Beacon of light wildlife centre

caring for orphaned and injured wildlife.

nuisance wildlife

Dealing With Nuisance Wildlife

The most complaints when it comes to nuisance wildlife is regarding raccoons and skunks, so I have listed a few tips to help solve some common problems.

 Garbage problems.......Raccoons seem to be able to get into anything and out aswell.most problems can be solved without having to call in the troops. garbage cans with locking lids or twist on lids cannot be opened.  the best time to put out your garbage is the morning of pick up as coons are out during the night doing their grocery shopping. garbage bags are not a good idea to put out the night before, if you must put your garbage out at this time then use a garbage can with a lid that is not accessible or build a container to put you bags in that has a lid with a latch.  Also keep dumpster lids closed and secured at night. if there is a coon in a dumpster and it cant get out place a plank of wood in there so it can climb out on its own.

coons in the house.....raccoons may be in your attic or somewhere else in your house due to having a litter of babies, if you dont mind waiting a few weeks until the babies are ready to venture out into the world then leave them alone they will move.  If you need to evict them loud music and light works. putting a radio on a talk show and a light in the nesting area and adding   nasty smells like ammonia  (placing rags soaked in bleach inside a margarine container with holes in the lid will also help but remember to give  the mom time to move her babies to another site. it may take a few days but if and when the family leave make sure you close up the entrance they were using to get into your house.  this also works for skunks.

If a raccoon is seen in the daytime it does not mean the raccoon is rabid, there has not been a case of raccoon rabies in this area for quite a long time, but there is alot of ditemper in raccoons. but that does not mean that the coon does not have rabies.  If the raccoon is seen in the day and acting sick, staggering, circling, lethargic, disoriented, screaming, or seems unnormaly approachable then there may be a problem. call the local spca if you see these signs. if the raccoon is acting normally and takes off when approached it is fine.

Remember do not leave garbage outside at night, do not leave pet food outside at night either as you will attract all kinds of visitors.

If you have a skunk under your house etc use the same methods as above for raccoons, loud music or a talk show, light and ammonia smells.  

If you have been sprayed or your pet has been sprayed, try mixing one quart of hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup o baking soda and a teaspoon of dawn  dish liquid together,  you can use a feminine douche on an animals face that has been sprayed, do not use the above mixture near an animals eyes.  this mixture must be applied right away lathered up and rinsed off.

if you have a skunk in a window well or other place he cannot get out of, do the same thing as above for a coon in a duumpster...place a plank in the window well and hopefully he will climb out if not you can lower a pet carrier into the space that contains a can of cat food, hopefully the skunk will go into the carrier to eat you can then slowly raise the carrier out of the space place on the ground and slowly walk away .

most of these methods will work for most mammals.  There are a few more helpful hints below to avoid having to deal with wildlife nuisance problems..

Coyotes are non confrontational by nature, but very curious, they are shy animals that avoid conflict. they are very smart and adaptable to their surroundings. they are not nocturnal or diurnal, so it is not uncommon to see them day or night....do not leave trash outside,  do not leave pet foods outside. 

Foxes...mostly active at dusk and dawn.  their natural diet consists of small rodents insects, grasses fruit and amphibians. if natural foods are scarce they may go after rabbits. they are omnivorous.  Foxes have never attacked a human, foxes that live in close proximity to humans are not scared of them and may come close while foraging.  once again keep all trash and pet foods and other foods out of your yard.  if you have an unwanted fox den you can place a radio near the opening, place dog hair or rags soaked in human urine around the den, place rags soaked in bleach or ammonia in margarine containers with holes in the lid around the den, place a bright light in the entrance, combine all of the above for a few days until they move out.  once they have moved close the entrance to the den or dig it up.

Squirrels..use the light sound and smell techniques above for evicting squirrels.

if all else fails and you have an ongoing problem call a humane wildlife removal company.....Just remember these techniques listed above are free, and ususally work.  Also if you trap an adult animal make sure there are no babies, finding out there were babies in your attic because of the smell of dead raccoons is not pleasant.  and removing the mother and sending the babies to a wildlife rehabilitator is not fair to the rehabber or the babies.  make sure if trapping an adult you also move the babies with her to the new location.

