NUISANCE WILDLIFE

Some animals that come into the backyard are fun and relaxing to watch, some aren’t. How many times have you had to clean up after the raccoons, or been woken up by their drum solos. Rats and mice are annoying, dirty, unwanted guests. Bats can make a lot of racket with their nocturnal parties. Skunks can, well, skunks are just smelly. *** these animals come looking for food and shelter. The best way to keep them from coming is to animal-proof your house so they won’t find what they’re looking for and have to move down the road. There are three major steps to animal-proof you house: eliminate source of food, eliminate shelter and access to your house and getting rid of an animal that gets in your house.

Eliminate Source of Food: To eliminate one food source, pick up any fruits or nuts that drop from your trees. The dropped food is an easy buffet for raccoons and other prowling creatures. Another source of food is garbage. Keep your garbage in the garage, until garbage day; when this isn’t possible it is important to get air-tight garbage cans with lids. If you have some particularly clever raccoons, this might not stop them. Then get a rack in which to place the garbage cans so that they can’t be turned over.

Tip: If the raccoons keep getting into your garbage, try adding one cup of ammonia to the garbage bag before you close it up. The smell drives raccoons away and keeps them from spreading the garbage *** over. After a while they learn to not even open the garbage.

A compost heap can be food to many animals. You need to keep the compost covered with a heavy lid and avoid putting meats into it. Pet food is another source of food for wild animals. If your pet is an outdoor animal, try not to leave its food lying about. Feed it and when it is done take the food away.

Eliminate Shelter and Access to Your House: The first thing to do is make sure that you don’t have any cracks or holes that lead outside. They could be on the roof, in the house or foundation. If you find these problems, just caulk or patch them. Another access is the vents that are in your attic, which is a great way for bats to get in. Just screen these vents off with insect screen.

Tip: Wait until dusk to patch any holes in the attic if you have bats. This way *** the bats are out of your house and won’t be able to get back in.

Protect window wells with plastic window well covers. This keeps animals and water out. Some animals are diggers so you want to put screen under your deck or porch. You may have to embed it into the ground to keep raccoons and skunks from digging under a porch or deck. It is also important to protect your chimney. Birds and animals tend to think of this as a perfect nesting area. The best way to keep them out is to put on a chimney cap. (If only they had one in "The Birds!") These can be bought at your local hardware store and they are easy to install. Another thing to protect is your dryer vent. Your local hardware store can sell you protected dryer vents, which are very easy to install. Of course, even with your best efforts, occasionally animals do get in.

Tip: Sometimes animals or birds get into the chimney. The best way to get them out without hurting them is to put a pan full of ammonia into the fireplace. Close the fireplace doors and open the flue. The smell of the ammonia goes up the chimney and after a short while the animals clear out. When you are sure that there are no more animals up there, put on a chimney cap.

Getting Animals Out of House: The first thing to do is to leave the animal alone. Don’t chase it around and don’t try and pick it up yourself. Some animals carry disease and can bite through gloves. If you give it room it will probably leave the way it came in.

Tip: If a bat is in your house, don’t be afraid, bats rarely bite. The best thing to do is open a window. Then close off the room from the rest of the house. Turning out the lights helps. With the lights on, a bat seeks a dark place which is usually your furniture or curtains. The open window gives it a way out and eventually a bat leaves on its own. (Don’t go chasing it with a baseball bat, it won’t help.) If they are in the attic, wait until dusk and then find the hole they used to come in and patch it up. The hole might be small, a bat can squeeze through a crack that is only 1/2 inch.

Some animals enjoy your home and just won’t leave. In that case you can try trapping the animal. There are a wide variety of live traps that don’t kill the animal. *** you have to do is bait them and wait. The bait you use depends on the animal. For a chipmunk or a squirrel, peanut butter works best. Sardines are good bait for raccoons or opossums while tuna fish works on skunks. Corn cobs work for rabbits and woodchucks.

