Eaves and Leaves

I was walking my dog the other day and noticed a squirrel scamper into the eave of a home along the sidewalk. We get calls all year and nearly every day from people in our area who have questions or concerns regarding their wild neighbors and their ability to become uninvited guests. I wondered whether or not the person living in this house would be calling me the following day at the Center regarding this little fellow or if they knew all about him and out of the goodness of their hearts had decided to share, and so I decided to come up with the best answer to their likely questions.

Because is it the middle of February, believe it or not we are into the final countdown for baby season to begin. This means that now might be a good time for certain wild neighbors to suggest they look for other accommodations. If you were to find yourself in a situation such as this these are the steps I would recommend:

1. First identify if possible any and all entry and exit points. If there are more than one, try to repair the others, even if it’s only a temporary fix. To test your theory, wad up a piece of newspaper and place it in the entry space. Mr. (or Ms.) squirrel will have to remove it in order to get in and out like they have gotten used to. You can also try flouring the surface outside the opening or any other techniques that will allow you to monitor movement in that area without having to keep a vigil for 12 hours at a time.
2. Scout your property and your nearby neighbors. If there are any food sources, especially bird feeders, that can be cleaned-up, moved, or removed even if it’s only temporary, your efforts will be much more successful.
3. Purchase some ordinary household ammonia and for small openings soak a small bit of rag in it and place the rag into the opening being sure to keep it to one side so as not to block anyone in. For larger openings place a larger rag soaked in ammonia into an empty yogurt cup or tin can and place it just inside the area. For a squirrel you could do this during the day or night, even if they are awake your presence will further send the message that they should start packing. Continue to replace the newspaper into the hole each day that it gets removed so you can monitor your progress.
4. If more convincing is needed try finding a portable radio. See if you can get it near to that area, or if that’s not possible leave it on in the house in a window or directly below that area. For a squirrel you will want it on during the daytime anyhow as that is when they would be awake. Turn it to a talk radio station to give them the idea that there are people around even when you aren’t.
5. After a short time you should be able to ascertain that your uninvited guest has decreased or ceased their visits altogether to this area. Your next step is to repair that and all other areas where they previously had access. I recommend installing a 1-way door just to be sure that no-one gets trapped inside. Trapping an animal is not only in-humane, but almost certainly means more destruction, death by starvation and potentially more to repairs to deal with once the body decomposes.
   
   To install a 1-way door:
   
   a. Cut a piece of hardware mesh large enough to cover the opening.
   b. Cut a hole in the mesh large enough for our friend to get out.
   c. Cut out another piece of mesh slightly larger than the hole and attach it to the larger piece along the top half.
   d. The goal is to re-create a 1-way doggy-door style door out of inexpensive materials.
   
   Once your little friend has moved out and no longer has access to the area, permanent repairs can be implemented. These techniques should be used in many cases involving uninvited mammals however, if you are dealing with a wild neighbor during the spring and summer months, be sure to give them enough time during the ammonia and noise phase to relocate any offspring they may have nested in the area. If you have questions always check our website or contact a rehabilitator before taking any actions you may regret.

Striped Bandit?

There had been damage done by a wild animal to the caller’s property and they had decided to set a live-trap. On the first night they had successfully caught a skunk. They contacted the Center in the morning and wanted to know what to do with it.

The first thing to do in this situation is to cover up the trap with a heavy towel or tarp as it will help to keep the animal more calm and protect any bystanders from suffering the wrath of a scared skunk at the same time.

The second thing to do is to carry the trap to the most secluded point on THE SAME property and open it facing away from you. Because the skunk will be scared, especially being forced to wander out during the daylight, it may run as far and as fast as possible, or the trap may need to be left alone for several hours in order to give him time to slowly make his way to safety.

Why is this my only recommendation?
Because, regardless of the perceived issues any animal may be causing, they are almost always solved more effectively in other ways like eliminating any food sources.
Because it is a likely possibility you may trap a different individual or a different species altogether than the culprit you are actually after.
Because state rules prohibit trapping and releasing any wild animals on property that you do not own without explicit permission in addition to the regulated seasons and rules thereof for the trapping of various species. (contact your local Department of Natural Resources office or their website to learn more)
Because even when a trap is used in every legal way and a location for release is properly obtained, the chances of the animal surviving post-release are small. When an animal is relocated it has no idea where the best shelter or food sources are, and they may encounter other animals that have already claimed the territory and will often defend it with their lives.

Animals need certain things to survive and more often than not, the places they are found have those things. If you do a little research you may often discover simple steps you can implement that will help to ease your tensions with your wild neighbors. You can also check the living with wildlife page on our website for tips and suggestions. Most importantly, keep in mind that trapping and relocating animals in the spring and summer months not only puts the lives of that individual in danger, but also potentially their offspring who could starve to death if something happens to their parent.

To top it off, short discussion with someone about this skunk and the perceived issues it was causing revealed a compelling case of wrongful blame. Taking the time to do some research or talk with a wildlife rehabilitator, wildlife specialist or even your local humane society will often reveal things about the natural behaviors of animals that can rule out certain species from the usual suspects. Once you are armed with more information, the most cost-effective, humane, and effective long-term solutions are those that address the underlying problem. Over 70% of the cases we discuss regularly are solved by simply removing a food source or performing simple repairs. Other problems are solved easier than you think by just putting yourself in their shoes for a moment. We are humans, we are intelligent and we need to live in harmony with these creatures; it is possible and they provide us with a great number of benefits we would be unable to get elsewhere.