| Wildlife Whispers
Environmental Education
Wildlife Stories
Cat Stories
Nature Writing
Monthly Column
Favorite Links
Contact Page
Guest Book Page
Custom4 Page
|
WILDLIFE PREVENTION TIPS
Dee Walmsley – Freelance nature writer
It’s that time of year again, The Mating Season.
This not only means weird noises in your trees at night but possible trouble for the homeowners who don’t practice prevention tips before the local wildlife seek out new denning sites and food sources.
Most people look for ways to help, not harm the wildlife who are co-habitating with them. You can make your life and the lives of our wild critters easier by following these few tips;
Practise "Prevention"
Check your house and shed for openings that wildlife can use to enter for denning. Use heavy gauge wire screening to block off these entrances.
Place caps over all chimneys and vents on your roof to prevent birds, squirrels and raccoons from taking up residence and becoming a nuisance or getting trapped.
CAP you chimney.
Trim trees leading to your roof.
Fill in under hot tubs with brick or screening.
Do not encourage raccoons by feeding or leaving out pet food in your yard.
Secure your garbage with bungi cords. Keep in garage if possible.
Cover your swimming pool!
Use a deterrent such as pine sol or ammonia soaked rags. Cayenne Pepper sprinkled around a problem area will help. Noise, lights and constant intrusion from humans will make the raccoon uncomfortable enough to make it seek out a safer den.
Keep birdfeeders and surrounding grounds clean to avoid disease and rats.
Animal repellents may be effective on plants. Deer often avoid trees and bushes which have been hung with small bars of soap. Hotel soaps are best suited for this tactic. Pierce them with a bent paper clip and hang them at just above and below the animal’s head height, every 3 feet or so. This has been effective with a number of species. If animals are abundant and nibbling on your ornamental plantings, investigate alternative planting which may not be as inviting. Check with Dept. Agriculture or UBC Biological Studies for suggested plantings.
Black Dacron bird netting, purchased from a plant nursery, is effective when placed over planting beds or individual plants. The nets let new growth through, so they must be lifted and reset every few days to maintain protection. Repellents containing the bittering agent thiram also work. A homemade recipe can be effective if sprayed directly on plants and reapplied weekly. Mix well two eggs, one glass of skim milk, one glass of water, and a spreader-thickener [a wetting agent available at plant nurseries]. Apply. Repellent should be applied in the fall, when plants first go dormant, and repeated per instructions.
Raccoon are repelled by the smell of ammonia and pine-sol. Rabbits don’t like human hair or Ropel a commercial product.
Most animals are adaptable, so it is important to vary the methods.
Rather than trying to get rid of so-called “nuisance” wildlife, the best coping strategy might be to learn to enjoy and appreciate the species which are simply trying to survive by sharing our environment.
NOTE; Raccoons do carry rabies however there are no known cases west of Ontario at this time. Precautions against the rabies virus is presently being taken in the Ontario - New York areas.
Are Squirrels Driving You Nuts?
Try taking a squirrel’s eye view of your house so it doesn’t become a squirrel haven.
Did you know that a grey squirrel can jump 8 feet sideways, 4 feet straight up, and down 15 feet, then hang on where it lands? Positioning bird feeders more than 8 feet from a tree or building and on a pole with a squirrel baffle may save you money, and allow the birds to eat in peace. I say may, because nothing is ever ‘for sure’ when it comes to dealing with these furry-tailed rodents.
If you have a tree next to your house, does it provide access onto the roof?
Robbing bird feeders is nothing compared to the damage that squirrels can do to your attic once they have gained entrance. Chewing electrical wires is a favourite pastime along with gnawing on those lovely wooden tresses. Squirrel’s teeth continue to grow so they must constantly chew.
