How to Get Rid of Possums? Make Them Leave in a Natural Way

Scratch, scratch, scratch. Something in the attic is trying to get your attention. Now that your curiosity is up, you need to know who’s the uninvited visitor. You slowly enter and what do you see? A mess, chewed belongings and sometimes even the furry burglar in the act – the possum itself

The main culprits are usually one of the two species of possums: the common brushtail possum – as large as a cat with a big bushy tail, and the common ringtail possum – smaller in size with a bare curled tail. Both of them are adorable little critters but don’t be fooled by their big innocent eyes! They can cause a lot of problems in a household.

Why you should get rid of possums as fast as you can:

Diseases – They can carry diseases like Buruli ulcer and Tularemia and spread them through urine, droppings and fleas;

Fleas – Possible flea carriers and potential danger for your pets and kids even without the infectious diseases;

Stress for the pets around the house – The possums invade their territory and make constant noises at night which drives pets crazy;

Property damage – They can chew cardboard, insulation, electrical cables and munch on your garden plants.

Signs of a possum infestation

Of course, the fastest way to find out you have a possum problem at home is either to see one face-to-snout or catch it with a surveillance camera. If you only suspect there’s a possum around, you need to do a little bit of investigation. It’s important to identify the animal as it can be a pest like a rat or a mouse. That will determine what measures you need to take

Signs of possums to look out for:

Noises – They’re noisy little fellas. They can be vocal and growl, grunt, screech and hiss. Other noises they make come from scratching and knocking things down at night (when they’re most active), usually in roof cavities;

Droppings and urine – You can find possum droppings and urine stains. The brushtail possum’s droppings are from dark green to brown and with the size of an olive. The ringtail possum’s droppings are from dark brown to black and around 1 cm long. You can find them in different places – on the balcony, in the guttering, on garden tables, etc. It’s hard to find the difference between possum and rat droppings but in case you find either, you might want to call a pest control company right away;

Chewed electrical wiring – Like any rodents, possums love chewing on things that they shouldn’t. You definitely have a rodent problem if you find chewed electrical cables. This can create a fire hazard and your household might end up with no electricity;

Trees and flower damage in the garden – Possums love munching on plants, even decorative ones. The problem is even more apparent if you have fruit trees in your garden.

Best Ways To Get Rid Of Possums And Other Pests

The Best Ways to Get Rid of Possums Depending on where you live, pests are inevitable. When they are attacking your crops, you need to act fast. Below are some of the best ways to get rid of possums and other menaces. It’s important to be self-sufficient. Cultivating crops makes you less dependent on others.

They also have a strong scent. They can do serious damage to a garden. You will need to assess whether the damage has been done by possums or whether something else is after the crops. One way to make sure that the culprit are possums is by measuring the hole they created as they need at least 3 inches to squeeze into it.

How to protect crops from possums

Possums need to be controlled because they can eat over 65 types of plants. They can completely destroy a farm full of crops in a matter of a few days. They don’t need much to survive; a nesting place is enough as long as they have access to food. You will find their nests in hollow logs, under masses of vegetation, or in trees.

Some people have tried installing a two-strand electric fence that has wires at 4 inches and at 12 inches. This would help to not only protect the crop against possum but it would also protect the crops from damage caused by other pests. Poly tape also works well for this purpose. An electrical fence usually activates at dusk and remains on until dawn.

Trapping Possums

Sometimes you have to resort to catching possums and relocating them. This is the most economically friendly way and the most effective method as well. However, it requires daily commitment as you will have to put food in the traps and check in often. The minimum sized box for catching a possum should be 10 x 10 x 32 for traps that have single doors.

How to get rid of possums from your home

Few things are as startling as a possum thundering across the roof in the middle of the night. They’re surprisingly loud for a creature of slight proportions. While possums are cute and mostly non-aggressive, they can wreak havoc around your home and garden as well as carry and spread diseases.

Signs you have a possum problem

If you’ve heard scampering across the ceiling or in the walls during the night, chances are you have a possum or a rat in your home. Identification of the unwelcome visitor is key to determining the most appropriate action. Droppings are the best indicator as to whether the pest in your roof or wall cavity is a possum or a rat.

Cruelty-free ways to remove or repel possums

Possums are a protected species which means it’s illegal to harm or kill them, and remove them without a permit. Relocation may seem like a cruelty-free way to remove a possum from your home, but because possums are extremely territorial relocation will most likely result in the demise of the animal.

Fence them out

While possums are agile creatures and great climbers, they can only jump up to 1m high. This means a sturdy paling fence over 1.5m high can prevent possums getting into your garden. If you have a lower fence you could install fence spikes on the top of the fence to deter possums (as well as cats and rodents) without harming them

Remove access to food and water

As the saying goes ‘prevention is better than cure’, so by making your home less appealing to possums it is a great way to deter them. Start by removing access to food and water on your property.

Opossums

What is an Opossum?

Opossums are the only marsupial found in North America. They live in many parts of the United States with the exception of the Rockies, western plains and parts of the northern region. Opossums usually live alone and are only active at night. Though a relative of the kangaroo,

opossums are much slower and produce a nauseating smell when threatened. These wild animals are able to survive in a wide range of conditions and locations by virtue of their flexible diets and reproductive habits. If you are dealing with an infestation, opossum removal should be handled by a professional.

What Do Opossums Look Like?

Opossums grow up to 40 inches in length, about the size of a house cat. Their bodies are covered in white or grayish hair. Opossums have a long, pointed face with round, hairless ears and a rat-like tail. Additionally, females have a pouch on their stomach for holding newborns.

