Oklahoma Wildlife Control Provided by The Skunk Whisperer®
Does it sound like your attic is the Interstate 44 expressway for wild animal critters? Squirrels in your attic? Bats in your attic? Raccoon in your chimney? Skunk or opossum under your shed? Flying squirrels or woodpeckers making noises on your roof? It can happen to anyone. Millions of dollars are spent each year repairing wildlife damage. Newly built and old homes are both equally susceptible to wildlife entry. The Skunk Whisperer® knows what to do for long term wildlife solutions.
Spring has sprung and, along with it, nature has generously replenished cute, fuzzy little creatures which can potentially turn your lives upside down. We are in the middle of different wildlife species’ birthing seasons. Start preventative measures now.
This time of year, as in the fall, a majority of squirrels make dreys, (squirrel nests) in trees and attics throughout the United States. While these are amusing, cute, fuzzy creatures to some, they are rats with fuzzy tails to others. Be aware that squirrels do not know the difference between chewing the bark off of a tree and chewing the insulation off of your electrical wiring. Preventative measures should be taken immediately to head off thousands of dollars of potential damage.
Raccoons are having their young, (called kits and cubs) in chimneys and attics at this time. These adorable masked bandits can pop your attic roof vent off like a soda bottle cap, dismantle your roof, remove your chimney cap, and be under your couch before you can bat an eye. Along with their adorable young, they bring lice and their feces carries roundworm.
Skunks are already raising a stink, and their activity is not even in full swing yet. If you now have one under your house, deck or outbuilding, time is of the essence – they are having their young now. Once their young, (called kittens) are born, evicting them becomes a time consuming task. Skunks are deadly accurate up to fifteen feet with their essence and it is the strongest, longest lasting scent known to man. This is not a pleasant wildlife fact if this smell penetrates your home.
Most Big Brown Bats never left Oklahoma, and most Small Brown Bats are returning to their summer roosts. If they decided to make your building their home, you will need professional assistance. Once their babies are born in mid to late May, it will be late August or early September until they can be evicted without inadvertently killing the young and making a smelly mess.
Opossums will soon create their own posse and invade garbage cans, crawl spaces and attics. Their prehensile tails and unique hands and feet allow for acrobatic maneuvers which may bring them to your attic or under your deck. Although their nocturnal, maternal educational program for their young is amusing to watch, you have the power to ensure that your castle is not invaded by this new posse.
You are enjoying your big backyard when, low and behold, the soil moves. Snake behavior is unpredictable, so treat all snakes as though they are venomous.
The Skunk Whisperer® Wildlife Management Professionals can assist you with evicting unwelcome house guests of the wildlife type. But you can save time, frustration, headaches, heartaches, and a lot of money by doing simple preventative measures yourself by purchasing common items at your local hardware store.
Wildlife prevention:
Be certain that all garbage can lids are tightly closed, and never lay garbage bags on the ground. Your garbage can is an attractive buffet to wildlife.
Although disheartening to hear, feeding the birds is an invitation for a wildlife invasion. You cannot possibly comprehend how feeding any wildlife can negatively alter your neighborhood eco system drastically.
Think hard before you feed the hummingbirds. The sweet, nectar smell not only attracts hummingbirds, bees, and wasps, but also skunks, opossums and raccoons.
Never feed pets outdoors. If you must, bring food in at night. Do not store cat or dog food outdoors.
Purchase and install a common dryer vent cover if your dryer vents out of a wall. Thousands of dollars in Oklahoma alone are spent each year remedying damage caused by wildlife entry through dryer vents. The little floppy doors on your existing dryer vent typically are less than adequate. This $10.00 item and the ten minutes required to install it is less expensive than replacing a dryer with a decomposing squirrel, skunk, raccoon or bird in it.
Keep your garage door closed. Do not leave it open for ventilation or for pets to enter and exit. Many homes unintentionally introduce wildlife dilemmas by unknowingly trapping wildlife in their garages. Wildlife may find it to be a suitable home, too.
Do not overwater your lawn. A lawn that is abundant with mole food, (earthworms) may be full of dirt mounds quicker than a dryer lawn, in some cases.
Keep your lawn manicured. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Taller grass will encourage snakes and other vermin to call your property theirs.
Consider having a Wildlife Management Professional inspect your existing home, or your next home. Pre-purchase inspections by a Wildlife Management Professional that understands Integrated Pest Management can possibly save you thousands of dollars in future damage.
Eliminate brush and junk piles. Raccoons, opossums, snakes and skunks love this easy shelter.
Before you resort to utilizing your red rider bb gun, (you’re going to shoot your eye out) know that contrary to popular belief, it is illegal to use within the city limits. Place your traps on the back shelf or donate them to Animal Control because there are very few species in Oklahoma that a homeowner can legally trap on their own. Trapping is typically a waste of time and money if you still have holes in your building that wildlife can enter. Wildlife is attracted to certain architectural features and others will soon return to the scene of the crime, even if you fix their entry point. Trapping is at best, a temporary solution because another animal will soon fill the void in that territory and you cannot legally release wildlife in Oklahoma without proper permits. Mother Nature immediately replenishes territorial attic and crawl space invading wildlife – but she does not do home repairs. Put away the moth balls and fox urine, and concentrate your efforts on money saving preventative maintenance.
The Skunk Whisperer® can assist you anywhere in Oklahoma. Our Oklahoma office numbers are 918-261-4444, 877-423-WILD and 405-905-WILD
