A key to controlling wildlife damage is prompt and accurate determination of which animal is causing the damage. Even someone with no training or experience can often identify the pest by thoroughly examining the damaged area. Because feeding indications of many wildlife species are similar, other signs – such as droppings, tracks, burrows, nests or food caches – are usually needed to make a positive species identification.

After you properly identify the wildlife pest, you can choose control methods appropriate to the animal species involved. Improper control methods may harm but not kill the animal, causing it to become leery of those and other methods in the future. For example, using traps and poison baits improperly or in the wrong situation may teach the animal that the control method is harmful. This may make the animal difficult to control later, even with the correct method.

Four steps lead to a successful nuisance wildlife control program:

• Correctly identify the species causing the problem.
• Alter the habitat, if possible, to make the area less attractive to the wildlife pest.
• Use a control method appropriate to the location, time of year, and other environmental conditions.
• Monitor the site for re-infestation in order to determine if additional control is necessary.

The most commonly used methods for controlling nuisance wildlife around homes and gardens include exclusion, habitat modification, repellents, toxic baits, glue boards, traps and frightening. Wildlife control involves human risks both through injury to person and property but also through disease.

Best Control methods

Exclusion- Physically excluding an offending animal from the area being damaged or disturbed is the best and most permanent way to control the problem. We at Anderson Wildlife Control LLC always practice this method as a first resort along with other humane methods. Depending upon size of the area to be excluded, this control method can range from inexpensive to prohibitively costly. For example, damage by birds or rabbits to ornamental shrubs or garden plants can be reduced fairly inexpensively by simply placing netting over the plant(s) to keep the pests away. Materials needed for exclusion will depend upon the species causing the problem. Large mammals can be excluded with woven wire fences, and poly-tape fences. Small mammals and some birds can be excluded with netting, tarp, hardware cloth or any other suitable material.

Habitat modification- Modifying an animal’s habitat often provides lasting and cost-effective relief from damage caused by nuisance wildlife. Habitat modification is effective because it limits access to one or more of the requirements for life – food, water or shelter. Rodent- or bat-proofing buildings by sealing cracks and holes prevents these animals from gaining access to suitable habitats. Storing seed and pet food in tightly closed containers, controlling weeds and garden debris around homes and buildings, and storing firewood and building supplies on racks or pallets above ground level are also practices that can limit or remove the animals’ sources of food, water or shelter. However, habitat modification, while limiting nuisance wildlife, may also limit desirable species such as songbirds as well.

Frightening- Frightening devices such as bells, whistles, horns, clappers, sonic emitters, audio tapes and other sound devices may be quite successful in the short term in repelling an animal from an area. Other objects such as effigies, lights, reflectors and windmills rely on visual stimulation to scare a problem animal away. Often nuisance animals become accustomed to these tactics and will return later if exposed to these devices daily.

Typically, species that are most likely to be considered a nuisance by humans have the following characteristics. They are adaptable to fragmented habitat. Animals such as Canada geese love ponds with low sloping banks leading to lush green grass. Unsurprisingly, humans love this sort of landscaping too. In contrast, raccoons have been incredibly successful in urban landscapes because they can live in attics, chimneys, and even sewers and can sustain themselves with food gained from trashcans. These animals must not pose a significant risk to human health and safety. Animals perceived as grave threats will incur the incredible ire of humans and be under constant threat of humans seeking their demise. Successful animals in humanized landscapes are often perceived as cute, at least until they become so numerous that their preferential status becomes diminished. Many wildlife species have the potential of becoming a nuisance. Species Whether or not a species becomes a pest can be directly correlated to the degree at which that animal can be tolerated by humans. For many people, squirrels feeding in their yards or gardens is not a problem; while at the same time, a neighbor may feel the squirrels are a complete nuisance.

Wildlife species

Common wildlife pests include squirrels, raccoons, bats, skunks, mice, moles, coyotes, seagulls, woodchucks and pigeons. Some species are protected by state or federal regulations, such as ravens, bats, deer, woodpeckers, and coyotes, and a permit may be required to control some species. Anderson Wildlife Control LLC has all wildlife license necessary.

Wildlife species are usually only pests in certain situations, such as when their numbers become excessive in a particular area. Human change in the environment will often result in increased numbers of a species. For example, piles of scrap building material make excellent sites for rodents to frequent. Food left out for household pets is often equally attractive to some wildlife species. In these situations, the wildlife have suitable food and habitat and will usually become a nuisance.