The University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

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Dealing with Nuisance Wildlife

Michael T. Mengak
Assistant Professor - Wildlife Service/Outreach
Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources

Introduction
Legal Issues
Help Is Available
You Are the Solution
Citizen Options for Nuisance Wildlife Issues
Summary
Additional Resources
Suggested Reading List

Introduction

Americans love the outdoors: outdoor recreation, wildlife watching, hunting, fishing, gardening, hiking and camping in addition to adventure sports like rock climbing, whitewater rafting and canoeing, skiing and other activities. Many people enjoy simply watching wildlife. Nest boxes for birds, bats and other wildlife are popular items purchased or constructed by many people. Americans spend large amounts of money feeding wildlife -- primarily birds. In addition, gardening, landscaping and wildlife observation are popular past times for young and old alike.

While many people enjoy watching wildlife, sometimes wildlife interferes with other human activities. Wildlife eat our birdseed, dig up our gardens and landscape plants, and eat or damage our fruit, flowers and vegetables. When wildlife populate a place where they are unwanted or cause damage to valuable plants or structures, they are no longer appreciated. Instead they become a nuisance. This paper will discuss some basic principles for dealing humanely with nuisance wildlife.

Legal Issues

State and federal laws protect nearly all wildlife. These laws regulate which species can be harassed, harvested, trapped, hunted or harmed. Wildlife are generally defined as free-ranging, terrestrial vertebrates. Fish are usually treated separately by the states. This definition excludes feral animals like cats. Generally, all wildlife are protected and cannot be harmed. This usually includes snakes, lizards, frogs and toads, and all wild mammals. There are exceptions, and you should learn the laws if you work with nuisance wildlife. These laws can be found on the website of the state agency responsible for wildlife protection. In Georgia, that agency is the Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) (http://www.georgiawildlife.com/).

All native birds are federally protected in the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (http://laws.fws.gov/lawsdigest/migtrea.html). Non-native and non-protected exotics are the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Domestic Pigeon or Rock Dove (Columba livia), the Monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), and the Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto). This law is a strict liability law with no requirement to prove intent. This means that enforcement is absolute and not discretionary. Citizens may not pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill or possess at any time any migratory bird or any part, nest or egg. This includes all feathers, eggs, shells, nest or other part. Federal salvage permits are required to possess any bird. For the purposes of this law, all birds are considered migratory. The best advice is to leave all birds alone and as you find them. Licensed rehabilitators only can care for injured birds. Other bird protection laws include the Bald Eagle Protection Act (http://ipl.unm.edu/cwl/fedbook/eagleact.html) and the Endangered Species Act (http://endangered.fws.gov/ESA/ESA.html).

Citizens can protect property from wildlife committing or about to commit damage. Few people obtain permits to trap house mice because, as an exotic species, they are not protected. Consider lethal measures as a last resort, however. Most homeowners can deal quite effectively with wildlife using safe, non-lethal means.

Help Is Available

Homeowners seeking assistance for dealing with nuisance wildlife have several avenues available to them. Options are outlined here.

• County Agriculture Extension Agent -- located in most counties, the county agent will provide advice on nuisance wildlife control, damage prevention and individual removal. He or she may also lend you traps and can supply printed literature for many problems a homeowner is likely to encounter.
• State Wildlife Biologists -- may offer advice and programs. Conservation or law enforcement officers (Game Wardens) may issue permits for taking nuisance wildlife.
• U.S. Department of Agriculture -- Wildlife Services -- a federal agency that deals with nuisance wildlife in both municipal and agriculture settings. Wildlife Services offer two support levels:
  • Technical Advice -- handouts, videos, verbal support and/or they will sell or loan you a trap, conduct field demonstrations.
  • Operational Support -- they will perform certain work for landowners for a fee. A signed contract is required.
  • In Georgia, contact Wildlife Services at 706-546-5637.
• Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCO; pronounced "newco"). These individuals own and operate their own wildlife control business and charge for their services. They are licensed by the state and can often be located in the phone book under "Pest Control" or "Animal Removal Services".
  • These individuals are different from the common termite control service providers and one should not be confused with the other.
  • These individuals are also different from the county "dog catcher" or "Animal Control Officer." Animal control usually will not catch a skunk or snake for a homeowner, but there is a lot of variability here and each county and situation is different.