Once an animal has been evicted successfully always remember to remove or fix the entrance they were using so you dont have some one else move in.

 

The following is adapted from The Humane Control of Wildlife in Cities & Towns by the Humane Society of the United States

The following contains information on dealing with wildlife in "unwelcome" situations and places. Only basic general information is given here. For detailed help, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator or agricultural extension agent.

Armadillos

  • remove brush where burrows exist (or for cover)
  • control insects and invertebrates (removes major food source)

Bats

in house:

  • turn off lights and leave an exit open
  • after bats are gone, find entry point(s) and seal up (some bats can enter 3/8" cracks)

in attic:

  • provide exit and seal up when gone (don't do during May-August as there may be young still present)
  • use a one-way door/bat excluder on the last entrance site, then seal up when you know they are all gone

Beavers

  • exclude from an area with a metal fence
  • use an electric fence 1 foot high
  • shield tree trunks with hardware cloth 3 1/2 feet high
  • destruction of the dam with not work as they will just rebuild
  • add a culvert through the dam (10-40 ft long, 8-12 inch pipe)

Roosting Birds (Sparrows, Starlings, Pigeons)

  • exclude from area with netting
  • remove flat surfaces
  • install porcupine wire laid in parallel rows on roosting surface
  • use repellents such as noisemaking devices, visual stimuli, life-like hawk/owl/snake replicas (must use persistantly until birds roost elsewhere)

Songbirds

  • birds attacking people (birds are being protective of a nearby nest)
  • avoid the area for the 3 weeks or so that it takes for the babies to leave
  • if you can't avoid the area, use an umbrella, wave cloth to scare birds away, etc.

Eastern Chipmunks

  • bury hardware cloth (wire) to prevent burrowing
  • remove wood and rock piles and other hiding spots
  • don't live trap, another will just replace it in the area (same with all animals)

Coyotes

  • penning or confinement of livestock
  • electric fencing
  • guard or herding dogs
  • dispose of trash quickly, use ammonia in cans

Deer

  • exclusion fencing
  • repellants (nylon stocking with human hair inside, hanging mirrors/ tinfoil strips)

House Mice

  • exclusion
  • remove food sources
  • trapping

Moles

  • control insect populations in lawns (moles eat grubs and other insects)
  • exclusion with burried hardware cloth barriers
  • repellents

Opossums

  • exclusion
  • one way doors
  • secure trash containers
  • pick up outdoor pet food at night

Prarie Dogs/Pocket Gophers

  • crop rotation and alternate planting
  • keep lawns watered
  • remove cover

Cottontail Rabbits

protecting flowers and vegetables:

  • FENCE the area (2 foot high 1" poultry wire)
  • chemical repellents (available at garden centers)

protecting trees and shrubs:

  • apply protective wrap to tree trunks (18 inches high)
  • remove cover
  • trapping will not work, new rabbits will just come in

Racoons

* (EXCLUSION is the only permanent solution)
in chimney:

  • use ammonia or bag of mothballs to drive out of chimney
  • ensure that all young are out afterwards
  • after all are gone, cap chimney

in attics:

  • turn lights on and radio for a few days
  • seal entrance once gone

in gardens:

  • use scare tactics such as lights/radio

Skunks

  • remove attractants such as garbage and pet food, wood/rock piles, and crawl spaces under houses

Gray Squirrels

in attic:

  • bang on rafters, play loud radio in attic
  • usually are gone during the day
  • install 1-way exit
  • seal when hear no more sounds

in chimney:

  • hang 1/2 inch thick rope down chimney and attach at top so they can climb out

Woodchucks

  • (timid and easily frightened)
  • scare tactics
  • exclusion
  • repellents, removal of brush and cover
  • one-way doors

Woodpeckers

  • anything that will muffle the sound of the drumming will discourage them
  • hang strips of cloth or foil that will flutter in the wind and frighten them
  • treat insect infestation of home
  • repair holes quickly 



 





 


 

  

  

  

  
 

  
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