Monday, September 24, 2007

Raccoons

People do not normally spend much time thinking about their garbage. They put it out on the sidewalk, sometimes the night before, and think nothing of it again. That is, until they wake up the next morning to see garbage all over their lawn and the street. The culprit? Almost always, a raccoon. This, along with being hand-fed by well-meaning humans, results in the raccoon wanting to move from their forest homes in the trees closer to its food source—your house.

Raccoons normally find their way in through the attic, either through a hole or by chewing their way in. They are exceedingly dangerous to have in the house for various reasons. They are host to fleas, ticks, mites, and lice, which can easily jump to children or household pets. In addition, they are commonly infected by a roundworm parasite, the eggs of which are released in the raccoon’s feces. If anyone, especially a child or animal, touches the feces or anything soiled by it, they run a high risk of being infected with roundworm and becoming a host themselves.

Besides parasites and roundworm, raccoons are known to carry canine distemper, rabies, coccidiosis (an intestinal disease), upper respiratory diseases, and mange (skin disease caused by parasitic mites). While it may be tempting to try to get rid of the raccoon yourself, it is safer to hire a professional trapper with the equipment and expertise to remove and relocate the raccoon. In the case of Nuisance Wildlife Relocation, we will, in addition to removing the animal, work with your insurance company to completely restore and clean up your attic and any other damages caused to your home, leaving it as if the raccoon was never there.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Bat Season Approaches

Florida is home to at least thirteen residential species of bats. They are an amazing animal—the only mammals who can fly! Their wings are very similar to a human hand, with joints that can close and grip. They sleep upside down by wrapping their talons around a branch or other surface. They exert little to no effort doing this, because gravity keeps their talons closed.

They have many useful qualities that humans may overlook. A nocturnal animal, bats will eat hundreds of insects in one night. If bats are living on your property they could greatly reduce the amount of mosquitoes and other bothersome insects. The way that they find insects and other sources of food is quite unique. They use an intriguing navigational system called echolocation. When they make a noise, the sound wave goes out and bounces back from the first object it comes across. The direction of the returning sound wave indicates where an object (such as an insect) is and how big it is.

Another useful aspect of bats is their feces (called guano). Guano has an abundant amount of nitrogen, making it a wonderful fertilizer. Certain enzymes can be extracted from bat guano and used in laundry detergent and other cleaning products.

Bats contribute greatly to the environment, and it is important for them to have a place to live. They normally live in trees or caves, but sometimes they become comfortable under the eaves of a persons house, or even inside the house. It is dangerous for bats to live inside the house for a couple of important reasons.

The first reason is that bats can carry rabies. Though uncommon, it is a possibility, and if a rabid bat were to become frightened and bite someone, the person could contract rabies. A rabid bat is usually indicated by heightened aggression and daytime activity. If a bat is easily approachable, that is also an indicator of rabies. Bats should not be handled.

The second reason is that if bat guano collects in the house, a person could contract Histoplasmosis. Inhaling the spores of this fungus can cause serious respiratory problems that could be fatal. The best and most humane way to rid bats from your home and put them back into the wild is by exclusion. Nuisance Wildlife Relocation will do a thorough search of the home for any holes or openings where a bat could get through. A one-way bat door will be placed at every opening so that the bat can get out, but not back in. When dusk hits, the bats will fly outside to hunt, and be unable to return. Once all of the bats have left the structure, all openings will be permanently sealed to prevent any further entry.

This method is completely humane and no bats are ever harmed during this process. This company prides itself on treating animals with the respect they deserve. If a bat is found inside, Nuisance Wildlife Relocation is available to solve the problem.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Feral Hogs

When Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida from Spain in 1513, he became famous for many things. He led the first voyage to Florida, and he was known for founding the legend of the Fountain of Youth. In addition to these, theories say that Florida’s feral hogs are descendants of the swine aboard Ponce de Leon’s ships.

Now, over four centuries later, the descendants of those swine are one of the most prevalent creatures living in the wild here in Florida. A large boar hog can weigh over 250 pounds, though most hogs weigh in around 150 pounds. A boar is identified by two long tusks in his lower jaw. The sows (females) do not have the same long tusks. If hunted, the sow is often used for meat.Florida’s population of feral hogs is second only to the state of Texas. Last year over 500,000 hogs roamed the wild in Florida. They live in a variety of habitats from everglades to hills. Employees here at nuisance wildlife have even seen them rooting the grasses on the medians in Lakewood Ranch. There are numerous problems associated with the vast population of feral hogs. They are a nuisance to farm owners, rooting pastures, sod, and crops for food.

In addition, they carry over forty-five different diseases. Thirty-seven of these are parasites, seven are bacteria, and one is a virus. Eight of the parasites can infect humans, along with all four species of ticks that may live on a hog.

One uncommon but nonetheless important danger to consider concerning the population of hogs is the possibility of vehicle accidents. As previously stated, feral hogs have been seen in the medians of streets. According to the Herald Tribune, a man was killed in 2006 when a hog darted in front of his motorcycle and the man spun out of control. It is likely that this is not the first and will not be the last incident concerning feral hogs out of their natural habitats.

Nuisance Wildlife Relocation will relocate these hogs using a live box trap made of strong metal. Nuisance Wildlife Relocation uses traps made by local business R & N Welding. The dangers of feral hogs on commercial and residential properties are vast, and Nuisance Wildlife Relocation is trained and prepared to help.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Roof Rats

Have you ever heard scurrying in your walls? Ever gone up to the attic in December to find a nest of rats living in your wrapping paper box? How about opening up your pantry to find droppings, or finding the fruit on your tree hollowed out?

You are not alone. Many people have had this problem, specifically with Roof Rats. They are the most common and disease-ridden pests in the state of Florida. Their long, scaly, black tails and their sleek body identify them.

They usually only come out at night, at the time of year when fruit begins to ripen. Along with fruit, Roof Rats consume anything from dog food to your own pantry items, and can chew their way into your house through soffits, hollow walls, insulation, wires, pipes, and any holes that may exist.

Along with destroying your home, Roof Rats are host to a plethora of diseases. If a rat bites a person, they could contract Rat Bite Fever, which shows symptoms of the flu, and could be fatal. Hantavirus is contracted by stirring up the urine and droppings of a rat, resulting in fever, body aches, chills, and stomach problems. If the urine enters a minor cut, a person could contract Weil’s Disease, resulting in fever and kidney failure. Rats are also known to carry lime disease, which is contracted by tick bites, causing skin lesions, fever, and headaches.

Roof Rats can produce a litter once or twice a month, with about eight to nine pups each time. Roof Rats are abundant and the problems associated with them are serious, and that is why Nuisance Wildlife Relocation is here to help you.

The method of rodenticide is not usually the safest way to deal with this problem, considering the danger of rats dying in the walls. At Nuisance Wildlife Relocation, we first provide an exclusion inspection. We will completely inspect the interior and exterior of the structure, followed by a full estimate with an explanation of the conditions of the problem. All openings will then be sealed to prevent any further rodent infestations. Traps are set, and the rodents are removed leaving you with a rat-free, disease-free, and odor-free home.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Exciting News

Wow I am so excited today we will have our first issure of our company newsletter going out electronicly. We have been having the newsletter printed and mailed out but know it will arrive in the in-boxes of peoples email. We will continue with hard copies to give to customers and people that request them. This is just one more way that Nuisance Wildlife Relocation Inc. is moving forward with new techoniges and a greener approuch to our enviroment.

Please check out our new Bat Control and Attic Restoration websites.

Until next time. Have fun and recpect the wildlife.