Wildlife Control Consultant, LLC

You are here: Home / Archives for Stephen M. Vantassel

by

Painting Cage Traps

Have you ever thought of painting cage traps? If you answered, “No.” or if you are thinking, “Why would I want to expend the effort of painting cage traps.” Then let me provide a few reasons why you should consider painting your traps.

Reasons for Painting Cage Traps

  1. Painting helps preserve the traps against rust and decay. You probably already thought of this reason.
  2. Painting helps protect the trap against theft and trap molestation. The fact is lots of people hate trappers and trapping. A portion of the anti-trapping community will take the extra effort and steal the trap. Some will simply molest the trap by knocking it closed, (so it won’t catch anything and thus waste your time) or they will release an animal that happens to be trapped (and thus break the law and waste your time). Of course, you must use the right paint. I like to use flat black paint. Flat black paint lacks a shiny sheen so it doesn’t catch one’s attention as easily as a bright shiny metal trap can. If you set your traps in the shade, and you should, painting a cage trap with flat black paint, will go a long way in helping to hide the trap.
  3. Painting helps the trap’s capture rate. Okay, I can’t prove this. But I think that a dark trap that lacks the shininess of an unpainted trap will allow the animal to focus on your bait and lure. A shiny trap may distract or even frighten the animal. Perhaps it will remind them of the time they were captured in the homeowner’s unpainted trap and thus avoid it. I think you get the point.

Another tip is in the video. I hope you watch it and subscribe to my channel and to my podcast with Pest Geek.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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.

by

Trail Cam Stand On Steroids

Trail Cam Stand

Have you ever used a trail cam stand? Have you ever struggled with finding the right stand for your trail cam? If your answer is, “No.” Then it is likely that you have only used your trail cam in a natural setting. In urban settings, a trail cam stand is an essential item because you can’t simply be drilling holes into your client’s home or shed. Likewise, you must be careful in pushing rods into the ground as you may puncture a sprinkler system or subterranean line that you didn’t know was there.

Trail Camera Stand
Trail Cam Stand on Steroids.
The trail cam stand discussed in the video has several key features. First, it can actually stand on its’ own. You don’t need to push it into the ground or screw it into a tree or wall. Second, it has screw tight grips so it can be squeezed onto a stud or rafter to hold it into place without leaving a hole or mark. Third, it has plenty of swivel capability so you can position the trail cam in the position that serves your needs best.

The negative is, this trail cam stand is a bit pricey. I got mine for around $90.00. But if you rely on quality images or video from your camera, this product will help you get the shot you need. More details are in the video below. Please subscribe to the channel.

Tips on Trail Cam Use

 

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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.

by

Bats in my house

Have you ever said, “Are bats in my house?” How can you tell if bats are in your home? Do you have to hire a professional wildlife control operator (WCO) or pest control operator (PCO) to know if your home has bats? Before you spend the money on a professional, consider the following tips to see if you can answer the question on your own. The answer of yes to any of the numbered questions (some questions have two parts) should give you strong reason to suspect that bats are living in your home.

Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
Bat guano can carry the fungus that causes histoplasmosis even in hot dry attics. Photo by Stephen M. Vantassel.
  1. Have you had a bat inside the living portion of your home (the part where you live, sleep, eat etc.)? Has this happened twice in one year or once a year for a couple of  years? If your answer is yes, then you likely have bats living in your home at least for part of the year.
  2. Have you found a bat in the living space of your home during the winter time? If you have answered yes, then you likely have bats living in your home.
  3. Have you noticed dark, rice-sized droppings on a deck, window sill etc. and when you sweep them away they keep reappearing? If you answered yes, then you likely have bats living in your house.

If you have determined that the answer is “yes”, I have bats in my house, then you will need to find a qualified WCO to resolve the issue. To learn how the professional will go about his/her work, read Management of House Bats. In addition, be sure you understand the risks related to rabies if a bat is ever discovered in the living space of your home.

For additional information on inspecting for wildlife, obtain a copy of The Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd ed.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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.

by

The Safest Trap

What is the safest trap? Is there such a thing as the safest trap? Animal rights activists like to insinuate that cage and box traps, mistakenly called “live traps”, are safer than other traps, such as footholds or conibears. But is this true?

First, we have to answer the question, “Safer for whom?” I suspect the animal rights activists are referring to animals and then secondarily to humans. I have discussed animal welfare in my book, Being Kind to Animal Pests 2nd ed., so in this post, I want to focus on the safest trap for humans. In some ways, cage traps are safer than footholds and conibear-style traps for the user. Conibear traps can break fingers or worse depending on the size of the trap and where it strikes. Footholds can pinch fingers, and possibly do more harm depending again on the size and type of the foothold being used.

But I would like to point out that cage traps also have their problems. First, cage trapped wildlife become what is known as an “attractive nuisance.”   An attractive nuisance is a legal term meaning that a condition exists that can lure unsuspecting people, (like children) to danger. Consider how often when people see a trapped raccoon that they feel compelled to approach the trap. Some even feel the need to provide food, water or even take a selfie. All the while, not realizing that raccoons can reach through a cage about 6 inches. What happens when a person or child gets scratched?

Some may respond, “But risks of getting scratched can occur when animals are caught in foothold or conibear style traps.” That is certainly true. But most people using foothold and conibear traps have training and know the potential risks. Everything thinks they know how to use a cage trap.  But I want to point out another issue. Just like risk with traps often depends on size and type, the same is true for cage traps. Consider the Bailey Beaver Live Trap. This suitcase-style trap is used to capture beavers (Castor canadensis). It’s a great trap. When Massachusetts voters banned various traps and their uses in 1996, I was forced to use cage traps to capture beaver. My favorite trap was the Bailey Beaver Live Trap, sold by Tomahawk Live Trap (I have done business with Tomahawk but I am not making any commission discussing this trap). As great as the Bailey trap is, is it the safest trap? Watch the video and answer the question for yourself.

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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.

by

Snake Repellents

Snake repellents are products advertised to keep snakes and similar reptiles out of unwanted areas, such as yards and sheds. Unfortunately, many people have significant phobias concerning snakes and are looking for products that will keep snakes away from their property. This is where snake repellents are to come into play. But do snake repellents actually work? 

Dr. T’s Snake-A-Way Snake Repellent

Dr. T’s Snake Away, EPA Reg # 58630-1, is a well-known snake repellent that uses the petroleum-based chemical naphthalene and sulfur to repel snakes. The fact that the product has an EPA registration number means the product at least showed some efficacy in a study. According to a page on http://pestproducts.com/snakeinfo.htm, Dr. Harvey Lillywhite of Florida showed that the product was effective at a level between 17 and 100% depending on the species. Now that is some incredible data. Unfortunately, I was not able to locate that research. If you know where it can be found please contact me. Another study using snake away is work done by Treadway, Joseph H. Jr.; Dabbert, C. Brad; Mitchell, Robert B.; and Buckley, Byron R. (2012) “Exclosures: An Experimental Technique for Protection of Northern Bobwhite Nests,” National Quail Symposium Proceedings: Vol. 7 , Article 102. Available at: http://trace.tennessee.edu/nqsp/vol7/iss1/102 . These authors used Snake-A-Way as part of a system to protect bobwhite nests from snakes and ants. Enclosed nests had significantly greater success but the authors couldn’t say what element of the enclosure (the screening or Snake Away) accounted for the success. Nor did they do a census to determine how many snakes were present in the area. But is it the whole story? 

Bottle of Snake-A-Way Snake Repellent
Snake-A-Way Snake Repellent contains naphthalene and sulfur and is registered to repel snakes.

Negative Findings on Snake Away

Here are some studies that didn’t find much success with the product and/or active ingredients used in the product. Marsh, R. E. 1993. Test results of a new snake repellent. Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop Proceedings 11:166 tested gopher snakes and some rattlesnakes in a large room. Small snakes did not pass but large ones did. Marsh was not impressed. Note, however, that his study was indoors. So how concentrated and noxious will the repellent be when used in an outdoor location with lots of air available to dilute the odor?

Another negative study was done by Dennis Ferraro (1995. The Efficacy of Naphthalene And Sulfur Repellents to Cause Avoidance Behavior in the Plains Garter Snake. Great Plains Wildlife Damage Management Workshop Proceedings 116-120). His work tested not only Snake Away but also naphthalene crystals (99% pure), sulfur and two controls to see if garter snakes were avoided the materials. He concluded that use of repellents may actually encourage snakes to the area because when young snakes smell chemicals associated with their mother, they believe those smells indicate food.

Bottom Line

Should you use snake repellents? Are snake repellents effective. It appears the data is mixed. Personally, I wouldn’t use it. I would put my energy into therapy for those with snake phobias as well as modifying the landscape to discourage snake presence and/or the food that lures them there. 

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 available at {Stephen’s Academia.edu Page} along with several books {WCC Store}). Listen to his podcast “Living the Wild Life” at {Pest Geek Podcast}. Please subscribe to {Stephen’s YouTube Channel} 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.

Tags

animal rights bait baiting bats birds book review business cage trapping Cage traps canada geese Canis latrans cats coyote coyotes deer disease dogs euthanasia Featured feral cats free-range cats frightening devices house mice inspection Mephitis mephitis mice Nebraska NWCOA pco rabies rodents safety Stephen M. Vantassel toxicants training trapping traps wco wcos wildlife wildlife control wildlife control operator Wildlife control operators wildlife damage management zoonotics
%d bloggers like this: