Pest Control Tutorial & How-to rid yourself of small animals.

[BrooklynMatty]

I wanted to start a thread that all can add to and maybe even we can keep updating this main post for best methods for controlling Small Pests (Squirrels/Possums/Racoons/etc). Please be advised the terms humane and inhumane are all self-determined, these are just my opinions and others who have contributed to this list, you might agree on things being humane when i think otherwise - dont want to make this thread one about peoples opinions of humane vs inhumane - most of these are from the sites that sell the products and how its advertised..

This is my first full year growing and my biggest complaint are squirrels, if your friends with me you know how much i hate them this year. They have eaten 80% of my figs and i need to get them under control, so i wanted to follow up with things i found in my research and great advice from members here and through the internet. Hopefully this will help people like Fabio and myself: https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...ontrol-perfect

No kill method:

Fig Cage - this method employs building a cage that will prevent critters to get in and out of your trees without harming the ecosystem whatsoever. This requires some DIY experience and possibly uglyfying your yard, but it is almost 100% effective if your using the right materials. Most small critters can eat through plastic netting, so bird netting is out of the question. You need chicken wire - the smaller holes the better!

Here are some great youtube videos for PVC inspired cages, the last one is my favorite as he built removable door sections which is great so you dont have to lift or take the whole cage off when picking. This is most likely what i will build next year across the whole perimeter in my yard (god help me, wife will not be happy). Obviously rectangular shape is best, Rafael has a great one he uses now with fabric that even deters yellowjackets.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzh13XxD9nQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q2tmkVLQXU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTNJTJp1C3A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcvPtdhvNw4 (nice hinge mechanism)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZdQEHDASnk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFixEBRffk8 (wooden cage-might look better than PVC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa-y_rOMbSg (wooden cage-might look better than PVC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBDQ6k-oQJE (great wooden cage with doors)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7i0FcT8yLQ (my favorite for saving money)

Guard dog/cat - this method just warrants having a good outdoor cat or a good hunting dog that can run after and monitor your backyard as much as possible. The only downside is they are not always around and the pests might not conditon well enough. Jack Russels are the best dogs for squirrels as they were originally bred to hunt small game (thanks scott)

Motion Sense Sprinklers - I will be purchasing this next year in addition to my other methods as its SUPER humane and will hopefully conditon animals to stay away. They will get sprayed with high bursts of water when approaching, they have IR sensors so its night and day and doesnt use alot of water. The orbit brand one allows you to daisy chain more sprinkler heads, so having the one main sensor plus 2 other impact sprinklers can cover quite a distance.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000071NUS...I21K3NUNVYUIGM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F1R0GC...3W3K4WU1&psc=1

Motion Sensors - Similar to sprinklers, this is just an audio alert that will notify you of movement in backyard, this requires human intervention and needs one to be home to act on intruders to scare them off.
http://www.harborfreight.com/motion-...set-42768.html

Hot Spray - If you take the hottest peppers you have and soak them in boiling water for 2-3 days and strain that into a pump sprayer with some soap detergent and spray all your pots and areas where animals might walk,patrol. If you really want to get the most use out of this, use cheap cheap vodka (like college vodka that comes in plastic jugs) as it will extract more of the oils. I have tons of dehydrated bhut jolokias/trinidad scorpians/etc that i might try. The downside is this needs to be reapplied very often and you wouldnt want to spray the actual fruit with this or your eyes It might be good just for perimeter.



Trap Method:
This method is great if you want to relocate the animals, but you need to travel 8-10 miles for them not to return. Some people will drown after capture, so thats up to you. I couldnt do that as its inhumane, but everyone has their own moral opinions. The squirrelinator has a dunk tank included after capture is done. Even if you do this, you might not reduce the population by much. There are many havahart traps out there depending on size of the pest, my examples are mainly for squirrels. Please check your local regulations as some areas can have laws against relocations (Thanks Johnny)

https://www.amazon.com/Havahart-1083...havahart+traps
https://www.amazon.com/Rugged-Ranch-...=squirrel+trap

There is also a version called the dog proof traps that will catch the legs of racoons or opposums onto an object that can either be relocated or dealt with otherwise. (Thanks Wills)

http://www.pcsoutdoors.com/dogproofdptraps.aspx

Humane Kill Method:
There are a few options for the humane kill that people recommend and the third is not as humane as its not foolproof. Peanut Butter is great bait, so are bird seeds and cat food.

1.The first option which a lot of members use is a kania 2000 which is great and can be acquired here. They have great results and its as humane as any trap for squirrels, just be careful of other small animals and children when choosing a placement.

http://www.animalcontrolproducts.com/

2. The second option which i just purchased for squirrels is a electronic kill option, which is a larger version of a rat zapper which is also humane and will zap the bugger with 8000v and you dont need to see the dead carcass and just dump in garbage bag. I plan on putting this in a rubbermaid container under my deck since its not waterproof by itself and use peanut butter and fig jam as a lure.

https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Ul...rds=rat+zapper

3. Some people use (which i also got as a last means method) is a commercial grade rat trap that has more power and larger trip. Some people think its inhumane as sometimes it will snap tails and not fully kill with its strike. Thanks Blue for this recommendation.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

4. There is also the tube trap which is similar to the kania 2000 and cheaper, it is a tube that has a pressure spring bar that will catch the squirrels in between. (Thanks Steve)
http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.c...WCSTUBERR.html


Inhumane/Humane (undecided and i will leave this in grey area):
Pellet Rifle/BB Gun/22cal/etc.

Inhumane Kill Methods:
Bucket of Death (thanks Phil) - Just google it, very funny but graphic videos on youtube. NSFW.

Other helpful hints
-Animals can climb on things and jump on plants, if you can-keep your plants away from fences or trees and they can easily get on it that way. REMOVE ALL TREES if you can, thats my plan
-Solid PVC fencing around your backyard might help deter animals since they cant climb it like chainlink, you still have animals who will climb over your house.
-bird feeders with pepper flakes will make mammals stop eating their food and wont harm birds
-they are attracted to garbage bins, food stored outdoors (dog food/bird food)


Things that are proven not to work
Bird Netting - animals can chew right through this
Organza Bags - i tried this earlier this season and they ripped the bag wide open - only meant for bugs and possibly bird deterrent
Chicken Wire - This is hit or miss, some people say 1" chicken wire is sufficient, some say otherwise.
Small traditional Rat traps - too small, not enough power to do any damage.

Hope this helps and people can add their recommendations.

[strudeldog]

Google bucket of death. When I lived in a subdivision It worked effectively for me at times at other times not, and most folks have stuff for it around anyway. I revised it a bit some times used a garbage can for more swimmers

[Rewton]

Yes, that works well for chipmunks.

[BrooklynMatty]

Google bucket of death. When I lived in a subdivision It worked effectively for me at times at other times not, and most folks have stuff for it around anyway. I revised it a bit some times used a garbage can for more swimmers

Thanks Phil, might put that in the inhumane bucket, but seems to work well. Lol

[strudeldog]

Thanks Phil, might put that in the inhumane bucket, but seems to work well. Lol

Yes if pellet is inhumane in your scale it would be, I would classify swimming as recreational however, I really don't like to dispose of any pest in general I try to be pretty tolerant, and don't care at all for poisons, but that's just my choice.

I always thought this one looked educational but was a little to harsh for me, but I heard you curse them in you video maybe give it a try

http://billllsidlemind.blogspot.com/2008/05/workshop.html

[BrooklynMatty]

Yes if pellet is inhumane in your scale it would be, I would classify swimming as recreational however, I really don't like to dispose of any pest in general I try to be pretty tolerant, and don't care at all for poisons, but that's just my choice.

I always thought this one looked educational but was a little to harsh for me, but I heard you curse them in you video maybe give it a try

http://billllsidlemind.blogspot.com/2008/05/workshop.html

If you are a good shot. Then pellet is humane, lol. But if you shoot a squirrel in the ass. That sucks dude. I agree on poisons, I didn't list since there are no true poisons for these animals and they can cause issues for other animals and kids.


that contraption is hilarious, the buggers would come back. I know it. And my neighbors would call the cops on me. Lol. If I lived in the country I would so do it and point it at a lake or something. Lol

[m5allen]

Great thread. Read my post on the (formerly) blueberry forum about what the fluffy tail devils did to my blueberry crop. I have really grown to hate them. I was shooting them with my .22 cal pellet rifle, which was very effective and humane. But I do feel bad for having to kill them, so I am going to try the traps and see how many I have to relocate before I will be able to eat some of my own produce.

[BrooklynMatty]

Agreed on feeling bad, i havent hurt one yet. Just ran outside with a 15 year old paintball gun to try and scare them off but the co2 tank seals failed. You need to relocate them FAR off and it might not be worth the time. Depending on how big your setup is, a cage is best humane option. I just figured out how much hardware cloth is and my jaw dropped, knowing how much i'll need for perimeter of my backyard!

[greenfig]

Matt,

A great post! I also lost about 80% of the figs, all pumpkins, and many tomatoes. A squirrel is the most hated creature in my book.

I also would like a section here of what Does Not work. For example, all kind of bags, bird netting and anything else non-metal is a waste of money and time. Regular rat traps do not work too.

[BrooklynMatty]

Thanks. I always lost tomatoes/eggplant and peppers to them, but those dont make me feel too bad since they werent where my heart was. So i do feel your pain. I will add what doesnt work, i did mention above about plastic netting, since those vial creatures have saber teeth and will chew even through chicken wire. I'm getting my zapper tomorrow, so i should know by next week if it works or not.

[jkuo]

Just to add a little FYI, relocating is not always a legal option. For example, in PA, you can relocate rabbits and squirrels, but animals like groundhogs have to be either released or killed. As far as I could figure out, the animals which could be potential rabies vectors cannot be legally relocated (though people still do it, and probably no one is really going to enforce this law).

[DBJohnson]

Not to mention, relocating your problem to someone else's backyard...well, it just ain't right. Take care of your problem without pushing it off on someone else.

We have been the recipient of relocated pests and it really sucks to have to deal with them.

[Rewton]

This thread on another forum has a lot of great information on squirrel eradication from orchards:

http://www.growingfruit.org/t/tree-rats/5126

I posted this on Fabio's thread but I have two kill traps that have worked well: the Kania 2000 and a tube trap. Here's the source of the tube trap:

http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/WCSTUBERR.html

It took me forever to get the Kania 2000 a few years ago but maybe they are easier to obtain now. Getting the tube trap is much quicker and I think it is a bit cheaper. It seems to work at least as good as the Kania for me. I have mounted mine to a 1x6 board and placed a few feet off the ground in the branches of a tree where there is squirrel activity. A small amount of peanut butter is placed a few inches outside of the opening of the trap on either side and a larger glob of peanut butter is smeared on the "ceiling" of the trap on the inside, just above the pan.

[greenfig]

Steve,
I have 2 tube traps but no success catching anything. Do you close the other opening or both are open?

[Rewton]

Both ends should be open. Supposedly the squirrel is more likely to enter the trap if he/she can see daylight on the other side.

[BrooklynMatty]

Humane Kill Method:


2. The second option which i just purchased for squirrels is a electronic kill option, which is a larger version of a rat zapper which is also humane and will zap the bugger with 8000v and you dont need to see the dead carcass and just dump in garbage bag. I plan on putting this in a rubbermaid container under my deck since its not waterproof by itself and use peanut butter and fig jam as a lure.

https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Ul...rds=rat+zapper.

I just wanted to let everyone know that within 3 hours of putting this zapper out (and turning it on), i got a squirrel. Well worth it so far - hopefully it will get the population down.

[Dave]

Matt I was thinking about getting the zapper I wasn't sure how they worked but now that I see you give it the thumbs up I'll have to order one I think then I will have one of every kind of death device that there is

[BrooklynMatty]

I think its worth it so far, i'll post end of week results to see how many i catch. I have Victor traps coming this week, but would rather not use them if i dont have to. Might give them away.

[WillsC]

Matt,

A lot of it depends on the pellet and the riffle it is coming out of. They even have air rifles capable of taking down Elk (PCP type air rifles). I strongly disagree that a bullet or pellet is inhumane. Also disagree it has to be a head shot as anywhere in the front 1/2 of the tree rat excluding the tail is a fatal wound within seconds. Even a gut shot squirrel will be dead in under a minute if the rifle has enough energy though I agree that is not ideal. Placement is much more important than caliber of the weapon. It is just not the hole the projectile makes it is the shock, the energy striking the animal that does a lot of the damage. I would rather get hit with a bullet then go in a havahart trap and be stressed for hours or die due to being caught in that trap in the sun where they will die all on their own but take a couple of hours. But I do agree that everyone has their own personal moral compass. It is probably best before saying something is "inhumane" if it is prefaced with IMO, creates less angst between people of differing opinions that way.

I know some peoples opinions on leg hold traps but hear me out........... Some steel traps like the duke "dog proof trap" are actually incredibly gentle on the animals. They are truly dog and cat proof, impossible for either to get in one. They are simply a steel tube about as big around as a ping pong ball and the trigger is down deep inside them almost at the bottom. The only way to set it off is if the animal reaches a front foot in grasps the trigger and pulls UP.....if you slam a stick down inside the trap you cant set it off, a dog putting a foot in can't set it off. The only critters that can are those that can reach in grasp the trigger arm and pull up. Because of the way they work and have to pull the lever up the coons leg is always in the same spot every time. When it goes off a U shaped piece of heavy wire shuts on the leg and coon pulls up and it will allow the leg to move up until the joint before the foot and that is where they are held. Does no damage to the leg at ALL, no blood, no broken bones. The leg never goes numb. The coon can't get to the leg since it is in the steel tube. On a normal jawed steel leg hold the trap closes on the foot or leg in a position that is random. Because of that it requires MUCH stronger springs and much more force. The part below the jaws goes numb, sometimes the leg is broken. The coons more so then possums will then chew the part below the jaws off because it is numb and escape injured. With the dog proof none of that happens.......it simply restrains them gently and no matter what they do there is no escape, no blood, no broken bones. They are mad though and i'm sure stressed. Just thought I would put that out there. The tube is too small for a child to reach in as well. Fill the tube up part of the way with cat food and scatter a couple pieces outside the trap or marshmallows and perhaps a piece of sardine at the very bottom. When the coon eats the food as he gets to the bottom he will feel the trigger think it is another goodie, pulls lever up and there he will be waiting for you, mad as hell but none the worse for wear, physically. Do note this trap is not for catch and release.......well at least I'm not going to volunteer to do so


One tip..........if you are having a problem with raccoons or possums stealing your figs and looking for a non lethal way you can buy at Harbor freight an item called a driveway alarm. Very cheap, think they are $15 $9 if you get it on sale. You have two options.

1. Set the sensor near your trees and the receiver in the house and when the alarm goes off go outside and ask the raccoon to please leave, but just opening the door will do that. OR taking care of the masked bandit another way of your choosing.

2. While the sensor is waterproof the receiver is not but if you place it in a bag to protect it from the weather it is fine. When the raccoon approaches your fig tree it sets the alarm off it goes MEEEEYAWWWWWWWWWWWW it is loud also flashes red lights and it will scare them away but they may get use to that deterrent in time unsure of that. The sensor is self resetting so will work automatically over and over again and it will give you a non lethal way to help protect the fruit. The units have a range of about 400 feet or so sensor to receiver.


Also need to remember no matter what you eat, if you are a omnivore as most of us are or a vegetarian or vegan somewhere a farmer is KILLING animals that want to eat that food before you are able to do so. So saying inhumane if you buy food be it beef or lettuce just strikes me the wrong way. Some people are tender hearted and I get that but if it wasn't for other people that do what they have to do we all would have no food to eat.........anyway I will climb off the soap box now.

[BrooklynMatty]

Wills - just putting out options and comments from the consensus of what people consider humane vs inhumane, obviously people will have differing opinions - all in the eye of the beholder, but i think for this forum - most of have nuissance animals and have similar opinions. I categorized most of these on how they are marketed, not everyone's opinion. I don't think shooting is humane either, since not everyone is a good shot and i personally wouldnt want to clean up blood/brain/guts in my backyard with my 2yr running around.

I agree on the traps , i did not put them in humane section because i don't think trapping is humane since they cause themselves harm - i just put it in its own category. As far as the shooting part, i am no hunter nor ever plan to be one - so i don't know about the physiology of the squirrel to know. I was just told headshots are humane like a kania as its super quick kill.