You Are the Solution

As a homeowner if you do not want to hire someone there are several options available for the do-it-yourselfer. What follows are some simple guidelines to assist the homeowner in solving their nuisance wildlife problem.

Rules of Thumb

Wildlife needs three things -- food, water and shelter. Remove any one of these and the animals will go somewhere else. But remember: Treat the problem not the symptom.

• Example No. 1: There is an opossum in the shed eating the dog/cat food.
  • Wrong Answer -- trap the opossum and relocate it. This will provide a short-term solution but not solve the problem. In a few days, another hungry animal will be back in the shed.
  • Right Answer -- seal the pet food in a container with a tight fitting lid, seal openings to the shed, and relocate the opossum. This removes the problem (pet food in an open and accessible container) and the symptom (a hungry opossum).
  • Problem solved.
• Example No. 2 -- Moles digging up the yard.
  • Wrong Answer -- trap the mole. This kills one mole.
  • Right Answer -- treat yard for grubs, trap the mole, and reduce watering. This will remove the offending animal, the food source that attracted the mole and the conditions that favor the grubs.
  • Learn the biology of the animal. Moles eat insects and earthworms. Watering may lure the insects and earthworms to near the surface. Moles look there for food.

Animal Sign

When diagnosing animal damage problems, you should look for sign left by the animal. Almost all animals leave signs -- some are more obvious, some are easier to identify, but the sign is usually there somewhere. Droppings are often readily observed, especially for mammals. Fresh droppings are black, shiny and moist. Old droppings are dry, brown or gray. Black and white droppings could be from a bird, snake or lizard. Size is important for identification. Rats, mice, chipmunks and toads leave droppings the size of a rice grain. Rabbit droppings are pea size and usually brown. Deer droppings are large ovals and could be deposited loosely or in a large clump, depending on diet. Even in a clump, individual pellets can be easily recognized.

Another obvious sign of animal damage is digging. Here again there are important clues to the culprit. Diameter of the hole is a clue to the size of animal culprit. If a dirt mound is present, this could be due to a woodchuck, turtle, armadillo or coyote. If a dirt mound is not present, this could indicate a chipmunk, skunk, mole or vole. Tunnels in the dirt but near the surface are likely a mole or vole. Remember, moles eat insects, earthworms or grubs. Voles eat plants and plant parts like bulbs, roots, tubers or bark. Try this simple procedure to distinguish moles from voles.

• Apple test -- place a piece of apple in the tunnel under a board; if the apple is eaten, it is a vole; if not, it is a mole.

And finally, armadillos dig an inverted, cone shaped hole, 3-4 inches deep and 1-2 inches in diameter.

Other sign includes gnawing. Look for the size of tooth marks and the size of the stem or root gnawed. This will be a clue to vole, chipmunk, squirrel, beaver or rabbit. Also consider browsing by deer. Deer lack upper incisors. If leaves are pulled and have a ragged end, then deer are likely to blame. However, if leaves are clipped or bitten with clean, sharp ends, then the offender is likely to be a rabbit, squirrel or woodrat. Also, if branches are cut, then consider the squirrel or rabbit as the responsible party. Finally, ask "What was the height where damage occurred?" Deer can easily reach 4½ to 6 feet up the stem while rabbits and woodchucks reach about 1 foot or more. Vole and chipmunk damage is usually close to the ground and could be restricted to roots.

There are others signs of nuisance wildlife as well. One annoying habit of wildlife invaders is noise. Noise inside a wall could be mice. Noise inside the attic or crawl space could be mice, bats, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, opossums or birds. Noise in a chimney often suggests the culprit is a squirrel, raccoon, birds or bats. Attic noise at night could be mice, bats or flying squirrels, while attic noise during the day could be gray squirrels.

Do not overlook some simple clues such as time of day. A nocturnal (active at night) animal like woodrat, raccoon, skunk or opossum causes holes or other dam-age to appear overnight. Holes that appear during the day are caused by diurnal (active during the day) animals such as squirrel, chipmunks or woodchucks. If damage is to a birdfeeder due to squirrel activity, try moving the birdfeeder away from house, deck rail or tree limbs. You could also mount the feeder on a slick pole or add a predator guard.

Citizen Options for Nuisance Wildlife Issues

Before you panic, spend a lot of money to hire someone or sell your house think of the model we will define as H-E-R-L. Work through this model and you may be able to solve most problems. The letters in the HERL model stand for specific actions you, as the homeowner, can take to deal with many nuisance wildlife situations. The steps in the model are outlined below.

Step 1: H - Habitat Modification

The steps undertaken to make a habitat unattractive are often the opposite of activities a homeowner might undertake to encourage wildlife and create backyard habitat. It is often difficult or impossible to both create habitat for wildlife you want to encourage and, at the same time, remove habitat to discourage wildlife. The animals cannot tell the difference and often you will be left with both attracting wildlife and dealing with nuisance species in the same habitat. By remembering and following these steps, however, you can enhance your enjoyment of wildlife around your home.

• Without habitat (such as, cover to hide in or food to eat) the animal will leave.
• Remember this simple equation: No cover = no mice = no snakes.
• Homeowner remedies
• Mow tall grass -- many pest species (such as mice) like weedy, unmowed areas. They attract predators (such as snakes) to this food source.
• Remove piles
• Brush piles
• Log piles
• Firewood piles
• Rock piles
• Debris and Trash
• Bricks - stones - concrete
• Buckets and flower pots
• Cars - tires - toys
• Spray herbicide
• Roundup®, Spectracide®, Weed-B-Gone® are some examples. This will remove tall weeds, briars and vines to remove habitat. Homeowners are cautioned to read and carefully follow all label restrictions when working with herbicides.
• Cut dead trees and limbs
• Removes roosting and nesting places for bats, flying squirrels and woodpeckers. This will remove food (insects) for woodpeckers.
• Clean out old birdhouses and discard old nests.
• Rule-of-Thumb
• Learn the habits, preferences and requirements of the offending animal(s) and remove or modify the habitat to make your yard unattractive to wildlife pests.

Step 2: E -- Exclusion

• This option includes using fencing or other solid materials to exclude wildlife by creating a physical barrier.
• For large animals (such as wild pigs or dogs) use welded wire or "hog" wire with a 2" x 4" mesh size about 48"-60" tall.
• Chain link fence also works but is more expensive.
• Wooden fence also works.
• Stake or secure the fence firmly to the ground
• For deer, fences should be 8 feet tall or more to ensure success, but even this is not guaranteed because deer can crawl under a fence, fences can be damaged by falling limbs, or trees or other factors can allow deer inside.
• For small animals such as opossum, woodchuck, raccoon, fox or squirrel use chicken wire, hardware cloth or electric fence.
• Chicken wire -- 2 feet tall and buried 6-12 inches for diggers like rabbits, skunks, opossums and armadillos
• Hardware cloth -- ¼ to ½ inch mesh, 1-2 feet tall and also buried 6-12 inches will exclude chipmunks, moles, voles and other small animals from gardens and flower beds. This can be combined with decorative fence around flowerbeds and shrubbery.
• For certain large animals, like deer, use an electric fence. Many brands are available, including single strand "hot-tape," which consists of vinyl webbing imbedded with fine conducting wires. This is usually hooked to a 12-volt battery or 110-volt household current. Some models use solar power or D cell batteries and are very effective.
• Spreading peanut butter on the wire or wires (or on aluminum foil attached to the wires) will encourage the deer (or other animals) to contact the fence and receive a mild shock, which should deter future contact. These fences will deter some animals but do not have enough energy to injure animals or people.
• In addition to fencing, other materials are often used to exclude animals from dwellings.
• Chimneys -- capped to prevent raccoons, bats, squirrels and birds from entering.
• Soffit vents -- keep in good repair; often used as entry point for insects, bats, and birds.
• Gable end of house/barn -- block animals by using hardware cloth or screens but maintain airflow to cool attic and buildings. This is often the entry point for flying squirrels, gray squirrels, bats and birds like pigeons, wrens, house sparrows, European starlings and swallows.
• Windows and doors -- These are entry points for snakes, bugs, mice and some large animals like raccoons and opossums if the doors on garages or sheds are not closed or properly sealed.
• Close doors and windows; repair screens and maintain proper weather seal.
• Dryer vent -- entry for snakes and mice.
• Cover vent with screen large enough to vent hot dryer air but to exclude animals.
• Caution: needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent lint accumulation.
• Seal around vent with expanding foam or weather seal.
• Pipes and cables -- electric lines, phone line, satellite or cable TV line.
• Mice and bats can enter through a dime-sized hole.
• Seal with expanding foam or weather seal.

Step 3: R - Removal or Repellents

• Removal -- trap offending animal and relocate to a safe area ½ to 5 miles away. Move larger animals a greater distance. Remember -- you must have permission of the landowner and possibly a permit issued by Georgia DNR before relocating wildlife. Check with your local conservation officer.
• In many states it is illegal to relocate animals. Check with the state wildlife agency before moving animals.
• This only treats the symptom and not the problem. It moves the offending animal to someone else's property. Generally, it is illegal to release animals on to someone else's property, and they don't want the animal in the first place. Some research has shown that translocated animals rarely survive the stress of being inserted into a strange habitat. They wander about looking for a territory and are killed by vehicles or resident animals.
• Better to solve the problem using a humane but lethal trap. However, if live trapping is a solution, then there are several safe and effective trap designs.
• Traps such as Hav-a-Hart® or Tomahawk® are live capture traps.
• Glue boards for mice and snakes will allow them to be released unharmed. Pour vegetable oil on the trap to dissolve the glue and release the animal.
• Use gloves.
• Do not attempt to handle snakes or other animals if you cannot positively identify the creature.
• Use a bucket or boxes to remove the animal from the trap or encourage the animal into box with gloves and a stick or broom.
• Place bucket over the animal and then slide a piece of cardboard under the bucket before turning the bucket right side up.
• Use a net to remove frogs, birds or small mammals from garden ponds, window wells or holes.

Traps and glue boards can be purchased at home improvement stores, farm and gardens suppliers, the Internet, sporting goods stores or from forestry supply companies. The Internet or phonebook are good places to locate suppliers. A call to your county agent or wildlife extension specialist will often lead you to appropriate suppliers or they may have traps you can borrow.

• Repellents
• Repellents are widely used to discourage animal damage. There are many types and some with unbelievable claims of success. Remember the old adage -- "If it sounds too good to be true, it is!" Repellents that work with sound waves are generally not effective.
• Effective repellents work with taste, fear or odor.
• Taste repellents render a plant unpalatable to the animal.
• Fear invoking stimuli are said to elicit an instinctual response such as a deer reacting to predator urine.
• Odor repellents smell bad to the animal. Since most animals have a sense of smell hundreds or thousands of times better than our own, even small amounts may prove effective. Some odor repellents may be useless and little more than "urban legends."
• Many repellents work in some situations and not others, or work for a time and then loose their effectiveness. Success seems to depend on timing, the density of the animals, the hunger of the animals, and the prior conditioning of the animal. It is better to prevent an animal from browsing your plants than to stop them once they learned to enjoy the taste.
• Fertilized plants or plants in the early stages of growth are usually damaged more than older, coarse, or sick plants.

