Raccoons and opossums are two of the most common wildlife invaders in urban and suburban yards and homes. They don’t just end up there accidentally. There are plenty of things we humans do that provide food and shelter for wild animals. Below are just some of the conditions that can attract raccoons and opossums to your property, listed in alphabetical order:
VIEW MOREUsed to be that Canada geese were welcome winter visitors. We wistfully watched them take off on their migratory flight come spring. But over the years, many Canada geese have changed their habits and no longer migrate. These resident geese have discovered that they like the suburban lifestyle: plenty of food and almost no predators. Who needs that exhausting migratory flight anyway?
VIEW MOREQ. Last winter we had something damaging our lawn. In the spring, there were winding tunnels all through the grass. Do you think the tunnels were from moles? We’ve never seen any actual moles.
VIEW MOREQ. We have a lot of squirrels around our house. A couple of weeks ago, I saw a squirrel with a lump on its neck. I assumed it was from a bite or something, but then I saw another squirrel with a lump about the size of a pecan on its back. Are these some kind of cancerous tumors that squirrels get?
VIEW MOREQ. Help! We put out some mouse bait in various places in our house almost two weeks ago. Apparently it worked because now the house stinks horribly from dead mice. Can you tell me what kind of product I can buy to get rid of the smell? Household spray deodorizers just make it worse. And how long do dead mice smell?
VIEW MOREQ. I’ve always been confused about this. Do flying squirrels really fly? How far can they fly? I’ve never really seen a flying squirrel but I hear we have them around here.
VIEW MOREWhen birds nest or roost on a building, they can be a noisy nuisance, leaving droppings that mess up sidewalks, awnings, ledges, and balconies. But beyond the mess, there are serious, and even dangerous, hazards that can result from birds roosting on and in buildings.
VIEW MOREEveryone knows that rats and mice are rodents. But did you know that tree squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, and voles are also rodents? How about beavers, muskrats, and woodchucks? Porcupines and prairie dogs? Yes, they are all in the Order Rodentia and are all related. Rodentia is the largest order of mammals with about 1,700 species. The largest rodent in the world is the capybara of South Africa. It is the size of a pig and weighs up to 110 pounds! The smallest rodent is the pygmy mouse which weighs only a few grams.
VIEW MOREWhen mice, rats, birds, and other animals nest in buildings, there are potential health hazards to people from diseases and parasites. But there is another hazard that can be much more serious…fire!
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