Cute from a distance, not when they are invading your home!

Cute from a distance, not when they are invading your home!

Nuisance wildlife causing you sleepless nights?

These adorable animals can invade homes and other buildings, dig up lawns, damage vegetable crops, and raid chicken coops and beehives.  How do we keep these critters out of our environment?

Exclusion

Raccoons, Opossums and skunks are known to take up residence in attics, under the crawl space of a home or perhaps underneath the floor of a barn or garage. The only truly effective way to control this situation is to make it impossible for them to enter.  You can do this by repairing such things as damaged air vents or by blocking crawl spaces with the proper materials. It is important, to exclude the animals as soon as you notice them, because it is common for them to raise their young in human dwellings. Young wildlife needs to be removed physically before starting repairs, to make sure they don’t get sealed in. Ground level exclusion work should be buried at least 12 inches into the ground and have an L-shaped bottom, to prevent them from digging their way back in. Skunks are especially good at digging under repairs that do not extend into the ground.

     Trapping

     All of these animals are easy to catch in live traps. Live traps can be made or are available commercially. Traps should be baited with strong smelling material, such as sardines, dog food or bacon. 

      Any live trap used for raccoons must be designed so that the raccoons cannot open the trap door.  Raccoons are very good at opening traps and have been known to undo latches that lock the trap door down, if they can reach the latches with their paws.

     When live-trapping skunks, it is important to make traps of solid material, such as wood or metal. Wire traps should be wrapped in burlap or plastic so that the skunk cannot see out of the trap once it is caught. The trap, if handled gently, can then be moved with little danger of the skunk spraying.

      Trapped animals should NOT be held in captivity or transported to other areas for release unless permission is obtained from the owner or manager of the land. Animals must be immediately killed or released.

             Pest Control Services

             Another option is to hire a pest control professional that specializes in handling nuisance wildlife problems. They will be familiar with laws and regulations that pertain to your situation. They can also dispose of the animal.

Skunk Odors

It’s extremely difficult to eliminate skunk odors completely, but there are several substances that can reduce the odor substantially.  If the odor is in soil around or beneath the home, the best neutralizing agent is chloride of lime applied to the soil. Be aware that this material does kill plants.

             When the odor is on materials, like clothes, hair or skin, tomato juice or vinegar applied liberally and thoroughly rubbed on the material will greatly reduce the odor.

             Inside a house, the only effective treatment is an aerosol mist deodorant. One of the most effective is neutroleum alpha, available from many pest control operators.

           *Michigan State University, OC0214