Most animal lovers are happy to see bunnies, squirrels, chipmunks, and groundhogs, but every now and then, friendly backyard wildlife will make themselves comfortable to the point of destroying a lawn or even damaging the house itself. Extermination can be unnecessarily cruel, and catch-and-release can spread disease or leave babies motherless. So what can youContinue reading “Chili Pepper Pest Control”
Tag Archives: pests
Can I Kill a Snake on My Property in Tennessee?
Snakes— even the scary ones— are vital to the health of our ecosystem, and even to human beings. Fleas and ticks carried by rats are frequent carriers for human diseases such as Lyme disease and even plague. An ecosystem full of snakes has fewer rats, meaning fewer ticks, meaning fewer human infections. Snakes are alsoContinue reading “Can I Kill a Snake on My Property in Tennessee?”
Rabid Animal? Don’t Shoot!
I specialize in rescuing rabies vector species. Among the most frustrating calls, messages, and comments I receive are from people bragging about how they saw a “rabid” animal, and reacted by shooting it in the head. When an animal does have genuinely rabies-like symptoms, it must be euthanized, not just for human safety, but forContinue reading “Rabid Animal? Don’t Shoot!”
Killing Raccoons Creates Bigger Problems
Widespread hunting of raccoons isn’t an effective way to reduce their populations. In some cases, it can actually create a much larger problem, by eliminating the dominant older males in an area, causing it to flood with younger competitors.
Killing Foxes Won’t Save Chickens
Killing a fox to protect your chickens is not only ineffective— it often makes matters worse. Foxes are territorial and will exist in any suitable habitat. When you kill a big, mature, chicken-eating fox, his territory will almost immediately be filled by two or three younger foxes. Even if you kill them too— even ifContinue reading “Killing Foxes Won’t Save Chickens”
Scary Opossums!
Opossums have more teeth than any other land mammal, and when they’re scared, they like to use those scary-looking jaws to make themselves look intimidating. But don’t let this face fool you: opossums are actually very gentle, timid creatures who almost never bite or attack. They’re also naturally resistant (though not 100% immune) to rabies.Continue reading “Scary Opossums!”
Don’t Relocate Raccoons!
In nearly all cases, a raccoon that has gotten too familiar with a human home— hanging out on the deck or moving into the attic, for example— will leave after after the home owners use humane harassment techniques to scare them away. You can try loud music, bright or flashing lights, stomping or clapping, strongContinue reading “Don’t Relocate Raccoons!”
For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue 