem? What will be the
least hazardous to pets, people, and non-target wildlife? Are you
losing enough money to justify a control expense? Your goal should be
to reduce damage to a level you can live with.
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