I personally was against ANY type of kill methods and Rafael can attest to that, he called me a pacifist because i @@@@@ed about squirrels the whole summer but said i couldn't do the kania since i didn't want to kill animals. But now having lost almost all my fruit from the orchard i spent well over $2000 on in the past year, i had enough. My wife is a health inspector and deals with rodents for a living, she doesn't condone it either and has to deal with baiting for a living.

If you open the top thread for me to edit, i will add IMO to my comments and also mention the tube trap, which i forgot to mention. This is what i wanted from this thread, more information and experience so i can add/edit revise depending on experience of others (ie-the front half of squirrel, tube trap, alarm for coons/possums).

Thanks for you comments Wills - now jump off that soap box

[lilfiggy]

this is a very informative non judgemental forum with lots of options. good job friends on all the options. will refer back to this often I am sure. Need brand and price of good air rifle. and scope

[Altadena Mara]

Could someone recommend a good "coon" dog? I woke up an hour ago, was checking out the forum here and heard a banging around in my spare room where I keep the big bag of cat food I use to feed the feral cats. I checked and there were two raccoons in the spare room dragging the bag around trying to get to the cat food. I chased them out with a broom. My twelve year old, half deaf "guard" dog was fast asleep on my bed, She slept through the whole incident. There is a breed of dogs called "coonhounds" but apparently they are work dogs that need a lot of exercise and are roamers. I just need a good guard dog. I'm afraid a stray dog from a dog rescue would kill my cats. (That happened with a friend.)
Or maybe I should just feed the raccoons with the feral cats. At least they would be distracted from the figs. They were almost tame and sort of cute.

[jmaler]

My latest acquisitions to go after coons. I also got a tube trap like discussed above.

[jrdewhirst]

Mara -- Are you comfortable with the devastating impact that feral cats have on wildlife, especially birds? And the likelihood that food left for feral cats may end up being eaten by coyotes? Animal rights activists in my area have campaigned against feeding feral cats.

[don_sanders]

I personally don't think that not feeding feral cats would provide any benefit to reducing the cat populations and I think cats provide a useful service, at least to me. Even if they aren't being hand fed, they will find enough to survive. I love my strays and will continue to feed and care for them. They've also been spayed and vaccinated. Having a caretaker to help and watch over them is the most effective control IMO.

[jrdewhirst]

Don -- Yes, they will probably find enough to survive, but maybe not in winter. And maybe marginal food will reduce the frequency or size of litters.

Anyway, the fact that feral cats will find enough to eat is exactly the problem. Here's one excerpt from a NYT article on the topic: << In Wisconsin alone, says Stanley A. Temple, Ph.D., of the Department of Wildlife Ecology of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1.4 million free-roaming and feral cats are believed in the state even accounting for attrition from cold winters. Surveys estimate that this population of cats has bagged 7.8 million birds. Roughly 20 percent of the documented cat kills were birds. >> Of course, certain species that nest on or near the ground are most vulnerable (e.g., quail, shorebirds).

[lilfiggy]

All of my cats that I have ever had have been throw away kittys. One from under a car at a car dealership, one from a feral mother on our jogging trail (my friend has another from this same litter), and one from the parking lot at Pet Supermarket. My neighbor who is a sweet and gentle lady feeds traps spays or neuters and adopts out her "bounty". Our neighborhood population has dwindled dramatically over the years, but no one is mean or hurtful to those cats that turn up. We had one to just walk up in my yard when I was sitting on the ground working on some orchids and just climb up in my lap. I knew because of his clipped ear that he was unhomed.. He was unknown to our cat rescuer and none of my neighbors had ever seen him before. He would not come inside and was content to sleep in the rocking chair on the front porch. No one else could touch him, but he followed me every where I went outside and would gladly sit in my lap or beside me on the rocking chair and purr loudly and allow me to rub and pet him. He was excellent at squirrel capture and rodent removal. However he disappeared and never returned or was seen by anyone. I hope he is loved wherever he is. When I put my head down that final time, I hope when I open my eyes I am surrounded by all my furry friends over the years. I can not imagine a happier place to be. I will have earned my place by allowing no animal to go hungry or be abused or unloved.