All posts in “squirrels”

Squirrels

Squirrels

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Squirrels

Sometimes squirrels, wildlife, animals and critters can just be to much. They can encroach on your home because of construction in the area or because they were chased out of somewhere else. Sometimes it really isn’t their fault, they just don’t have other options.

In this case a squirrel has decided to borrow under a shed and then continue under some synthetic grass. The problem is that creates unsightly holes and burrow runs. It can also creates holes not easily seen and children and older folks might fall and break something. The unfortunate problem is that the squirrel has to go, normally this isn’t an issue. But in case the homeowner tried many techniques and now the critter is gun shy. Traps, bait etc won’t work, they just will not fall for the simple stuff any longer. Rodents especially rats are neophobic, they don’t care for change and will avoid new things.  Mice on the other side are curious and will investigate new things in their environment.

Rodents and snakes

Remember also that rodents including squirrels are the prey of snakes, so the more rodents, ground squirrels may mean more snakes. Squirrels are warm blooded and they carry ticks and other parasites, and don’t hand feed them. I’ve seen many a place that had them removed because someone was careless. Remember the word, WILDLIFE! I’m still amazed when I see a story from Yellowstone about somebody getting close to a Bison.  Montezuma’s Castle off I-17 had squirrels until someone fed them peanuts and the squirrel got a little to close. A finger got in the way and now all the squirrels have been moved. Unfortunate for all of us.

Gophers

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Gophers

Gophers and the movie Caddy Shack, see link below. One of my all time favorite comedy hits. I still laugh every time that Gopher dances and makes fun of the landscaper. Now that I do rodent control, it isn’t a laughing matter anymore. These varmints eat roots and new shoots and can be quire destructive. So it is important to keep them at bay and stop them from damaging your lawn and plants. Rats and rodents in general continue to grow their teeth and need a way to keep them useable and sharp. They will gnaw on wires, pool equipment and even your vehicle wiring. That by the way can cost a fortune. We are running an special – give us a call at 602-249-7378 and yes we can gas them out. They won’t go away on their own.

Check out our new machine, the BurrowRx. 

Bill Murray and CaddyShack   Gophers

News from the Grand Canyon

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“Monthly plague monitoring to start at Grand Canyon”

 

So why would I post something like this? Several years ago I was visiting Montezuma’s Castle off I-17 north of Phoenix when I observed  people hand feeding some squirrels and I just was amazed. Then not a month later i heard about a bite that occurred and of course who paid the price, the squirrels.

They came in and trapped and relocated every single squirrel. Don’t feed the wildlife. Check out the article on other ways to stay away from possible issues , including prevention tips for pets.

Rats and their gnawing dilema

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Rodents in general need to work down their teeth and this is often done on materials harder than their teeth. Every once in awhile I’ll notice some wiring on pool equipment that looks like it has been chewed on. This last month in Paris, France this habit took on dangerous overtones when a train accident occurred. Rats nibbled on signalling cables and this prevented a light to function correctly. “Rats blamed for rail accident“, luckily no one was killed but 40 people were injured.

 

Photo by Univar

Photo by Univar

Tips for preventing pests at Christmas time.

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I’m not talking about uninvited people showing up at Christmas time and/or those over staying their welcome. Let’s talk about bringing in Christmas trees and the creatures we may be bringing in as well.

  1. Always check your Christmas tree for things like squirrels, remember the “Christmas Vacation” movie (I really love that movie) hilarious.
  2. Use caution when bringing things down from the attic, go through and make sure there are no rodents, bats or wildlife living in the boxes.
  3. While you are in the attic, do a little inspection – check for termites (mud or dirt and damaged wood), do you see feces from rodents or bird nests.
  4. Use caution when putting up Christmas decorations outside, you might disturb wildlife and you may accidentally fall.
  5. Use caution putting decorations into trees or bushes, critters may live there.

pinetree

What is wildlife control?

