Wildlife Control Methods Archives - Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC

February 3, 2020 by Stephen M. Vantassel

Bat Trapping

You may not have heard of bat trapping, but bat trapping is sometimes used by wildlife control operators (WCOs) to capture and remove bats from a structure. The concept is quite simple. You locate all the gaps in a structure and close the ones not being used by bats as

Photo of a Bat Trap manufactuered by Al LaFrance — BatTrap (18″ model) manufactured by Al LaFrance, its inventor.

exits. Then for the holes bats use as exits, you install a bat trap which captures the bats as they exit the building. Bat trapping is an ingenious idea. It allows the WCO to show the client that the bats have been removed from the structure. As a marketing tool, it was very effective and it worked to remove bats from a structure too.

A couple of types of bat traps exist. The one pictured at the right was developed by Al LaFrance of New York state. He was a pioneer in bat control and used the device successfully for many years in the 1990s.

Problems with Bat Trapping

While bat traps have some key benefits, they also come with several disadvantages. It’s the disadvantages that cause the National Wildlife Control Operators Association and Bat Conservation International to oppose the use of bat traps (except for disease management or scientific research). The first problem with bat traps is that trapped bats can overheat and die. While trappers can make adjustments to make these deaths minimal to almost non-existent, it is hard to completely eliminate deaths in every use. The second problem is that with the emergence of white-nose syndrome, trapping bats could help transmit the fungal infection amongst bats more rapidly. The last problem with bat traps is that they are not needed to evict bats from a structure. Properly installed one-way doors, allow bats to leave but not return without requiring bats to be trapped.

Understand that these comments are not meant to condemn the inventors of bat traps. It is not fair to condemn inventors for problems (e.g. white-nose syndrome) that weren’t around when the traps were created. Bat traps have a role in bat management. It’s just a limited, but valuable role, namely for research and disease control. And for that advancement, we all should be grateful.

Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP, ACE, is the owner of Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. He helps people restore their balance with nature through publishing, training, consulting, and the internet. He has published numerous articles in trade and academic publications (http://kingsdivinity.academia.edu/StephenMVantassel) along with several books (https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/store-2/). Listen to his podcast at PestGeek Podcast (https://pestgeekpodcast.com/). He is a sought after speaker and trainer. If you would like to have Stephen speak at your event or use his consultation services, send an e-mail to wildlifecontrolconsultant@gmail.com. Copyright All postings are the property of Stephen M. Vantassel and Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC. Text (not images) may be reprinted in non-profit publications provided that the author and website URL is included. If images wish to be used, explicit and written permission must be obtained from Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC.

November 18, 2019 by Stephen M. Vantassel

Types of Attractants

Trappers and wildlife control operators (WCOs) are fascinated baits, lures and other types of attractants for enticing wildlife to traps. Most of the effort tends toward bait or food-based attractants. But did you know that there are various types of attractants or perhaps categories of attractants? In fact there are at least 4 types of attractants. The attractant categories are taste, smell, sight and sound. Taste and smell are closely tied together, obviously. But trappers and WCOs ignore the other categories to their detriment.

Comparison of two bait containers. — Yogurt cup used for baiting is easier to see than the can of cat food. Note the plastic trash bag used as a make shift cover.

Types of Attractants Explained

Attractants under the sight category take advantage of the animal’s sense of vision. For example, some animals rely on sight more than smell to find food. Felines (cats), for example, heavily rely on vision to find food. You as a trapper could consider hanging a fake feather in the cage to lure cats into the trap. CAUTION: BEFORE USING ANY BAIT OR ATTRACTANT BE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL STATE REGULATIONS. SOME STATES PROHIBIT CERTAIN TYPES OF ATTRACTANTS. Placement of carcasses is another way trappers use sight (and smell) to attract animals.

Sound attractants rely on the target animal’s ability to hear. Many predators have excellent hearing and with the development of strong batteries and micro-technology, we now have squeakers that can be added to traps. Squeakers can emit noises to capture the animal’s attention and draw them to the trap. A downside of squeakers is that the noise may bother neighbors.

Use Attractants in Combination

As important as each of these categories are individually to attract animals, they work better when used in combination. So don’t just rely on a good tasting/smelling bait to attract a target animal, think of ways to include sight and/or sound. For example, some trappers when trying to attract raccoons may add white marshmallows to the cage to add a visual element to the honey and molasses bait they used.

Additional information can be found in the Wildlife Removal Handbook, 3rd ed.

September 23, 2019 by Stephen M. Vantassel

Trapping Skunks Part 1

Trapping skunks (Mephitis mephitis) cage or box traps is one of the easiest tasks a beginning trapper can accomplish as skunks are not known for being trap shy and are readily attracted to fatty baits. Of course, the challenge with skunks is not the trapping but the handling of the trap.

Cage-trapped skunk. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.

Before You Begin Trapping Skunks

Check the wildlife laws in your area. Typically, state divisions of wildlife (where someone would purchase a hunting license) will be the governing authority on the trapping of skunks. You need to have the following questions answered:
- Is it legal to cage or box trap skunks? Colloquially this is known as live trapping. I don’t use the term live trap because it is not accurate because footholds are live traps.
- Is it legal to cage trap skunks at this time of year?
- How can the skunks be disposed of?
  - Can it be killed? If so, what are the legal or recommended methods? You may be required to kill the skunk if it appears sick or injured.
  - Can it be relocated (transport and release of skunk within its home-range (often a mile or two). What locations constitute a legal release site?
  - Can it be translocated (transport and release of skunk outside its home-range (10 miles or more). What locations constitute a legal release site?
Gather skunks trapping equipment. At minimum you should have:
- Protective gloves
- Fried chicken scraps (note house cats are attracted to this bait)
- 1/4-inch hardware cloth two-inches wider on all sides (except the trap entry) than the trap’s footprint (the part that sets on the ground. This screening is to protect the turf/soil beneath and around the trap from being dug up by the trapped skunk. If you use professional style traps with 1/2-inch by 1-inch mesh, this material can be skipped.
- Cage traps that are at least 7- x 7- x 24-inches in size (single door).
- Trap covers large enough to cover half the length of the trap on three sides and the rear. This cover gives the skunk a place to hide and you a blind spot to approach the trap without fear of being sprayed. Covers can be made of durable cloth (e.g. old bathroom towel, hardened cardboard, or even plywood.
- A large trap cover capable of covering the entire trap length and sides. This cover will be used to keep the trapped skunk in the dark before you pick up the trap to move it.
Time
- You must have enough time each day to check the trap, preferably in the morning. Never set a trap unless you can check it. Checking means, every day, including holidays, when the weather is bad, when you don’t feel like it, etc.
- Ideally, close the door during daylight hours. This way you won’t catch animals during the day. But you will need to return at dusk to reset the trap so it is available to catch a nocturnal skunk.

Bottom Line

Trapping skunks requires preparation in both your attitude and in equipment. But careful preparation will assist you when you do have the skunk in possession but that will have to wait till the next blog.

June 17, 2019 by Stephen M. Vantassel

Poison Free Control of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels

Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus; formerly Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) are cute, chipmunk-sized ground squirrels that reside in short-grass areas. But as cute as they are, sometimes their presence conflicts with homeowner interests. This blog post will explain how to use snap traps for poison free control of thirteen-lined ground squirrels.

Step 1. Make sure that lethal control of thirteen-lined ground squirrels is legal in your area. Your state wildlife agency will know.

Step 2. Confirm that you have thirteen-lined ground squirrels on your property. This should be easy to do as thirteen-lined ground squirrels are easy to recognize as they frolic about on warm sunny days.

Victor Rat Snap Traps with expanded trigger. The right trap has been modified to make the striker bar hit harder. — Victor Rat Snap Traps with expanded trigger. The right trap has been modified (washer under the tines) to make the striker bar hit harder.

Step 3. Purchase several rat-sized snap traps. Victor brand is shown as it is a common one.

But other rat-sized snap traps will do the trick as well. I suggest using rat traps with the expanded triggers as shown here in the photo, rather than the thin metal triggers.

Expanded triggers make it easy to apply bait and are easy to set. Simply bait them with peanut butter and oats or bird seed. If allergies to peanut butter are an issue, simply glue the oats and seeds to the trigger.

Step 4. Obtain boxes suitable to hold the snap traps. These boxes should be large enough to allow the traps to fire but prevent birds from seeing the bait. NEVER place baited rat traps out where birds can find them as birds will easily be killed by the rat traps. You can build them yourself or purchase them from a pesticide distributor. Though the boxes are not regulated by the government, keep in mind that the dealer may not sell them to you unless you have a pesticide license. Don’t be discouraged. Keep hunting and you will likely find a dealer willing to sell to you.

J.T. Eaton Rat Size Snap Trap Station containing a Victor brand rat snap trap (left) and a Kness-style rat snap trap (right).

The boxes must have holes that are between 2 and 3 inches wide. The holes should allow easy access to the bait. Place the boxes near where the ground squirrel burrow holes are.
Step 5. Check the traps every evening. Ground squirrels are diurnal, meaning they are active during daylight hours. Checking the traps in the evening assures that any catches can be removed before the next day of trapping. If you can, check them more frequently.
Use protective gloves when handling traps and carcasses. Wildlife can carry diseases and disease carrying organisms like fleas and ticks. Use caution. Wash hands after handling equipment (after you have taken your gloves off).

Bottom line. Follow these simple steps and you will obtain poison free control of thirteen-lined ground squirrels.

Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC (WCC) has not received any financial incentives to mention brand-name products in this blog post.

June 10, 2019 by Stephen M. Vantassel

Biology of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels

Thirteen-lined squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus formerly Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) are small ground squirrels found in well-drained grasslands. They derive their name from the thirteen stripes on the length of their body. These stripes alternative between light and dark and some are spotted. They are rather small only 7-12.5 inches long (nose to tip to tail).
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels can be found in grasslands occurring between Ohio and Montana and Alberta and Texas. In other words, what used to be known as the Great Plains. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels prefer short-grass as tall grass prevents their ability to see oncoming predators.

Thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) Photo: PD Author/Wikimedia.

Like other ground squirrels, thirteen-lined ground squirrels hibernate for periods longer than they are active. Emergence from hibernation varies by latitude and elevation. For example, Colorado thirteen-lined ground squirrels emerge from hibernation between April 1 and April 15. Ground squirrels begin hibernation as sunlight begins to diminish. Males usually enter first in July, followed by females in July-August and young in September. These timings likely are due to the greater need for females and young of year to pack on fat lost due to raising young (females) and need for extra time (young of the year). As a rule, males emerge from hibernation before females and mating occurs quickly. Males do not assist in raising young.

The diet of thirteen-lined ground squirrels consists primarily of seeds. In fact, the term “Spermophilus” which was the genus of their former scientific name means seed lover. Ground squirrels can cause localized damage to crop growers as they pluck the seeds from the ground following planting. But thirteen-lined ground squirrels also have a taste for protein. They are significant predators of insects, such as grasshoppers and the butterfly larvae. In fact, researchers believe that ground squirrel feeding on insects actually compensates the farmers for losses in seeds. But ground squirrels have also been known to eat bird eggs, small birds and chickens, and even snakes. So, while ground squirrels are identified as vegetarian, they are not pure vegan.

Most people hate thirteen-lined ground squirrels because of the holes they make in their lawns. In fact, out of 65 burrows, ground squirrels can have 100 holes. Yet of those burrows, only 22% actually extend below the frostline to a den. The rest of the burrows are hideaways that thirteen-lined ground squirrels use to escape predators and other dangers.

Hopefully this information will help appreciate this important animal in our landscape. If you live in their range, look for them on bright, sunny days when the wind is lower than 15 mph and the temperature is above 50 degrees F. Information on control will wait for another blog, but if you need it sooner, visit https://www.academia.edu/20176531/Thirteen-lined_Ground_Squirrel_Controlling_Damage

Source: Streubel, Donald P. and Fitzgerald, James P. 1978. Spermophilus tridecelineatus. Mammalian Species 103(Sept):1-5.

To learn more about Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels pick up a copy of

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Bat Trapping

Problems with Bat Trapping

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Types of Attractants

Types of Attractants Explained

Use Attractants in Combination

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Trapping Skunks Part 1

Before You Begin Trapping Skunks

Bottom Line

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Poison Free Control of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels

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Biology of Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels

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