Managing Wildlife Encounters in Massachusetts Homes

Massachusetts is home to a diverse range of native flora and fauna. While this can make for an engaging and exciting glimpse into the natural world, it can also become a problem when animals start to call your home theirs.

Animals just passing through your yard typically do not cause issues, but if you are frequently encountering native wildlife near (or even in) your home, it is time to take action. Animal control in New Bedford is a sensitive task that is best left to the professionals, not only due to safety concerns, but to ensure the problem is fully resolved.

Here’s how to navigate the delicate balance between urban living and wildlife preservation in MA by learning effective strategies for peacefully managing wildlife encounters at home.

What to Do If You Encounter Wildlife on Your Property

First and foremost, never approach a wild animal or attempt to touch, capture, or shoo it away. Any type of mammal can have rabies, even if it does not exhibit the classic signs of the disease. In addition, rabies is just one of dozens of potential sicknesses that animals can carry and transmit to humans or their pets.

If you encounter wildlife on your property, the best thing to do is to call a professional as soon as possible. Take pictures from a safe location if you can because it will assist the expert in identifying the animal and creating a plan of action for its removal should it leave before they arrive.

Each type of animal requires unique removal methods; here’s what to expect based on which visitor is causing you trouble.

Coyotes

Coyotes resemble small dogs, and many people do not realize they have coyotes on their property until they see dog footprints or hear howling. However, these animals are nothing like your pet canine, and they must be handled with extreme caution.

Do not leave your pets outside unattended; a coyote can carry animals weighing 25 pounds without issue and can even leap over six-foot fences with heavy prey in their mouths.

Coyotes eat whenever there is an opportunity, including from your garbage can. Secure your trash in a can with a lid, or store it inside a building such as a garage until trash pickup day. If you have a grill, clean it well to reduce appetizing smells.

Skunks

Many people mistake skunks for cats when they see a furry black and white animal disappear beneath decks or into bushes. Skunks are notorious for their smell, which can be difficult to clean if people or animals are sprayed.

More importantly, skunks are known to destroy home insulation and can carry tularemia, which can develop into a life-threatening infection in humans. In addition to capturing the animal, skunk removal will help deodorize the area and eliminate entry points so that these nocturnal animals stop visiting. A homeowner can trim bushes to reduce optimal hiding places for skunks.

Squirrels

Squirrels are agile animals that can fit into deceptively small spaces — including a home’s attic, where they may chew wires and destroy insulation.

Once a squirrel has found an access point, it can be difficult to stop infiltration, as other squirrels will often come to take their place if one has been captured. Prevention begins with identifying entry points, sealing them, and reducing the habitability of your landscape to discourage squirrels from hanging around.

Bats

Bats pose a particular challenge for homeowners, as their bite can be so minor that it does not cause pain — and thus, an individual does not know they have been exposed to rabies. It is illegal to kill bats in Massachusetts, so this pest is best left to the professionals.

Sealing entry points or even providing a more suitable home away from your main structure can eliminate your bat problem, and professionals can assist in cleaning up the toxic waste that bats leave behind. If you have been in the same room as a bat, the CDC recommends getting rabies vaccines immediately, even if you do not believe you have been bitten.

Raccoons

Raccoons are frequent carriers of disease, from Leptospirosis to Giardia and roundworm. However, homeowners should leave these animals to the experts, as proper licensing is required to trap raccoons in MA.

These animals should be dealt with quickly, as they can destroy your home’s siding and roof shingles. Raccoon guards can be installed on vulnerable entry points of your home, and as with coyotes and other pests, keeping your trash inaccessible is a good first step.

Keep Your Home Safe from Intrusive Animals

If you are facing natural fauna invading your property, it is best to take action as soon as possible. Otherwise, they may breed and begin establishing a family in locations that they deem safe around your property.

The experts at Spartan Animal & Pest Control can assist with a wide range of animals that may be causing you trouble by removing the culprit and preventing their return. Contact Spartan to schedule an appointment.