If you catch the animal in the trap, transport it to some woods or take it to a wildlife agency. They can then release the animal. Make sure you don’t do anything with the trap or animal without gloves on.

If you don’t want to trap it yourself or you’ve trapped it but don’t know what to do next, you can c*** animal control or a pest control agency.

	NUISANCE WILDLIFE Trapping and removing an opossum or raccoon from your yard will only temporarily solve your "nuisance wildlife" problem. With no wild places left to live in, another opossum or raccoon will move in to fill the niche you've made for it. The new animal, many times, is even more of a nuisance than the previous one.
	Relocating wildlife animals into the woods or the "wilds" is not in the best interest of the animal. By dumping it into another animal's territory, it has to fight and compete with the resident animal for a limited food supply and nesting area. In almost *** cases, it is the newcomer that loses -- many dying from infection from bite wounds and others getting killed by cars in an attempt to return to their original territory.
	COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS Many people report seeing an abundance of opossums and raccoons at certain times of the year and that the animals are coming out in the daylight. People often think this behavior is unusual and suspect that the animals have rabies when, in fact, it is because the animals are having young and become much more active during both the day and the night as they search for food. After the babies leave their nests or dens, this activity levels off to 'normal' routines.
	During the spring and summer months, many opossums and raccoons have their young in attics or roof areas of people's homes. We suggest that the homeowner be patient and ***ow the mother and babies to leave on their own when the young are old enough. The homeowner should be prepared to board up and seal areas where the wildlife may have entered when the animals leave.
	Never attempt to hand feed or tame a wild animal. Wildlife that has no fear of people never survive for very long.
	OPOSSUM No matter where you live in NE Texas, the opossum is there. Despite its rat-like appearance, it is not a rodent. This non- aggressive marsupial has survived since the time of the dinosaurs and can adjust to living just about anywhere. As long as it can find the necessities of life -- water, food, and a den -- it will be happy. The more common den sites are under wood piles, decks, and mobile homes.
	The adult opossum is the size of a cat and is light gray to black in color. It has a pink nose, feet, and rat-like tail with black ears and a pointed snout. The opossum's life span in the wild is about 2 years. Although the opossum has the most teeth of any land mammal, it does not chew wood. It does, however, tend to drool.
	Many people who see an opossum that is drooling mistakenly think it has rabies. This is not the case. Statistics indicate that there has not been a case of rabies in opossums in NE Texas since rabies statistics have been kept. In general, an opossum presents a far lower health risk to humans than do dogs and cats as it has a natural high level of immunity to most diseases. An opossum does, however, carry fleas as do *** wild animals and some domestic animals. Also, an opossum may bite if it perceives a threat to its well being, such as being grabbed or petted.
	The opossum is very beneficial as a rodent and carrion eater. Besides eating * types of dead animals, it eats a variety of food including over-ripe fruit, grapes, and berries; insects such as cockroaches, crickets, beetles, slugs, snails, etc.; mice, rats, and roof rats; snakes; lizards; and eggs. It also cleans up uneaten food which would norm*y attract rats. An opossum will eat side by side with a cat out of a dish of cat food that is left outside, and it will consider the cat food a gourmet meal.
	Opossums are rarely seen together, and except for breeding season or a female with her babies, it is a solitary animal. It fights only if attacked, surprised, or cornered, but prefers to run away or 'play possum,' which is said to be an involuntary reaction to danger. An opossum will hiss or growl and show its sharp teeth when frightened.
	The opossum mating season is from January to July. Females have litters up to twice a year. Litter size can be as many as 22, but only 12 can survive. The average litter is 5-9. Newborn opossums are ½ inch long and weigh .0050 of an ounce. At one week, they weigh .05 of an ounce. At 36 days, whiskers start to appear, and body hair becomes visible at 45 days. By the time they are 60-70 days old, they can weigh an ounce and may start to leave the pouch. At 75-85 days, they are weaned and rarely go into the pouch. They also start looking for their own food. At 90-120 days, they are hunting on their own but still may live in the same den with their mother until they find their own. Very few young opossums survive into adulthood.
	It is not necessary to relocate an opossum that you see in your yard. The opossum is not dangerous to you or your pets, if left alone.
	While any warm blooded mammal can carry rabies, it is highly unlikely that an opossum will. The best thing for the opossum is to be left in its own territory where it can find food and knows where there is a safe shelter. In many cases, the opossum will move to a more preferred habitat away from people if left alone.
	An opossum may get into garbage cans, eat your pet's food, or eat cultivated fruits and vegetables. It may enter a home through ripped screens or vents and duct systems. To ***eviate these problems, garbage can lids can be fasten with a rubber strap or bungee cord from the local hardware store; holes in screens or building foundations should be covered or repaired, and pet food should not be left outdoors at night.
	If you come across an opossum in your attic or garage, try to find out how it got in. Turn on bright lights and use a radio to create a loud noise to encourage the opossum to leave. Then block the entrance to keep the opossum outside. Spray ammonia on the area to keep the opossum away.
	If you find an injured opossum, you can move it into a box by putting a towel over its head and lifting it under the neck while supporting the rear legs. Always check the pouch of a female opossum for babies as they can survive for about 24 hours after the mother has died. Baby opossums are on their own when they are 6" to 8" long (not including the tail).
	You can take injured wildlife to the Wildlife Care Center D***as Tarrant County
	RACCOON Raccoons are found in * types of habitats. Although they gener*y prefer riparian or wetland regions, over the past decade raccoons have become more comfortable living near human communities and do not fear people like most wildlife. In fact, they can be pretty bold.
	A raccoon usu*y has one litter a year, and its mating season is from March to May. Occasiony, though, the season can be prolonged through July. The gestation period is typic**y 63 days, and litters average from two to seven babies.
	The raccoon is active at night, looking for insects, fruits, vegetables, acorns, seeds, fish, and sm* mammals. It is a seasonal eater that prefers fish, crayfish, and sm* mammals in the spring. During the other seasons, it feeds on acorns, seeds, fruits, vegetables, insects, and other invertebrates.
	The raccoon is easily distinguishable by its black-masked face and ringed tail. It has a husky build and geney weighs between 15 and 40 pounds. Its coat is full and shaggy, and its coloring is gray with shadings of tan on its flanks. The heavily furred tail is usu***y a tan and gray with black rings. The long slender toes on the front feet give the raccoon great dexterity in grasping food, and the larger surfaces on the back feet give it superb agility in climbing for food.
	The raccoon has earned its infamous nickname, Bandit, which was first given to it because of its black-masked face. But, it's important to remember that humans have virtu***y forced the raccoon into the title. Urbanization and land development have taken the majority of the raccoon's natural romping grounds away but, rather than diminish, these hardy critters have adapted and flourished. So, we have problems with them claiming back "our" space for their own. Consequently, raccoons topple our garbage cans, nest in our attics, roam our lawns for food, and prey upon the fish in our ponds.

	PREVENTIVE TIPS To avoid the possibility of wildlife animals using your home as their own, * routes of animal entry must be sealed: open windows screened, chimney tops covered with mesh or screening, and openings where sm*er animals can get through sealed.
	If you live in a trailer, seal the open space from the bottom of the trailer to the ground with wire cloth, cement block, or wood lattice.
	If you find a wildlife animal in your attic, place a bright light and loud radio in the areas to chase the wildlife out. When the attractions of the attic are removed, the animal will leave. You must observe the animal leaving or pinpoint entrance/exit sites and seal them.
	We each must learn to live with wildlife around us. This means that we need to take responsibility for wildlife-proofing our homes or businesses.

	WHAT YOU CAN DO
	Show empathy for the wildlife in your area by realizing they most likely have no where else to go.
	Share a little fruit with an opossum or raccoon that is eating fruit off your tree. It may not have much available because of the intensive development going on. You may want to cut open a few pieces of the fruit and lay it on the ground for the animal as this sometimes prevents it from biting holes into the hanging fruit.
	Use artificial owls, hawks, or snakes to discourage sm*** birds and squirrels from going into your fruit trees.
	Sprinkle cayenne pepper around gardens and ornamental plants to keep wildlife from digging them up.
	Secure the lids of your garbage cans by running a rope or chain over the lid and securing at each handle. Prevent toppled trash cans by placing the cans in some type of anchored rack or tie them to the fence.
	Take *** cat and/or dog food inside before dark every night so as not to encourage an opossum or raccoon to stay in the area for a free handout.
	Leave a bucket containing a hose that is turned on very slowly in the yard to discourage a raccoon from using your pool as a toilet. This "running stream" effect is usu***y much more attractive to the animal and may save you from having to clean the pool too often.
	Submerge a wire mesh horizont***y around the circumference of your pond, stretching the mesh and leaving the inside free, to deter a raccoon from raiding the fish. The fish will have the center of the pond open and the raccoon can't reach over the wire. Because the wire is unstable, raccoons tend not to stand on it.
	Wrap metal guards, 18 inches or wider, around trees 5 or 6 feet above the ground to deprive raccoons of access to roof tops and other buildings.
	Lock *** pet doors at night to keep the raccoon out of the kitchen or garage.
	Spray fox scent to deter raccoons away from your property.

	ENCOURAGING AN ANIMAL TO LEAVE YOUR ATTIC* The animal chose your attic because it is a dark, warm, and a quiet place to spend the day or raise a family. Follow these three steps to encourage the animal to find a new home. You will need five inexpensive items.

	Clear ammonia
	Empty cans or containers
	Rags to acts as wicks
	Bright light
	Portable radio
	Step 1. Make the Attic Smell Unpleasant. You need to make the attic smell unpleasant. Soak the rag in ammonia then place it in the can or container. Pour extra ammonia in the can then place the can in the attic. The wick effect will disperse the ammonia in the confined attic space. Use enough ammonia cans so that the aroma is unpleasant but not so strong that the animal will be overcome and die of the lack of oxygen.
	Step 2. Make the Attic Bright. Hang the portable light in the attic using a high wattage bulb. Leave the light on 24-hours a day until the animal leaves. The bright light will make the animal feel insecure because potential predators can see and cause it harm. It also makes it hard for the animal to sleep, so the animal will search for a darker and safer location.
	Step 3. Invade the Attic with Loud Human Voices. Place a radio in the attic tuned to a talk radio station. Raise the volume so that the sounds reach the entire attic. Humans are deadly predators and strike fear in animals. Wild animals do not want to be around people and by providing constant human voices, you make the attic a scary place. Don’t play music, only talk stations will scare the animals.
	You have eliminated every reason the wild animal chose your attic. It is now a smelly, bright, and nosey place. The animal must now find a new home. If it is a mother with young babies, it isn’t easy to create a new nest in one night. Give the mother time to move * her babies because she can only take one at a time. Depending on the species, it may take three or four days to move * the young animals. Once * the animals have left, secure * entry points to prevent a new animal from moving in.
	*Adapted with permission from the Wildlife Care Center’s publication “Animal In Your Attic? 3 Steps To Encourage It To Leave.”

	BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR Show empathy for the wildlife in your area. Realize they have no where else to go because we are encroaching on their habitat. Share a little fruit with an opossum or raccoon that is eating fruit off your tree. It may not have much food available because of the intensive development in the area. Cut open a few pieces of the fruit and lay it on the ground for the animal as this sometimes prevents it from biting holes into the hanging fruit.
	WILDLIFE TRAPPERS If you don’t want to handle a nuisance wildlife problem yourself, you can hire a private trapper to solve the problem. The Yellow Pages list trappers under Animal Removal Services. C* several companies to get the best price quote because prices will vary. The Animal Care and Regulation Division does not handle nuisance or healthy wildlife cs. They will only respond to c**s for sick or injured wildlife.