Opossum vs. Possum

Although the average person may use the terms “opossum” and “possum” interchangeably, they are different. An opossum is a white and gray marsupial that is found primarily in North America. In contrast, a possum is the name used to describe a marsupial

Opossum Removal

In order to prevent an opossum from taking up shelter in a residence, homeowners should store trash in sealed receptacles with animal-proof lids, preferably in a locked shed or outhouse. It’s good practice to bring pet food dishes inside at night to avoid attracting opossums and other nuisance wildlife. Homeowners should also remove other obvious sources of food and shelter from the property, such as fallen berries and fruits, as well as woodpiles and logs. On a nice day, Inspect the outside of the home for holes and access points, such as broken vent covers. To further limit opossum accessibility to a home, tree branches hanging near roofing should be trimmed, as opossums are skilled climbers and leapers.

How to keep raccoons and possums away from your house

Major cities are being overrun by raccoons, but the “trash panda” isn’t the only invader. As opossums, skunks, and other furry pests make homes in our neighborhoods, it’s important to know how we can respect nature without letting it ruin our yards.

What attracts raccoons and other fuzzy nuisances?

Animals adapt to human-created habitats through a process called urbanization. As it turns out, some mammals benefit from our tendency to replace everything with a strip mall.

found raccoons were uniquely suited to living in cities. In fact, city life might actually be better for them. Think about it: humans arrive, kill or drive off big predators, install sources of clean water like sprinklers and hose spigots, and leave out bins of food. We even build culverts that help critters avoid roads. Some crafty animals have been known to build dens in the space under houses. In fact, raccoons are living so high on the hog that we’re giving them diabetes.

How to keep raccoons, possums, and other furry pests away

Wild animals are generally drawn to humans because it’s the path of least resistance to food, water, and shelter. Make these harder to get and they’ll leave on their own.

Most pest mammals will eat almost anything, so start by firmly securing any trash or compost bin. Use “animal-proof” containers and be sure to regularly remove rubbish, especially scraps of food. Bring in any dog or cat food you might leave out during the day and ensure your pets stay inside after dark—you don’t want them to become food themselves. If you have food sources you can’t bring in, such as bird feeders, hang them high enough so that they’re difficult to reach from the ground or a branch.

Squirrels

Appearance

The grey squirrel is approximately 25 cm long with a 22 cm tail. Both sexes are of similar size and weigh around 500 grams. The body is adapted for climbing and jumping, with sharp claws for gripping and a long bushy tail for balance. Red squirrels are smaller, lighter and have ear tufts. Although predominantly red in appearance red squirrels may, confusingly, show some grey on the back in winter.

Where to find them

Grey squirrels build nests or dreys of twigs/leaves in the forks of trees. The squirrels are most active in the two hours following sunrise and preceding sunset, showing reduced activity during the daytime. Both red and grey squirrels will eat a wide range of items such as nuts, fruit buds, shoots, fungi, birds eggs and nestlings. In urban areas a large amount of food will be derived from bird feeders. Surplus food is buried for retrieval in times of scarcity.

Spread of disease

Squirrels are not normally associated with any diseases which are transmissible to man.

Structural damage

The most serious damage arises once grey squirrels enter the roof spaces of houses and other buildings by climbing walls, gutter downpipes or jumping from trees. Once inside they will chew woodwork and ceilings, strip the insulation from electrical wiring, tear up fibreglass insulation in the construction of dreys and even sometimes drown in cold water storage tanks.

Control of squirrels

The most effective form of control is exclusion. Do not encourage squirrels into your garden by feeding them, and ensure that all roofspaces are secure. Control of squirrels is usually carried out using traps or poison. Only spring or cage traps approved for the purpose may be used and all traps must be inspected at least once daily. Squirrels may also be poisoned with a plain wheat bait containing 0.002% Warfarin liquid.

Squirrels Are Cute, But They’re Still A Nuisance

Every year, getting rid of squirrels is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our rodent removal and exclusion service line. Squirrels are cute and cuddly unless they happen to be in your attic. Just like other rodents, squirrels can be destructive when inside our homes and businesses. Squirrel droppings and chewing ability do not exempt them from removal.

About Squirrels

Squirrels have adapted to urban and city life pretty well. there are plenty of trees and food sources for squirrels to live off the land. Squirrels are also extremely beneficial. They help to plant and distribute seeds due to their natural instincts to bury food. However, once inside your attic tearing up the place, it is easy to overlook their beneficial qualities and figure out a plan for relocation.

Behavioral Traits

Squirrels are most active in the morning and afternoon hours. Squirrels tend to hangout in their nests during severe cold and wet weather. Hopefully that nest is not in your attic.

Lifecycle

Squirrels have a litter of 2 to 7 young in the early spring. Here in Texas another litter will sometimes arrive in late August. The young will remain in the nest for up to 6 weeks before going out on their own.

Proper Squirrel Control

Inspection. Identify rodent and rodent damage. This requires a deep inspection and find out where the squirrels are nesting and how they have gotten into the structure.

Trapping. Now we trap the rodents. For squirrels, we trap with live traps. Squirrel traps are big cages with trap doors and some food inside as bait. We will set traps and monitor every 1-2 days. Traps can be moved around to focus on the problem areas.

Exclusion. After the trapping is well underway we enclose the structure. We seal all roof vents, roof pipes, gable vents, and any other areas where squirrels can enter. Steel wool, expanding foam, caulk, wire mesh, and some screws go a long way. Then trim back any trees 4 to 6 feet from the structure.

Relocation. Every squirrel we trap is relocated to a park or wooded area.

Rodent & Squirrel Pest Control Services

Keep These Furry Pests Outside Where They Belong

Rodents like mice, rats and squirrels may look furry and cute, but they are not welcome guests in a home. Always in search of food and shelter, these pests can do some real damage to a home and also transmit diseases. Additionally, rodents reproduce very quickly, and one or two can turn into a full-blown infestation in a matter of weeks. Signs that they may have settled in include unusual noises in the attic or walls and/or droppings found in the pantry, along the baseboards or in the attic.