Animal Repellents

These products are available from home improvement stores, farm and garden suppliers, nurseries, the Internet or forestry supply companies. Most are available in ready-to-use form; some require mixing with water. Most are sprayed on plants. However, some are not labeled for use on edible crops or vegetable gardens. Read and follow all label restrictions.

• Human hair, soap, cat urine, garlic and many other remedies have been suggested with varying degrees of success. This table lists some of the commercially available products, some of which have been tested in controlled experiments.
• In general, it seems that a combination of repellents or repellents and physical barriers provide the most effective solution to preventing damage to landscape and garden plants.
• Other forms of repellent work with tactile or visual senses.
• Tactile -- water spray; motion activated sprinklers are relatively new to the market and not yet widely tested.
• Light -- bright lights, strobe lights or lasers have been suggested as repellents for deer, rabbits, roost birds (especially pigeons) and other wildlife. They may work for a time but the long-term effectiveness is unknown.
• Scare -- eye balloon, scarecrow, silhouette on window, owl or snake figure, pyrotechnics (noise makers). Each of these devices will provide some relief in some circumstances.
• Generally, success or failure depends on the size of the animal population, palatability or growth stage of the plants, type of damage, hunger of the animal and conditioning of the animal.

Let's review for a moment. Always remember that if it sounds too good to be true -- it probably is. In general, sonic devices that claim to repel animals with sound waves that only the animal can hear probably are not effective. Always use common sense and good judgement before spending money on repellent items that make unbelievable claims of effectiveness.

Here is a list of other products that have been tried as repellents. Homeowners can experiment with each until they find a product or combination that produces satisfactory results.

• Capsaicin --
• Miller's Hot Sauce®
• Deer Away® -- not for use on edible crops; place a band around plants or garden
• Castor Oil
• Suggested for moles -- untested
• Egg Solids
• Mixed with mint oil and sprayed on plants
• Big Game Repellent® -- BGR -- non-edible plants
• Deer Away® -- Soluble Powder -- rated #1 in a study at Auburn University
• Garlic -- placed in mesh bags and hung on plants or around garden
• Soap -- questionable effectiveness
• Hinder® -- may work for deer and rabbits
• Human Hair -- questionable
• Naphthalene (Moth Balls, Moth Flakes)
• Said to repel squirrels, rabbits and bats
• Quantity needed to be effective may sicken most people
• Should NEVER be used or recommended
• Predator Urine -- questionable; may attract unwanted visitors
• Methyl Anthranilate -- natural compound found in gardenias and Concord grapes (grape juice may repel Canada Geese).
• Water-soluble, must be re-applied after rain.
• When sprayed on lawns, it seems to deter grazing by Canada geese and other birds such as gulls, starlings, brown-headed cowbirds and ducks.

Remember the model, H-E-R-L?

Step 4: L -- Lethal Control

This may require permits from federal and/or state wildlife agencies but generally is allowed for homeowners dealing with a small number of pests. Remember that wildlife, especially birds, are protected. Even if only one woodpecker is causing damage, a federal (and possibly state) permit is required.

Trapping

Live trap or kill trap -- what should you do with a live, trapped animal?

Live trapping is not recommended for homeowners when dealing with animals such as raccoons or skunks, which can transmit rabies. Generally the animal is disposed of; many localities require testing for rabies. Leave this type of trapping to professionals. Generally, homeowners should not attempt to live capture wild animals. If, however, you are prepared to undertake live trapping, then consider these guidelines.

• Once caught, the animal will be aggressive. Approach the trap slowly and quietly, cover it with a cloth, relocate the animal 5 miles away but remember, is may be illegal or ill advised to move animals. Call a professional in these situations or consult the state fish and wildlife agency.
• Several brands of traps are available for live capturing animals. Most are wire but some are solid or fully enclosed.
• Place traps near burrows or runways.
• Face trap into opening or hiding cover.
• Cover the trap to provide a dark area more attractive to animals.
• Protect trap from children and pets.
• Protect trapped animal from harassment by pets or exposure to sun, rain or snow.
• Use simple baits similar to natural foods.
• For predators or carnivores, use canned cat food or sardines.
• For herbivores, use peanut butter or sliced apples. Peanuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter and oatmeal balls, walnuts or pecans may also work.