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Most of us enjoy the occasional wildlife that we encounter but without some form or measure of keeping them at bay, we might have a bad encounter. You see the shows on TV where someone decides to take a picture of some creature and the creature feels threatened and attacks. It is never by the way that lone little bird, it is the Grizzly Bear that people want the picture of. Bears can run fast so unless you have a friend with you, that bear will catch your but and eat you. That therein lies the problem – they are animals and wild creatures.

I had a friend whose family raised a raccoon and this raccoon was still wild and got into trouble frequently. I’m reminded of this as we encounter wildlife in our day to day work. It is impossible to know for sure but these animals don’t know the difference between your home and a tree. It also becomes a problem when we feed them, then they become accustomed to handouts. One of my favorite little spots to visit is Monetzuma’s Castle and they used to have squirrels until one day when a squirrel bit the hand that was feeding it.The squirrel just sees the food and if isn’t given the food in a manner that it is used to it lashes out and bites.

skunktrap

This also applies to letting a wild animal live in your home or shed, birds and other wildlife carry parasites and once the animal is gone where are the bugs going to go? Wild animals also carry fleas and ticks and the same applies, they will seek out a new food source and that could be you. So don’t allow animals to live in your attic, if you hear something it is time to investigate.

 

Ouch, can this happen at your home or business?

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ratburnt1

A friend of mine on FaceBook – Ernesto Luis Verbauwen posted this picture the other day and I just had to repost it on my home seal – so thanks to Ernesto.  Ernesto works at Fumigaciones San Lorenzo in Concoria, Entre Rios.

I just really love the fact that as pest control operators we can all get along and share useful tips and facts to help one another.

Which according to my research Bogata, Colombia. Bogotá formally Bogotá, Capital District, from 1991 to 2000 called Santafé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent capital district

In “Rodents will gnaw on anything, what happens if its your home“, we looked at 20% of homes in US possibly the number of fires by rodents. Scary, I think so! What if it were your home or business. Some wildlife outside is OK, but I would say none inside. So home-seal and keep them out and hey if you’re in Concoria give my friend a call, I’m sure he will treat you right.

It’s not always about the Scorpions, how about visiting Arizona? South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

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South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

probestpestDSC09960
At more than 16,000 acres, South Mountain Park/Preserve is the largest municipal park in the country, according to the Trust for Public Land. It boasts 51 miles of primary trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking for all ability levels. The history of South Mountain Park/Preserve as a city park dates back to 1924. Prominent local citizens, with the help of Sen. Carl Hayden, bought 13,000 acres from the federal government for $17,000. In 1935 the National Park Service developed a master plan for the park with riding and hiking trails, picnic areas and overlooks, all in rustic regional character. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built many of the facilities in the park, based on this master plan.

One of my favorite things to do when I have guests coming into town is to pick them up from Sky Harbor airport and have lunch at the top of South Mountain. Lizards a plenty and sometimes tarantula’s and if your really lucky maybe some wildlife including ground squirrels.

Is there Lyme Disease in Arizona? YES!

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According to CDC surveillance statistics, only 52 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Arizona in the past 10 years. These statistics may be misleading. Reported cases reflect the “tip of the iceberg,” or only a fraction of the true cases. The CDC states there are approximately 30,000 reported cases of Lyme in the US, and acknowledges that it is under-reported by 10 fold.  This means that there are a minimum of 200,000 cases in the US that meet the CDC standard of diagnosis.

There are over 25 species of ticks in Arizona that may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Tularemia, Babesia and tick fever, as well as Lyme disease. If the tick that bites you is infected, it can inject Lyme bacteria into your bloodstream within hours of attachment. The bacteria can  also invade your brain and nervous system in less than 24 hours.

There is a Arizona Lyme Disease Association and is there an answer – YES. As with any wildlife issue, there will almost always be a bug problem. Wildlife can be cute and can also carry diseases and parasites. So why not prevent the issue without harming the wildlife. How is this possible you say? Brochure Tick Control

Mouse

The mice or ground squirrels enter the box, feed on the non-toxic food and get a combing of fipronil on their fur. They can then carry this back to nest-mates and it absorbs into their skin, killing ticks or fleas that bite and suck their blood.

Here is another article “Lyme Disease in the U.S. is 10-times underreported.”

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