|
Wildlife Control On
this page: Squirrels, Raccoons, Rabbits, Skunks, Armadillos Squirrels The grey squirrel is the most abundant squirrel in most parts of the country and one of the few species found in Texas, especially the southeast part. A rodent with good P.R. but a rodent nonetheless.
|
 |
|
If you have Pecan Trees, or ever had one in your attic they are not so cute. Squirrels are active from dawn to dusk. So if you hear a noise in your attic at night it is most likely not a squirrel. They are not a protected species, in fact there are open hunting seasons on them, but usually we do not want to kill them. Live capture with a Hav-a-heart or Tomahawk trap is usually successful if you use the right bait. We have found peanut butter works well when the temperatures are above freezing. There are specialty baits you can buy, or just roasted nuts will usually attract them. When using a live trap do not handle it without gloves to avoid putting your sent on the trap. If you smoke use plastic gloves that are not contaminated. When you catch them, take them to a park or woods miles away from your house to release. There are some repellents on the market that work well for squirrels. If you have problems with them chewing, "Ropel"should be sprayed on the area to stop them from chewing. If you just want to repel them from the area, coyote or fox urine works well. (Don't ask how they get it) The best of these products that I have used is "Shake-A-Way." It is a granular fox urine and can be sprinkled anywhere you want to keep squirrels out. These products are not listed in our shopping cart, so if you want to purchase them e-mail me at products@scapest.com
|
|
|
Raccoons Raccoons!! Cute little devils. Make great pets when they are little but they will revert to wild animals as they grow up. It is rare that raccoons become a problem in or around your residence, but it does happen, especially if your residence used to be theirs. I have had them nesting in attics as well as in chimneys, and a few complaints that no matter where garbage was stored, or in what, it would be attacked by coons.
|
 |
|
Raccoons are nocturnal consequently doing all of their damage as you sleep.The other major complaint about coons is that they love your vegetables, especially corn. If you have a garden, and once corn is mature it is completely devoured, you probably have coon. A repellent such as dried blood will solve that problem in the garden. We never kill raccoons although I think it is legal in many areas. We always catch and remove them with a larger version of live traps that we use for squirrels. I have found that sardines is the best bait to catch them. Once captured, release five or more miles from your house in a park or woods. |
|
|
Opossums are ugly nocturnal creatures that occasionally become a pest when they get in your attic and or garbage. If you have chickens they can be a hen house problem as well. They do very little damage and are easily caught with a live trap baited with sardines. My biggest problem with them is catching them when I am after a coon. They love fish as well as cat food. Once captured, release five or more miles from your abode in a park or woods.
|
 |
|
Bunny Rabbits. To
cute to have just one name. Not bad eating. Rabbits are only a problem
if you have a garden. They will eat almost any young plant. They are
difficult to catch in a live trap. If you are having rabbit problems
repellents are the way to go. For individual plants sprinkle pepper
on the plant to repel them. |
 |
|
For larger areas 'Dried Blood." (This is the second time I have mentioned dried blood. For those of you not familiar with the product I am not suggesting you kill something and pour the blood over the area.) There is a bi-product packaged from slaughter houses that is a combination of animal blood and who knows what else, that is both a repellent and a source of nitrogen (fertilizer) that will repel many animals. It can be purchased in most garden centers. It comes in a powder form. Another repellent for rabbits is again fox urine. Shake-A-Way works well. See Snake Products.
|
|
|
Skunks Skunks!! Pepe la pew!! (I have often wondered why the French did not get outraged at Warner Brothers for insinuating they are great lovers with a bit of an odor problem. Maybe they did and that is why we have strained foreign relations with them.) |
 |
| Other
than when you hit one of these nocturnal creatures with your car, or your
dog gets to close to one, it is rare that skunks are a residential pest
problem. Most of the calls we have received for skunk control have been
dens under front stoops that were dug out by skunks. Again, this is usually
because we have infringed on their territory and they have no where else
to go. The second most popular skunk call has been from restaurants. Skunks
will tend to feed out of dumpsters upon occasion. At one fast food restaurant,
a family of skunks managed to clear out a playground while in search of
french fries.
Like most of the animals I have mentioned we capture skunks alive with live traps baited with sardines. In this particular case I would recommend a professional to trap and remove them. Catching them is easy, it is the removal that tends to be a little tricky. Tomato soup incidentally does cut the odor but taking a bath in tomato soup takes a lot of soup, and you will have to burn your cloths. |
|
|
Armadillos
There used to be armadillos everywhere in Texas, but with the onslaught of fire ants their numbers are dwindling. Most ground animals have had their ecosystem interrupted by the voracious ants. Lately I have seen a few armadillos, usually smashed in the middle of the road at night. I miss them. |
 |