Mice and Rat Control Services

Mice and rats pose many threats to you, your family and your home. When they take up residence, they rarely travel alone, often bringing in fleas, mites, ticks and lice as well. Micro droplets of mouse urine can trigger allergic reactions in children. Rats will chew through just about anything when nesting, including wiring, which can cause fires. Rats are also known to urinate on and eat stored foods. Both mice and rats can transmit numerous diseases. Obviously, mice and rat control is a serious matter.

These crafty creatures can enter structures through very tiny openings. A mouse only needs a space the size of a nickel and a rat can squeeze through one the size of a quarter. Additionally, rats are excellent climbers and can make their way into a home through entry points along the roofline as well.

Squirrel Control Services

Both gray and flying squirrels usually begin to enter homes in the Southeast late in the fall as the evening temperatures drop, looking for a warm place to nest for the winter. They can be found in attics, exterior walls and even between floors, using insulation as nesting material. Their playful nature and early rising times are what give their presence away to homeowners as they hear scurrying in the attic or movement at dawn, making squirrel removal sometimes necessary just to get some sleep.

Squirrels can do considerable damage to the exterior trim and siding of a home as they widen their current hole or make a new one. Once in the home, they can gnaw on just about anything, including electrical wiring, which can cause a short or a fire. Squirrels can also carry fleas and other unwanted hitchhikers that will infest your home after they gain entry.

Grey squirrels

In their natural habitat grey squirrels build nests or dreys in the forks of trees or in hollow trunks. In urban areas they will enter roof spaces by climbing walls or jumping from nearby trees. If they get into your property they can cause serious damage. They chew woodwork and ceilings, strip the insulation from electrical wiring, tear up loft insulation to form a nest and sometimes drown in cold water tanks.

The noise they make, particularly at night, scratching and running about can be very disturbing. They also cause environmental damage, stripping bark off trees causing young trees to die, and can destroy many garden plants with their activities.

Dealing with the problem yourself

There are two things you can do to help yourself:

Don’t feed or encourage squirrels into your garden. If you put out food for the birds, use squirrel-proof feeders.

Keep your home in a good state of repair so that squirrels can not gain access. If they have already got in and they haven’t yet had any young you may be able to scare them out and seal any holes where they were getting in

Squirrel Chewing Habits: Their Fun Wreaks Havoc on your Home

Those cute little squirrels running around your backyard and playing in your trees might be fun to watch, but they can be pesky critters when they want to be! The most irritating thing about squirrels is their penchant for chewing pretty much anything that gets in their way. Whether it’s wood around your home or yard, wires in your attic, or plastic on your home or car, basically nothing is safe from these backyard critters.

Why do squirrels chew everything?

Unlike humans, a squirrels’ teeth never stop growing. While this is helpful them since their diet mostly consists of nuts, seeds and fruit which are hard on teeth and wear them down, this also means they need to be constantly working to keep them a manageable length. This leads them to chew on pretty much anything they can. From wood to metal or plastic, all of these help to grind down their teeth. Unfortunately, this is bad news for your property!

Squirrels also chew things to gather material to build a nest. Wood especially makes a good base for them, so watch your wood siding, deck, attic beams and any other wood around your yard carefully.

How to prevent squirrels from chewing

When trying to prevent a squirrel from chewing materials around your home, you want to try to use strong and durable materials as much as possible. Things like steel mesh and pvc piping are helpful materials that squirrels will have difficulty chewing through

Sometimes, you just need to call a wildlife removal professional

If your friendly squirrel company has turned the corner into a full on invasion, you might be at the point where you just need to call in a professional. Squirrels don’t give up easily, and once they’ve found some profitable real estate, they’ll settle in for a long stand off. And squirrels are not a rodent you want to mess with (remember those constantly growing and sharpened teeth?!)! A professional can come assess your home and work out a safe plan to remove the squirrels from your home and give you some suggestions of how to squirrel proof the area.

RACCOON REMOVAL

Raccoons are mammals that become problems when they raid garbage cans and bird/pet feeders, tear up gardens and lawns looking for food or use chimneys, attics, crawlspaces or hollow areas beneath porches and outbuildings for dens.  Raccoons can be very vicious when cornered or protecting their young.  They are the main carriers of rabies in our area and in the United States.

Raccoons are omnivores – they eat both plants and animals

Raccoons not only spread rabies through their saliva (which is 100% fatal in humans); they also spread raccoon roundworm eggs in their feces which cause damage to the liver, spleen, lungs, eyes, nervous system or possibly death in severe cases.  Roundworm occurs when the eggs are accidently ingested/inhaled after contacting contaminated feces.

Raccoons are very strong and agile.  They have elongated “fingers” that allow them to pry open garbage can lids, rip off shingles, flashing , roof decking, fascia (trim) boards, rooftop ventilators, crawlspace vents and doors, attic insulation, insulation on HVAC lines and ductwork, etc..

Raccoons will destroy gardens and lawns looking for vegetables, fruit, grubs (below sod), food scraps in garbage or compost, animal/bird food from feeders and other natural foods in the environment.

Raccoons will establish latrines throughout their dens.  In attics the feces and urine can stain the ceiling below – accompanied by an objectionable odor.  In crawlspaces and under decks and buildings their waste is often throughout and on the vapor barrier (if one exists).

Raccoons, as well as most wildlife, also carry a lot of ectoparasites (mites, fleas, ticks, bed bugs, etc.) which can infest adjacent living spaces especially after the animals are removed.

When capturing raccoons it is important to identify if the animal is a lactating female (breast feeding the young) so the nest can be located and the young also removed.

Raccoons are generally born in April or May (after the adults overwinter and mate) but earlier and later litters are not uncommon.

A raccoon litter will range from 3-6 babies which will grow to 2-3 feet long and weigh 10-30 pounds.  Family groups remain together for the first year then strike out on their own.

Because of the plentiful availability of food and den sites, and because of their intelligence and adaptability, urban and suburban raccoon populations can quickly become very large.

Management/removal/exclusion:

An initial thorough inspection is the most important part of solving a raccoon problem.

Raccoons are usually trapped alive and then removed

Raccoons have to be euthanized as required by law because of their high potential for rabies. Additionally, captured raccoons, if released would probably attack another dwelling.

In addition to repairing the destroyed entry, we utilized custom cut galvanized steel flashing and galvanized steel hardware cloth to reinforce the exclusion areas.  This is extremely important to prevent future infestations.

We also remove the feces/urine and associated contaminated materials and treat with organic decomposition materials to clean and deodorize the area.

If necessary, new insulation can be added by along with other repairs/replacement of vents, shingles, etc.

Finally, removal or securing any potential food sources will discourage new dominant raccoons from attempting to establish a new home site in the same area.

Contact PCA to have a state licensed wildlife damage control agent develop a plan of action to solve your raccoon problem and our associated warranty.

Raccoons

Raccoons can be major nuisances to homeowners and businesses for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, raccoons are carriers of parasites such as fleas and ticks as well as several highly infectious and dangerous diseases. Raccoons are a common carrier of rabies. Also, raccoons carry a highly infectious roundworm, that is potentially fatal to humans.

The raccoon’s dexterity can make them particularly pesky, as their long nimble fingers allow them to do things such as open garbage cans, turn knobs and work latches.

Besides the spread of disease, raccoons are known to cause a host of other problems for property owners, including:

Raiding garbage cans and spreading refuse across properties

Tearing up landscaping with their “grubbing” behavior as they dig for scarab beetles on which to feed.

Raccoons also become problematic when they use areas beneath decks, porches or sheds for their dens.

If you have pets, a raccoon infestation can lead to a violent encounter that could damage the health of both animals. Raccoons are known to be fierce fighters when cornered and have inflicted fatal wounds during encounters with even large dogs.

raccoon removal services

As your local pest control experts, i understands the stress and frustration that can be caused by a raccoon infestation. All Rentokil Technicians providing raccoon removal services are individually licensed to perform wildlife trapping as required by state law.

Raccoons are extremely difficult to remove from properties without specialized training. technicians attend monthly pest control training seminars so they can stay up-to-date with the best baiting and trapping practices in the industry

Tips on choosing a wildlife or pest control company

When considering hiring a company to come to your home to control an animal or pest problem, there are a few things you can do help insure you hire a reliable, capable and experienced company that you can trust in your home and to get the job done right.

Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of time. A lot can be written about hiring the right company but since wildlife and pest problems tend to happen suddenly or be of an emergency nature, you may not have time to spend and need a few quick ideas to help ensure the right choice. Examples might be a snake or bat in your living room, a noise in your attic keeping you awake all night or squirrels chewing their way into your attic. You need help quick!  That is what I will talk about here. Sometimes, you are not rushed but want to make a informed decision. You may have a bat colony in the attic, but they have not made it into the living space. Maybe a skunk under your shed. In these case’s you may have a little more time to do some research.   All the better. Start here and in the near future I will do part B, or more tips on choosing a wildlife and pest control company.

Expect who you hire to have liability insurance.   What we see is company’s claiming to have insurance coverage when they really do not.   Not only does this leave you, the customer vulnerable should an accident occur but it suggests that  someone who lies about insurance coverage might lie about other aspects of the  job or their company as well.  The simple solution is ask them to bring a copy of their liability insurance certificate.    Don’t be afraid to ask.  Anyone who does not have proof of insurance should be passed in your hiring decision.

Consider the length of time a company has been in business.   A  fact in the wildlife control business is that a lot of start up companies last about 2 years and then go out of business.  When dealing with so many animal and pest species in so many different situations,  it easily takes two years or more just to get enough experience to handle the many different calls that arise in this business.    A Raccoon may be in your chimney, in a garage loft, under the home in a crawl space or ripping shingles off your roof to gain entry. It may or may not have young racoon pups. I address all these and many more situations differently. It is seldom just a matter of setting a trap. The experience I have gained over the last 15 years has helped me solve these problems in the quickest and most efficient way with the least amount of stress to you the homeowner and the animals involved.   Ask the company how long they have been in the nuisance wildlife or pest control  business.  Five years experience is not to much to ask.

Ask the potential company if they are licensed. Believe it or not, this is a problem in Connecticut. Recently, someone who lives on my street was arrested for hiring himself out to remove nuisance raccoons, skunks and wildlife. When a problem with the charges to the customer and the actual work itself developed, it was discovered that this person had no license for wildlife work.

Squirrels, Raccoons or Bird control

Squirrels and Raccoons

Squirrels and Raccoons may seek shelter, entering your home through an open hole(s) or creating their own entrance to warmth. Once they feel comfortable inside, Squirrels and Raccoons may choose to stay even when the weather turns warm again

We will inspect the entire premise thoroughly to find all squirrel openings. We will use repellent, bait and trapping methods to flush the squirrels / raccoons out of the occupied areas. Setting traps is also a part of the control procedure and will depend on the recommendations of your professional pest control operator. Upon elimination of the pests, our technician will patch and close all accessible openings they’ve created up to 12″ in diameter and 18″ in length. (Ladder work up to 30 ft high only.) We will also take necessary action to eliminate any additional pest the squirrels/raccoons may have been carrying on them. This will further protect you, your family and your home.

Raccoons & Wildlife

A raccoon is located in the walls, attic, or roof areas of a dwelling (or any other areas that are not common areas). In these circumstances, you can either purchase a humane animal trap from a hardware or pest control retailer (such as Lowe’s or Home Depot), or contact a Licensed Wildlife Control (removal) agency.  We will retrieve a raccoon from your location once it has been trapped for a fee or you may deliver the raccoon to our 111 West Hunting Park Avenue location. *Please note per law that prohibits us from re-releasing, all adult raccoon brought to euthanized (killed).

Healthy wildlife is found in yards, streets, parks, etc.  These animals should be left alone and trapping of healthy wildlife is prohibited under state law with the exception of certain, special circumstances.  If they are brought to the shelter, per law many CANNOT be relocated-they will be euthanized (killed).  Use the resources provided above to deter these animals from frequenting your neighborhood.

FOUND A BABY ANIMAL? Please scroll to the bottom of the page for more information.

Although Philadelphia is a large city, it is not uncommon to observe wildlife walking about on neighborhood streets—even during the daylight hours.Trapping is an ineffective way to eliminate wildlife from your neighborhood. As long as food and shelter is available, neighboring animals will move in

If you are concerned about wildlife near your property, there are several precautions you can take:

Use metal garbage cans with secure lids. Use bungee cord or wire to secure the lids. Place cans in a rack or tie them to a post to prevent raccoons from tipping them over.

Do not leave bags of trash in front of your property or on the sidewalk.  Most wildlife are drawn to the smell of trash and, if they can access it easily, will consider your property a nice place to eat.

Do not put food on the ground for birds or other animals.  If you are feeding birds, make sure you use a commercial bird feeder that wildlife cannot access.  If you are feeding feral cats, always place food in a container and pick it up after a short time.

Repair all holes and openings in your roof, siding, porch, etc.  Wildlife will often gain entry to properties through weak structures and take up residence.

Trim tree branches that overhang rooftops. If possible, a gap of at least 5 feet should exist between the tree and your roof.

Remove trellises and arbors that can give raccoons and other wildlife access to your roof.

Use Philly311 to contact Philadelphia License and Inspections and report abandoned or dilapidated homes and city code violations in your area that wildlife has inhabited.

Cover chimneys with a spark arrester that meets fire code. Make sure no animals are nesting inside your chimney before covering it.

Cover open spaces beneath structures such as porches, decks, and tool sheds with 10-gauge 1/4- or 1/3-inch galvanized hardware mesh. The bottom edge of the wire should be buried at least 6 inches deep, extended outward for 12 inches, and then back-covered with soil. This will also keep out skunks, opossums, squirrels and rats.

Ordinary fences can be made raccoon-proof by adding a single strand of electrified wire about 8 inches from the ground and 8 inches from the base of the fence. A two-wire electric fence can be used to exclude raccoons from gardens. The two wires are fastened on evenly spaced wooden posts; one wire is 5-6 inches above the ground and the other is 10-12 inches above the ground. The fence charger needs to be activated from dusk to dawn. (Make sure that you install properly and identify with warning signs.)

5 ways to protect yourself from being stung by a bee or wasp

Bees and Wasps are extremely active this time of year while they get ready for the winter.

Getting stung by a bee is painful and can be a life or death situation for those who are allergic.

There are a few things you can do to keep yourself protected from bees and wasps according to About Education.

1. Don’t wear perfumes or colognes.

Don’t smell like a flower. Bees and wasps that are searching for nectar can detect and follow strong scents even from a distance. When they get a whiff of you, they could land on you to do some investigating.

2. Avoid wearing brightly colored clothing, especially floral prints.

This seems like a no-brainer. Don’t look like a flower. They love flowers. Bright colors attract bees, neutral colors do not.

3. Be careful what you eat outdoors.

Imaging Mike and I know this first hand. Bees and Wasps love beer. Look at Mike running like a crazy person from the bees in our golf cart! Sugary foods will attract bees and wasps, so keep them at a minimum and always check before you take a sip to see if one has flown in your drink.

4. Don’t walk barefoot.

Some wasps make their nests on the ground. If you step on or near one, it will try to protect itself and sting you. Word to the wise, always check before you sit down as well. I’ve sat on a bee before… it was very unpleasant.

5. Try not to wear loose-fitting clothes.

This goes for all insects I think. Just the other day I had a pair of loose-fitting pants on. When I sat down inside I felt like something was tickling my leg. It was a huge black ant. Scared me half to death! Be careful, if a bee or wasp gets caught in your baggy clothing, it could sting you while trying to get out.

Do bees get along with wasps and hornets?

Wasps will bully bees at feeding sites, shoving and pushing them around until they fly away . Ordinary common or German wasps (yellowjackets) will sneak into bee hives and try and rob the honey. They well also kill and eat honey bees if they get the chance.

Hornets will attack honeybees and kill them by biting their heads off. They then dismember the dead body and chew up the protein-rich flight muscles and fly back to their nest and feed them to the hornet grubs which then feed some of the nutrients back to the worker hornets in liquid form.

Some species of hornet like the Asian Vespa velutina, which is invasive in Europe, will hover outside beehives swooping down and picking off individual bees one by one. A single velutina hornet can kill 50 honey bees a day this way, so it is said

Larger hornets like the Asian giant hornet Vespa mandarinia will scout out a hive full of bees and then return to their own nest and use pheromones to gather a crew of 30 or so worker hornets who then attack the hive mob handed killing all the bees inside. They then take over the beehive raiding it until every bee grub has been eaten.

BEST WAYS TO KEEP BEES AWAY FROM YOUR SUMMER PICNIC

The summer picnic most often comprises a lovely day spent lounging on the grass, soaking up the sun, and enjoying a well-packed meal and the company of your friends and family (and those six-legged flying moochers ready to prey on your feast!). This time of year, bees are busy seeking out sweet smells and potent flowers. All too often they find their way not to a delectable blossom, but to your al fresco fruit salad. Here are a few suggestions to safely keep the Apidae out of your summer salad.

1. Play keep-away. Unlike mosquitoes, bees are not attracted to the smell of humans but rather to the sweet scents of their perfume, hair products, lotion, and deodorant.

• Avoid bee attention by wearing unscented products.
• Use an insect repellent to mask the scents. Natural repellents use citrus, mint, and eucalyptus oils.
• Dryer sheets also make effective insect repellents: tuck one in your pocket if you’re hiking or place a few under your picnic blanket.

2. Practice the art of disguise. You can mask not only the scent of your perfumes, but also that of your food with a little clever camouflage.

• Scatter cloves or mint across your table or blanket.
• Another idea is to set a pot or two of marigolds on the table. They look like pretty centerpieces, but their scent repels bees as well.

3. Cover up. Use lids for your food containers and your beverages. Keep trash bags or cans tightly closed as well. This will help reduce the wafting aromas that might entice these pesky insects. The scent of barbecue not only brings people to your party, it is especially compelling for bees and wasps as well, so keep that under wraps as much as possible.

4. Bait and switch. Set out a bowl or cup with some flat soda, fruit juice, maple syrup, or sugar water a few yards away from your picnic. Bees are attracted to the sugary scent and will pursue this instead of your lunch. If possible, set out the bee bait 20 minutes or so before you begin your picnic because the bees will communicate the location of the sugary food to one another. If you are using a soda bottle, remove the label so that no one but the bees tries to drink from it.

Aggressive Hornets

Hornets are one of the most aggressive types of wasp, and many are able to sting through clothing and protective gear. Like yellow jackets, hornets are very protective of their nests, which can usually be found in the ground, hollows of trees, tree branches and near roof gutters, among other protected places. Certain types of hornets, such as the bald-faced hornet, will protect its nest by employing two of its team to circle near the nest surveying the area for threats. Once these “watchmen” feel their nest is in danger, they alert their team inside, and all attack as a united group.

Wasps Are More Dangerous than Bees

While many people would consider wasps the more aggressive of the two, this is actually false.  Wasps and bees have different temperaments, and their level of aggression is often dependent on how you encounter them.  Wasps tend to conceal their nests in spaces that aren’t visible to the naked eye, resulting in unexpected encounters, whereas bees nests tend to be harder to find.  However, when one does encounter a nest, they tend to swarm in significantly larger numbers than wasps to defend their nest, making them equally as dangerous.

Wasps Don’t Produce Honey (and all bees do)

While this one may be true in your particular area of the world, it is actually false.  There are some species of wasp, particularly the Mexican Honey Wasp, that do produce honey.  In fact, according to Reader’s Digest, less than 5% of all bee species make honey.

It’s Safe to Remove a Wasp (or bee) Nest at Night

While this rumor is founded in truth, it is in fact false.  The truth is that it is significantly safer to remove a nest at night than during the day, as this is when bees and wasps are less active, but that does not mean its fool proof.  Wasps or bees that are disturbed at night still carry the potential to sting you.

Tips For Keeping Wasps Away From Your Yard And Garden Throughout The Year

Wasps are almost a year-round problem in Jacksonville. But they don’t have to be an almost year-round problem for you. There are many ways you can make your yard resistant to wasps and prevent them from becoming a threat in spring, summer, and fall. Here are some of our top wasp prevention tips for these seasons

Spring (nest detection)

This is the time of year when wasps work hard to create new nests. Since social wasps have a strong nest-protection instinct, it is best to catch and eliminate wasp nests before they can grow into a problem. The center of spring protection should be an inspection of your property, identification of wasp nests, and removal of those nests. Where a wasp will create her nest depends on what type of wasp it is.

Some wasps species establish aerial nests. These can be found on tree branches, under overhangs of man-made structures, clinging to an upper corner of an unenclosed porch, in the rafters of a barn, etc. They can also be found stuck to the side of a home.

Some wasps create nets inside cavities. If they can find a hole in your exterior walls, they’ll get in and make a nest in your wall voids. You can tell this has happened when you see wasps entering and exiting your home. These wasps can also create nests in unexpected cavities, such as the hollow spaces inside a piece of stored furniture in a shed, barn, or attic space. If you hear buzzing in a storage area, take precaution.

Some wasps create nests in ground holes. If you have holes in your yard and you see wasps entering and exiting, be careful how heavily you walk around on the ground. Vibrations can set these wasps off and cause them to swarm and sting.

Summer (moisture)

All year long, wasps grow their populations. They do this by feeding on nectar and by bringing protein back for their larvae to feed on. Protein sources usually come from caterpillars and other bugs. The more bugs you have in your yard, the more visitations you’re going to have from wasps. You can reduce bugs around your home by reducing moisture. Bugs love moist environments

Fall (exclusion)

As winter approaches, wasps prepare newly hatched female wasps for overwintering. After the first hard frost, wasp nests are going to die and all of the workers are going to die with them. Only the future queens survive. These future queens can be found searching homes for a place to hide from the approaching winter chill. Your goal should be to keep them from getting in.

Wasps on Your Deck? Tips on What To Do

The deck often becomes an outdoor version of the family room in summer. All too often, your family gets ousted from this outdoor space by a family of wasps who have deemed the deck the perfect property for their new home. Are you ready to take back your deck? Here are some simple tips to get rid of wasps on your deck and keep them away.

Destroy the Nest

There are many ways to destroy wasp nests, from aerosol pesticide sprays to more natural methods using dish soaps and shop-vacs. A professional exterminator is also a good resource for destroying and removing nests and offering tips on how to keep the wasps away in the future. Regardless of the method you choose, your best bet is to attack the nest at night, when wasps are least aggressive and have slower reaction times

Remove the Nest

Once all wasp activity around the nest has stopped – usually within a day of extermination – knock down the nest or scrape it off the deck. Leaving an inactive nest in place can attract unwanted scavenging insects, such as carpet beetles or ants. While they may be less scary than a stinging wasp, these pests can bring with them a new set of problems.

Stop Wasps from Returning

Unfortunately, wasps like building nests on and under decks because they often provide shelter

Wasp Traps – You can purchase these traps at the hardware store or make your own out of buckets filled with sugar water, vinegar, and a small amount of mild dish soap. Wasps will fly into the traps and drown, so the traps should be emptied regularly. Set them out in early spring to trap the queen and prevent colonies from forming.

Natural Wasp Control

Wasps can be solitary or social, and there are even wasps that don’t sting at all. The best way to prevent unpleasant encounters with social wasps is to avoid them. If you know where they are, try not to go near their nesting places

Wasps can become very defensive when their nest is disturbed due to their chemical communication. Wasps and bees release an alarm pheromone that marks their target and alerts the colony to attack. This can happen even when wasps are feeling threatened, not just when they sting or are injured, as some people believe. Wasps can present their stinger mid-air, releasing the alarm pheromone even from a casual swat.

Wasps are so much more aggressive than bees because they are predatory and very protective of their young. They are particularly aggressive during the last months of summer.

If you can’t avoid wasps, try repelling them using a fake nest such as the ‘Bee Free Wasp Deterrent’. These fake nests work because wasps are territorial and do not want to build a nest near another wasp’s nest. Failing that, you can use a non-toxic wasp trap, such as the Glass Wasp Trap or the Yellowjacket and Wasp Trap.

Types of Wasps

Several types of wasps build paper nests that hang under eaves and from trees: the bald-faced hornet, yellowjacket, and paper wasp. All of these are social wasps, which can be aggressive and can sting you repeatedly.

Dealing With Wasps Around Your Home

You know them by their buzzing, their numbers, and their painful stings. No one wants to find wasps in or around their home but the warmer the weather gets, the greater your chance of ending up with a wasp infestation.

Finding a Wasps’ Nest

Identifying a wasp situation typically starts with finding the nest. In most cases, wasps nests are out of sight and can usually be identified by a steady stream of wasp activity to a hole in your home, underneath roof eaves, or through your soffits. Wasps tend to congregate in high-ground areas like the roof to maintain a lay of the land. If you regularly encounter one or more wasps when enjoying your yard, you’ve probably got a wasps’ nest on your property

Wasps send out scouts like many other species to seek out food, particularly sweet smells and rotting flesh. They’re a swarming species which means when one finds a snack they’ll immediately return to the nest to tell the rest of the clan. It’s uncommon to find wasp nests indoors (although it does happen!) and/or underground, but if you can’t find a nest outdoors you should bring in a professional to help you identify the problem.

If you do happen to find a wasps’ nest in or around your home, NEVER attempt to remove it yourself as you could be stung by dozens or even hundreds of wasps at once, causing serous bodily harm. An exterminator can help you remove the nest safely and efficiently.

Dealing With Wasps

There are hundreds of species of wasps, the most common of which are English wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. Bees and wasps are often confused, but a good rule of thumb is to look for yellow, red, or brownish coloring; if you see these colors you’re most likely dealing with wasps. Wasps also tend to be smaller and less hairy than most bee species.

HOW TO PREVENT WASPS

HOW TO PREVENT WASP’S NESTS

Prevention is always better than cure when it comes to wasp prevention. If you have wasp’s nests in the past, you are very likely to have them form again. The best way to prevent wasp’s nests is to understand how they choose where to build their nest.

WASP NEST PREVENTION TIPS

Wasps nests locations are not located randomly but are actually carefully considered by the queen wasp. The first thing the queen wasp looks for is shelter from rain and dampness. They look for a dark secluded area where they will not be interfered with.

LONE WASP PREVENTION TIPS

Wasps travel far from their nest in search of food, water and nest building material, so you may have a high volume of wasps in your home and garden without having a nest in the nearby vicinity. If you want to reduce the amount of “free flying wasps” around

WASP TRAPS OR ATTRACTORS

If you’re feeling daring, a wasp trap is very easy to make.

Cut the top off a large plastic bottle.

Place the top the bottle, cap first, back into the waterbottle so that it makes a funnel.

For bait, add a fruit juice or a fizzy drink.

Silverfish; The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Sometimes silver fish are good.

You walk into the home of a friend and see a large aquarium in the corner. Soft light filters through the water onto the colorful stones and castles and various plants. Then there is a flash of silver. Lots of flashes. See, your friend is an avid aquarist and he has discovered the beauty of the Silver Dollar fish. He has several of these oval fish swimming together in a “school,” and they are quite pretty.

Sometimes silverfish are bad.

You walk into the bathroom in your friend’s house and see a large jetted tub in the corner. Soft light filters in through the stained glass windows and plays upon the beautiful bathroom fixtures. But then you see a silverfish, two silverfish, three! They are coming out from underneath the tub. Startled, you quickly turn on your heel and get out of there as fast as you can. Did your friend’s beautiful aquarium fish somehow escape to the bathroom? No, these are a different kind of silverfish altogether.

Facts about silverfish:

These silverfish are not actually fish at all. They are a wingless insect that is silver in color and about ¾ of an inch long. They are thick at the front and have tapering bodies that are shaped like a teardrop.

Silverfish are capable of scaling walls and ceilings, so it is possible for them to drop on you.

Is it possible to prevent silverfish from invading?

Keeping your house free of food particles may help in keeping silverfish at bay.

Drying out your house by using fans and dehumidifier will also deter silverfish from staying since they thrive in moist environments.Repairing any leaky pipes, sinks, toilets or tubs will also remove sources of moisture that attract silverfish.

The professionals here at American Pest enjoy a beautiful aquarium filled with lovely silver colored fish just as much as anyone. But, if you have the kind of silverfish that are ugly and make people run out of your bathroom in disgust, we can help! With the latest up-to-date knowledge and equipment, and the 2015 Angie’s List Super Service Award, you can rest assured that American Pest can take care of silverfish, or any other household pest you may be dealing with in.

HOW TO GET RID OF SILVERFISH?

SPRAY THE SPEEDY CRITTERS DEAD

It’s frustrating to try to get rid of silverfish when you can barely see them scurrying across your floor. Silverfish are fast runners that often live in the damp, cool places of your home. They feed on almost anything; these scavengers will even eat wallpaper glue and book bindings. You can fight silverfish with a thorough home cleaning and the right products.

Wipe Out These Top Silverfish Hiding Places

Keep kitchen floors, counters, and cupboards clean. Pay special attention to cracks where the baseboard meets the floor.

Wipe down bookcases, closet shelves, and door or window frames

Vacuum behind the oven, microwave, toaster, and refrigerator

De-clutter the areas where you see them

They are often brought indoors with cardboard packing, furniture, and construction materials so inspect these items before they come inside.

Try running a dehumidifier to make the area less humid, and therefore, less appealing.

Keep Silverfish from Hiding in your Home

In warm climates, silverfish can live outdoors. De-clutter outdoor areas to remove hiding places close to your home (debris, stones, piles of wood, looks bark, or mulch)

Seal any foundation or exterior cracks

Use a barrier product like Raid Max® Bug Barrier to keep silverfish out

Expert Tips

Telltale Signs of Infestation

Silverfish are so fast, sometimes you just can’t spot them. Signs of infestation include yellow stains, especially on linens or book pages, and irregular feeding marks that look like etchings on surfaces.

Debugged! How to Get Rid of Silverfish—and What’s Attracting Them in the First Place

Prepare yourself: If you’ve been noticing some creepy, silvery bugs crawling around your home lately, you might just have a silverfish infestation.

Silverfish are nothing new—in fact they’re some of the oldest insects around, predating dinosaurs by about 100 million years. This means you wouldn’t be the first person to feel more than a little disturbed at the sight of them sleuthing around your kitchen in the middle of the night (yeah, they’re also nocturnal)

Fortunately, by now we know more than a few things about these ancient creepy-crawlies, including what they’re attracted to—and how to get rid of them

What are silverfish?

“Silverfish are grayish, wingless insects found all over the United States and many other parts of the world,” says Scot Hodges, vice president of technical services for Arrow Exterminators. “They have elongated, slender bodies that are wider at the head, silvery-gray in color, and covered with tiny scales.”

What attracts silverfish?

“They’re attracted to high humidity, so they like dark spaces like attics, crawl spaces, and humid bathrooms,” says Mike Rottler, owner of Rottler Pest & Lawn Solutions

SILVERFISH

Although most silverfish live outdoors, they readily can be found in homes. Silverfish prefer places with high moisture, such as basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms and kitchens. Silverfish are known as nuisance pests because they do not bite humans or pets but cause damage to household items, like clothing and books.

Silverfish are difficult to exterminate because they move around at night. Most of the time, homeowners don’t know they are in the home until they notice the damage causing by silverfish feeding.

Instead of choosing chemical controls that contain toxic and harmful substances, you can choose controls to eliminate the silverfish pests in your home.

So…What’s a Silverfish?

What are silverfish? They are silvery, but they are definitely not fish. They are insects that have silvery, overlapping scales that tend to easily rub off. They come inside searching for food and find any minute food particle left lying around your home. Silverfish don’t stink or bring germs inside your home.

Silverfish may come into your home when you bring boxes inside that were stored in an infested area. They may also come into your home in search of moisture during hot, dry summers. Silverfish can enter your home through cracks or holes.

SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT SILVERFISH IN MY HOME?

If you have silverfish, there are a lot of reasons to want them out of your home. These are some pretty creepy looking bugs, and not a fun insect to see wiggling across the floor of your bathroom. But should you be worried? Are silverfish dangerous? Will they spread illness? Do they bite? The answers to these questions may surprise you–so will the real reason you should be worried. Let’s take a look.

Do silverfish bite? Yes. But they aren’t going to bite you–well, they may nibble on your eyelashes a bit, but other than that, you have nothing to worry about. Silverfish don’t bite humans; and even if they did, they don’t have any dangerous venom inside their bodies.

Are silverfish dangerous? Yes. Not to you, but definitely to your belongings. These insects eat all sorts of things you would probably rather not have them eat. They chew on old photos, important documents, your favorite books, that wallpaper you love in the living room, your best shirt, and other fabrics. Silverfish are drawn to starches, and they can find these starches in a wide variety of places, including your pantry.

Do silverfish spread illness? This is not a pest that is connected to the spread of disease in a home, but like all insect invaders, they can go from feeding on something in your dirty trash to eating something on your counter. It is unlikely, however, that silverfish will cause any real illness in your home.

So, if you don’t like silverfish crawling through your hair looking for dandruff and nibbling on your eyelashes, you might have something to worry about. If you don’t want them putting holes in your belongings, there is definitely something to worry about. But the real reason you should be worried about silverfish is why they are in your house in the first place.