Kill traps, mouse and rat traps are readily available to most homeowners; they are simple to use and relatively harmless to humans.

• Bait with peanut butter -- a small amount on the bait pad
• Place the trap so the bait pan is next to the wall as shown in this diagram:

• Other types of traps are multi-catch mousetraps; pigeon traps with swinging, one-way doors and numerous other designs. Consult a nuisance wildlife operator for details.
• Poison Bait -- Many homeowners can use a poison bait to control rats and mice or other small rodents. These baits are sold at home improvement stores, lawn and garden stores or hardware stores.
• Place bait in areas where animals are active -- look for droppings, nest material or food caches.
• Place bait inside a shoe box that has had 1 or 2 holes cut in it will encourage mice into a dark, safe area for feeding.
• Use caution with poison baits.
• Animals do not die immediately -- it may take several feedings. The animal may die in an inaccessible place (attic, duct work, crawl space, inside a wall) and produce unpleasant odors.
• Some animals, like chipmunks, may horde the bait thus leaving a homeowner to think the bait is ineffective. Be patient or try trapping.
• Protect children and pets from poison baits.
• Baits are best used in an outside building or under careful observation.
• Other traps include glue boards that contain a non-toxic glue that animals like mice and snakes run or crawl across and become stuck. They can be safely released by pouring vegetable oil on the board to dissolve the glue.

Summary

Many other items and remedies have been suggested. Most are untested but appear to have some value in limited situations. Try a variety of approaches to solving your specific problem and see what works. Remember, many solutions are temporary. Animals learn to avoid our traps or get accustomed to various odors, sprays, scare devices or other solutions. In general, noise repellents are not proven to be effective against moles, bats or rodents. Snakes are deaf, so this won't work for them either. Powders such as naphthalene or sulphur may have some limited effectiveness in confined situations but are not likely to be effective when broadcast over a large area. In fact, these common chemicals can be harmful if used incorrectly. Always read and follow labels.

Other products that claim to be effective may not have been tested in controlled environments and should be viewed with caution. Always read labels and follow directions. Do not apply pesticides or toxicants without proper safety equipment and training. Do not use in a manner inconsistent with the safety label.

Additional Resources

Numerous books are available about dealing with wildlife in home and garden situations. Local libraries and on-line bookstores may carry these items. County agricultural extension agents (http://www.caes.uga.edu/extension/) are an excellent source of information, knowledge, reading material and, sometimes, they sponsor classes or clinics for gardening and landscaping. The Internet has a vast amount of information, if you spend the time searching. A very valuable source of information is the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management at the University of Nebraska (http://icwdm.org). Other sites include Land Grant University Extension Service Web pages, state wildlife departments, on-line bookstores, and both private and commercial product Web pages. It is good advice to remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And in general, when dealing with nuisance wildlife, often several techniques used together work best. Patience is often necessary as well as some imagination.

Your county agricultural and natural resource agent or state wildlife specialist can offer other suggestions and specific advice for dealing with nuisance wildlife.

Suggested Reading List

Adler, B. 1992. Outwitting Critters: A Humane Guide for Confronting Devious Animals and Winning. The Lyons Press. New York.

California Center for Wildlife. 1994. Living With Wildlife. Sierra Club Books, San Francisco.

Harrison, K. and G. Harrison. 1985. America's Favorite Backyard Wildlife. Simon and Schuster, Inc., New York.

Humane Society of the United States. 1997. Wild Neighbors: The Humane Approach to Living with Wildlife. Fulcrum Publishing, Golden, Colorado.

Logsdon, G. 1999. Wildlife in the Garden. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indiana.

Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. 1994. Third Edition. Cooperative Extension Service, University of Nebraska. Lincoln, Nebraska.

Bulletin 1248/Updated March, 2007

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.

An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

J. Scott Angle , Dean and Director