Predator and Critter Prevention
Weeds, and Animals, including bugs, reptiles, and rodents all have certain types of habitats they prefer. Most of the time, that does not include places that are frequented by human beings, unless one of two things happens:
- We move into the territory that they occupy, and occupy it ourselves, thereby displacing them.
- We do something that attracts them to our territory.
In reality, it is always both of these things. They had the area first, we moved in, they, for the most part, move away, until we do something to invite them back.
How do we invite them back?
The invitation is usually in the form of offering them something that they really like, such as food, water, or shelter. The same basic things that human critters like.
- In the case of predatory animals like wolves, or coyotes, it may be a pet like little Fluffy, or some pet rabbits we keep. More than likely though, it is trash. They can smell last nights meatloaf or pork roast leftovers that were tossed into the trash can. They may not be able to reach the food, but they will prowl around and cause nervousness, hoping for an opportunity.
Suggestions: Freeze the leftovers, until the morning of trash pickup, or the night before. Double bag, and tightly seal both bags before putting it outdoors, sometimes squirting a little ammonia into the bag before sealing will help as well.
- In the case of Possums and Raccoons, the same truths about the trash apply. They may smell something they like and the little bandits could try to get it. In most cases that is not what they are after. They don’t want to eat Fluffy either, but they do want Fluffy’s food! Most of the cases of invasion by these critters, is for a nice meal of dog or cat food!
Suggestions: To avoid this problem, feed your pets only the amount they will eat at a given time. If you leave a two day serving for Fluffy or Fido, they may have visitors for dinner.
- Armadillos. Armadillos are omnivores, but by far, the favorite food for the Armadillo, is the white Grub. The Grub is the larvae stage of the June bug.
Suggestions: To get rid of the Armadillos, all you have to do is get rid of the Grubs. To get rid of the Grubs, you need to get rid of the June bugs, to get rid of the June bugs, you need to get rid of your outdoor lighting. Now, we all know, that we can’t get rid of outdoor lighting, but, we can change the type of lighting we use. Some types of light, like the incandescent light bulbs attract all manner of flying bugs, even with these, simply buying yellow ones for outdoor use, will discourage most bugs. Most other forms of outdoor lighting have similar options. In some cases, simply re orienting the light’s focus will do the same thing.
- Moles. See Armadillos. They are there for the same reason.
- Rats and field mice. If you have these in your home, you should check all your weather-stripping, door to floor sweeps, dryer vents, the sealant around all outdoor openings such as plumbing, electrical, and communications lines. That is how they are getting inside. A field mouse can get through a hole 1 quarter of an inch wide. A rat, can do it with on half of an inch. We are talking about holes the size of a regular pencil! For outdoor rodent populations the same things that have been mentioned so far, plus this: Rodents love heavy cover like brushy weedy areas. This attracts bugs which live off the weeds. This encourages the mice and rats that eat the weed seeds and the bugs as well. During the approach of very hot dry times, or very cold wet times, they look for better cover, like under your kitchen sink, or other places near the cover of your home.
Suggestions: Clear, the brushy weedy areas surrounding your property. We are not talking about natural wooded areas, we are talking about cleared territory that is allowed to grow back into high grass and weeds, and low growing shrubby brush.
- Snakes. See rodents above. snakes like rodents, rodents like bugs and weeds, therefore, snakes like bugs and weeds as well.
- Skunks. See Armadillos above.
