Here is a brief video I did for Lorman providing some tips on wildlife damage inspection. I do have one typo in the piece. When I discuss the flashlight, it should be 800 lumens not 80,000. Oops. Enjoy.
Stephen M. Vantassel
Wildlife Damage Causes of House Fires?
Can Wildlife in the Home Lead to Fires?
I received a question once regarding the causes of house fires. The person claimed to quote, Billy the Exterminator who allegedly said, “1/3 of all house fires are caused by wildlife. ”
I responded with a “Wow!” That is quite a claim. I don’t know if Billy said this or not. But let’s explore the possible accuracy of the claim.
Do Wildlife Cause a 1/3 of all House Fires?
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5150506_leading-causes-house-fires.html says that cooking causes 36% of all house fires. Well, if that is true than that means there is still room for wildlife to cause a 1/3 of all house fires.
But, farther down on the page, it says that electrical problems are a leading problem. Interestingly it says that people overloading the line is the cause. Now here is the challenge.
Electrical Caused Fires Doesn’t Really Tell Us Anything
What is the real cause of the fire? Overloaded lines or the rodent gnawing (assuming the rodent actually damaged it) or both? The problem is how would we ever know? It is very likely that fire destroyed the evidence of rodent presence as the insulation of the wire would be burned away. Plus the heat might melt the wire removing any sign of gnawing.
A more reliable source on the causes of house fires consult the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Fire-Prevention/fires-factsheet.html
Bottom line
I don’t know if Billy made this claim or not. But without more evidence, I have serious doubts that wildlife causes a 1/3 of all U.S. house fires no matter who claimed it reality.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator. He is available for lectures, workshops, and legal testimony on wildlife damage related topics.
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Hantavirus infection is a serious disease contracted from inhaling or coming into physical contact with droppings and rodents contaminated with the virus. With a 30% death rate for those infected, it is scary enough to warrant caution.
Don’t be Paranoid Get Educated
The challenge in getting information on zoonotic diseases is to find information that is both accurate and readable. Thankfully, the good people at the Centers for Disease Control have created a booklet on the subject.
Download your pdf at http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/pdf/HPS_Brochure.pdf . You will be glad you did.
About the Author
Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional and is available for consultation, writing, research, and public speaking about wildlife damage management issues and the dangers of the animal rights protest industry.
14th Wildlife Damage Management Workshop Call for Abstracts
14th Wildlife Damage Management Conference
April 18-21, 2011
Lied Lodge & Conference Center
Nebraska City, NE
http://www.liedlodge.org
| Sponsored by the Wildlife Damage Management Working Group of the Wildlife Society |
Invitation to Attend and Participate
Please let us extend to you a cordial invitation to attend and participate in the 14th Wildlife Damage Management Conference in beautiful Nebraska City, NE.
This conference, now guided by The Wildlife Society, is the descendant of the former Great Plains Wildlife Damage Control Workshop (1973) and the Eastern Wildlife Damage Management Conference (1983) and will be held in the spring of odd-numbered years.
Who Should Attend?
In the past, conference participants have varied greatly in both experiences and professions. Different as they may seem, they all are brought together for a common goal of finding solutions to human-wildlife conflicts.
Past participants have included….
Animal Control Personnel
Extension Specialists and Agents
Natural Resource Managers
Public Health Biologists
Researchers
State and Federal Wildlife Mangers
Structural Pest Control Operators
Students
Wildlife Control Operators
Topic sessions will include the following subjects…
- Human Dimensions of Wildlife Damage Management
- Feral Swine
- Large Carnivores
- Wildlife Diseases
- Invasive Diseases
- Bird Airstrikes
- Urban Coyotes
The Wildlife Society is also offering certification credits for attendees, and many techniques and research results will be presented.
Call for Abstracts
We hope to have a record-setting WDM Conference this year, but we need your help!
Manuscripts or posters are not limited to the subjects listed above. Other submissions on contemporary wildlife damage management topics will be gladly accepted and reviewed also.
Abstract Guidelines
On a single page, submit a presentation title, author’s name(s), and affiliation(s) followed by a single-paragraph Abstract/Summary . Following the abstract, identify the contact person by name, mailing address, telephone, and email address. Please indicate if this is a student presentation. Your presentation may describe work currently in progress.
Format the page as follows:
- Software: MS Word
- Margins: 1” all around
- Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
- Spacing: Single
- Justification: Left
- Word Limit: 300
Please email your submission to the address below as an attachment to an email message. The subject line should read, “2011 WDM Abstract.”
Email Abstract to:
Robert Pierce
Univ. of Missouri
Phone (573) 882-4337
PierceR@missouri.edu
You will be asked to submit a manuscript for the Conference Proceedings, and your presentation should not have been published elsewhere.
Poster Presentations
Poster presentations are encouraged, particularly from graduate and undergraduate students. If you wish to submit a poster for the Conference, please submit an Abstract/Summary as indicated previously and request the guidelines for poster preparation.
A limited number of scholarships will be available for students and agency employees.
For details contact:
Scott Hygnstrom Shygnstrom1@unl.edu
Commercial Exhibits
Space will be available at the Conference site for the exhibition of commercial producs and services. If you are a potential exhibitor and wish for more information, contact:
Stephen Vantassel
Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln
414 Hardin Hall
Lincoln, NE 68583-0974
phone: 402-472-8961
svantassel2@unl.edu
Field Trip
We’ll be taking an all-day field trip to the Offutt Air Force Base, Fontenelle Forest & Henry Doorly Zoo to see and discuss issues of wildlife damage management on Monday the 18th. Limit 50.
Registration Deadline Date April 3, 2011: A background check will be required. Contact shygnstrom1@unl.edu for details.
Conference Schedule
Monday: April 18, 2011
Morning: Field Trip
Evening: Welcome Reception
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Morning: Opening Plenary Session
Afternoon: Special Topics
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Morning: Concurrent Sessions
Afternoon: Urban Coyotes
Evening: Conference Banquet and Speaker
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Urban Coyote Damage Management Workshop
Workshop-Urban Coyote Management
We will host an all-day workshop that addresses hands-on techniques for dealing with urban coyotes, including habitat modification, trapping, shooting, public relations , and the press.
Limit: 40 People.
Contact svantassel2@unl.edu for details.
Important Dates:
Abstracts due February 15, 2011
Paper acceptance notice on or around February 28, 2011
Hotel Registrations due March 28, 2011. Hotel 800-546-5433 “Wildlife Damage Management Working Group.”
Conference registration Deadline April 3, 2011.
Conference Registration Online 402-472-3471 MC/Visa accepted.
Student and one-day registrations available.
ADDITIONAL INFO
For more information visit our website. Registration details will be available soon.
http://wildlifedamagegroup.unl.edu/meetings.html