Skunks, raccoons, woodchucks, and opossums are just a few of the animals that are collectively referred to as “nuisance wildlife” when they decide to live too close to people. As more and more of us move into semi-rural, previously undeveloped areas, we are moving into the territory of these wild animals. At the same time, we are providing them with new, attractive food sources (pet food, bird seed, garden crops, garbage) and new places to shelter and nest (under decks or porches, in sheds, or even in our homes in attics, crawl spaces, and garages). From the animal’s viewpoint, what’s not to like!
Not all wild animals that end up on your property become a nuisance. For most people, wild animals cross the line to pest status when they destroy property (buildings, crops, gardens), or are threatening to the safety of people or pets (bites, scratches, spreading disease or parasites). The four animals pictured are most likely to become residential nuisances because they quickly adapt to the presence of people, they are not easily scared away, and their opportunistic diets allow them to feed on various food items found around our homes and yards.
Compared to some other nuisance wildlife, the striped skunk is a fairly quiet visitor. It rarely tries to nest inside houses, but will readily den under porches or decks, in barns, sheds, or garages. Although skunks are mild-mannered and generally mind their own business, we all know what happens when they are confronted. They can spray that nasty defensive odor – up to 15 feet away! Skunks eat mostly insects and grubs and can cause considerable damage to a lawn while digging for food. Infected skunks can transmit rabies or distemper – another reason to keep your distance.
The raccoon is probably the most common intruder into residential yards. This masked marauder is best known for its relentless efforts to get into garbage cans. Besides human garbage, raccoons feed on many different foods that can be supplied by a residential yard including garden crops, fruit, berries, bird seed, pet food, insects, acorns, and nuts. Raccoon removal is crucial for maintaining your home and your sanity! Raccoons can cause significant damage trying to get into buildings leaving black smudges on walls or downspouts, bent gutters, holes in siding, boards torn off, and damaged soffits and louvers. Chimneys are a favorite nest site for raccoons. Young raccoons are quite noisy; their chitters can be easily heard in a house and are often mistaken for the sounds of birds.
The opossum (or possum) is active mostly at night year round. It will feed on many different types of foods and is usually seen raiding gardens, chicken coops, bird feeders, or getting into pet food or garbage. Opossums sometimes den in garages or attics, making quite a smelly mess. They can growl, hiss or screech aggressively when threatened. They are North America’s only marsupial and carry and nurse their young in an abdominal “pouch.”
The woodchuck (or groundhog) is a burly, lumbering animal with somewhat different habits than the other three invaders. It is strictly a vegetarian, to the dismay of many gardeners. It will forage for and feed on almost anything green, from grass and weeds to lettuce and phlox. Woodchucks will even climb fruit trees to get to fruit. They also do a lot of gnawing on shrubs, fruit trees, decks, and outdoor furniture. Fortunately, woodchucks are solitary. Their large ground burrows are often found under shrubs, under wood piles or brush piles, under sheds, decks, porches, or in crawlspaces. Woodchucks are most active in the early morning and evening.
Raccoon removal
If you have raccoons or other nuisance wildlife, an experienced raccoon removal and control can help you get your house back. Excluding the animal is just as important as removing the animal. If openings are not sealed, your four-legged pest (or part of his family) will likely move back in to the same area. Colonial wildlife specialists will thoroughly inspect your home and property to determine where and how animals are getting inside or where they are denning on your property. Our exclusion program involves finding, repairing, and sealing all openings that could be used by the animal to get into your house. We can also advise you on steps you can take to make your property less attractive to nuisance wildlife.
Controlling nuisance wildlife is considered specialty pest management. Not every raccoon control company is qualified to do the job, but we are! Colonial is fully certified and licensed by the states of MA & NH to perform Nuisance Wildlife Removal & Exclusion. Our technicians have special training and certification, and follow all federal and local regulations regarding the humane treatment and protection of wildlife. Call us to remove your nuisance wildlife; you’ll be glad you did!
We are fully Certified & Licensed by the States of MA & NH to perform Humane – Wildlife Removal & Exclusion
Read more about raccoon removal on our blog
- Raccoons Can Cause Some Serious Damage
- Keeping Raccoons Out of Your Garbage Cans
- Raccoons Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
- Noises in the Wall
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