Screen your soffits, and cap your chimneys, then watch your resident squirrel for a day or two. Find out where it is nesting. If it isn’t causing damage to your home, leave it alone. If you have a tall tree, try providing the animal with a nesting box. A little peanut butter or a handful of nuts placed inside the box may entice the critter to use it. If you have a squirrel in your attic, have it professionally removed, then you might try a nesting box near the old entrance. The wildlife control person will repair any damage the errant squirrel caused and screen off potential entrance sites.
Are squirrels denning in your chimneys or attics? If they are in the chimney and you’re using it, leave them alone. Keep draft vent shut. Once the babies have left, have the chimney cleaned and capped by a professional. Do not try to smoke them out.
If you must use the chimney, have a humane pest control company remove the animals and relocate them in your yard. The mother will take her babes to another den site nearby. Your yard will remain her territory forbidding other squirrels however, the trauma of the capture will make your home a hostile territory and she will not re-enter. Ensure that the area is disinfected to remove the squirrel’s scent and screened. Chimneys must be cleaned of the nesting debris prior to lighting a fire to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from occurring within your home.
Some pest control companies remove squirrels and dump [re-locate] them into our local parks. Most of these squirrels are Eastern Greys who by this very practice have encroached on the native Douglas squirrel’s territory. Greys tend to eat their way through a habitat and move on, leaving the indigenous Douglas without food.
Do not trap and re-locate any wildlife. This practice spreads disease, causes undue stress and usually death to the animal while seeking out a new territory and will not solve a thing. Why? Because the minute you remove one animal from its territory another will take over. So practice prevention, give the squirrel a feeder away from the birds and enjoy nature in your own backyard.
SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO AVOID HARMING WILDLIFE - PART TWO
Prevent your pet cats and dogs from attacking and/or "playing with" wildlife. Don't allow them to run without supervision. Raccoons do not seek out cats and dogs as a food source! However should your pet be very territorial and insist on defending its grounds the raccoon will most likely win in any scrimmage. As a rule in an urban situation, raccoons tend to ignore cats and will run from dogs however if the animal is cornered or defending its young it will attack!
Raise your cats as indoor pets. Thousands of birds die yearly due to cat attacks.
Alert birds to large expanses of glass in your home, such as patio doors or picture windows, by hanging streamers, putting bird silhouettes on the glass surface, or by allowing the glass to be a little bit dirty. Reducing the reflection should cut down on the number of birds who collide, often fatally, with windows and doors.
Educate children to respect and care for all wild creatures and their habitats. Teach them that wild animals are not playthings and should be allowed to go about their lives unmolested. Children should also be told not to destroy nests, burrows and other wildlife homes.
Pick up litter and refuse that could harm wildlife, including six-pack rings, monofilament fishing line, and watch batteries (if consumed by waterfowl they can cause mercury poisoning). (Plastic connectors from cans may be recycled at liquor outlets)
Be alert when driving, especially near woodlots and parks, to avoid hitting or running over wild creatures. Animals do not recognize the danger from an oncoming vehicle. Know where to take an injured animal or who to call.
As a general rule, leave infant wildlife alone, since they are not always truly orphaned. A parent may be nearby or will return soon. Be sure they are in need of help before you remove them from the nest area. If you find young birds on the ground, attempt to return them to the nest. Same goes for baby seals, give them at least 8 hrs.
Do not leave fishing line or fish hooks unattended or lying about outdoors. Try to retrieve any kite string left on the ground or entangled in trees.
Before mowing your lawn or rototilling your garden, walk through the area first to make sure no rabbits or ground-nesting birds are in harms way. Remember, it only takes a couple weeks for these babies to grow and leave the nest. Be tolerant and give them the time they need.
Check trees to make sure there are no active nests or residents of cavities before cutting them down. Even better, avoid cutting down dead trees if they pose no safety hazard, since they provide homes for a wide variety of wildlife.
Use non-toxic products on your lawn and garden.
Motor oil should not be left in oil pans unattended. Birds often fall into these pans and few survive. Contain and return to place of purchase for recycling.
Do not attempt to raise or keep wildlife yourself. Not only is it illegal, but wild creatures do not make good pets and captivity poses a constant stress to them. Young wild animals raised without contact with their own species fail to develop survival skills and fear of humans,virtually eliminating their chances of survival in the wild.
Do not release helium balloons into the air. They drift out to sea and kill, whales, turtles and other sea life.
Any garbage you take to the wilds or beach bring home for disposal. Plastic bags and styrofoam kill large numbers of wildlife yearly.
Enjoy wildlife by cultivating plants and trees that attract them. Leave a little wild area, make a rock wall or stack branches for ground birds to nest in..
Should a mother raccoon or squirrel give birth in your home and you want her removed call a “reputable” pest control company for a free estimate and removal techniques. Ask about humane removal. What do they do with the animals? Check around and ask questions before hiring a wildlife control firm. If at all possible do not remove the wildlife while babies are still in the nest. If you wish to share your residence with the new family, the mother will usually move her kits on to a new den once they are weaned at 8 - 10 weeks. That is the time to board up any entrances and disinfect premises.
NEVER put a barrier between the mother and her young. She will rip your house apart to save her kits.
If birds, squirrels or other animals accidentally enter your house and run or fly around the room in a panic to escape the best way to deal with this situation is to close off the room from the rest of the house and open an outside door or window. If you leave the animal alone, it will usually find its way out of the house.
Remember prevention is still the best method, the easiest and the cheapest!
What To Do With an Injured or Orphaned Animal?
Remember, the animal is frightened and thinks you are a threat. It will try to defend itself. Take special care about teeth, claws and beaks.
Always wear gloves and protective clothing when handling wild animals. Take care to protect your eyes and other vulnerable body parts. Many animals, such as some sea birds, will instinctively grab for shiny objects. Exposed or dangling jewelry and buttons may be a tempting target, as are your moist shiny eyes. Take proper precautions.
Wash your hands and clothes thoroughly after handling any wild animals. Immediately report bites or other injuries to your doctor. Some animals carry life threatening diseases which can be transmitted to humans and to domestic animals. A good reason to report every injury.
Do not attempt to pick up an injured animal if it is conscious and a threat to your safety.
Try to contain it for pick-up, this can be done by covering with a blanket or placing it in or under a box. A heating pad placed under part of the box on a “low” setting will be sufficient. Check periodically to be sure that the animal is not too hot, and can move away from or nearer the heat as it needs.
Cover kits who do not have their eyes open with a warm towel [they will die of exposure quickly if left unattended
Call your local wildlife facility. Stay with the animal until help arrives
After hours call emergency SPCA 879-7343
Do not attempt to FEED. A special formula is required. Cows milk will cause intestinal problems. Your wildlife rehabilitator will instruct you on an emergency treatment.
IT’S THE LAW...
If you decide to take in and care for a baby bird or other wild animal beyond giving basic first aid or transporting it to a veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitation facility, you may be subject to laws which regulate the possession of wildlife. In B.C. no-one can keep in their possession any wildlife with out a permit from Fish and Wildlife or the Canadian Wildlife Service.
Lower Mainland Wildlife Rehabilitators
Critter Care Wildlife – 530-2064
Monika’s Wildlife Shelter – 882-0908
OWL – Birds of Prey – 946-3171
Wildlife Rescue Association – 526-2890
Do Not TRAP and RELOCATE it will not solve your problem. Check your library for Wizard of the Woods, Coyote Project and Squirrels in a Nutshell videos, they will give you all the answers in co-existing with Raccoons, Squirrels and Coyotes. or check with your cable TV company for scheduling.
Till next time, have a little tolerance towards wildlife and remember:
“Every animal that walks on earth, or swims, or flies is precious beyond description. Sometimes so rare and wonderful that it equals the stars or the ocean or the mind of man.”
James A Michener
r>
|
|
|
