1. Problems Caused by Wildlife
Question of Day: What are two problems caused by wildlife?

2. Moles can can be a nuisance and cause damage to lawns and turf grasses by their tunneling activity and pushing up soil into mole hills.

3. Small rodents, such as the prairie vole, can damage trees, fruits, vegetables and row crops by their feeding and tunneling activity.

4. Pigeon droppings can be a health hazard.

5. Feral hogs can damage a pasture or field by their rooting activity.

6. Beavers can damage or kill trees and cause problems when their dams flood timber and bottomland crop fields.

7. Main Problems Caused by Wildlife
Hazards to human health or safety
Losses of livestock and poultry
Damage to crops and property
Structural damage to personal property
Damage to timber and other natural resources

8. Problems are caused by various wildlife species.

9. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
Many diseases that cause illness and death in humans are carried and transmitted by wildlife.
Zoonoses are diseases transmissible from animal to man. There are over 200 such diseases.

10. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
Lyme disease
Caused by bacteria and is transmitted by different species of black legged ticks.
The highest risk area for this disease is along the Mid Atlantic and northern U.S.
Wear protective clothing when outside.
Cover all exposed skin.

11. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
Lyme Disease
Mosquitoes feed on infected birds
The infected mosquitoes than bite humans and animals.
Even if bitten by an infected mosquito, you have less than a 1% chance of infection.

12. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
West Nile Virus
Caused by mosquito bites
Affects people, horses, and birds most commonly.
Symptoms include low-grade fever, rash or death.
WNV was first diagnosed in the U.S. in 1999.

13. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
Rabies
Transmitted by contact with the saliva of an infected animal (bite or scratch).
Although human can get rabies from wild animals, the most common way to get it is from infected domestic dogs.

14. What human health problems are associated with wildlife?
Bubonic Plague
A disease that is transmitted by fleas that are infected by their host rodent.
Symptoms include swollen and very tender lymph gland, accompanied by pain, fever, chills, and headache.
The average occurrence has been cases per year.

15. Loss of Livestock and Poultry
Predators such as coyotes may prey on sheep, calves, or even pets.

16. Loss of Livestock and Poultry
Economic Problems
In 1999, sheep and goat producers lost an estimated $19.9 million due to predation.
In 2000, cattle producers’ losses to predators were worth $51.6 million.

17. Damage to crops and property
Wildlife damages to U.S. agriculture was estimated at $944 million during 2001.
Corn alone accounts for more than $90 million annually in crop damages from wildlife.

18. Damage to crops and property
Overall bird populations cause an estimated annual lose to U.S. agriculture of $100 million.
Sunflower and rice crops are a favorite of blackbirds, leading to $4 to 11 million worth of losses annually.
Apples, blueberries and grapes have been estimated at more than $40 million in damages.

19. Damage to crops and property
Deer and smaller mammals consume tree seedlings and other crops.
During one year in Pennsylvania, white tailed deer cause crop losses totaling $30 million.

20. Structural damage to personal property

21. Structural damage to personal property
Bats
Use high frequency sound waves to navigate and find food.
They are nocturnal
Something that sleeps during the day and is active at night.
They scratch and crawl through attics and walls damaging the walls and leaving droppings behind.

22. Damage to timber and other natural resources
An estimated $100 million in damage each year to private and public property is due to beavers.
Mississippi catfish farmers lose nearly $6 million worth of fingerlings to fish eating birds.

23. Wildlife Damage Management Program
Successful wildlife damage management, regardless of the species involved, depends on the four basic components.

24. Problem Identification and Damage Assessment
Identify the species causing the problem
Estimate the number of animals
Assess the extent of the damage
Evaluate biological and social factors related to the problem

25. Understanding the biology and ecology of the nuisance wildlife species
Understanding the life history of the nuisance species can help you determine the best approach to resolving the problem
This includes what it eats, habitats it prefers and behavior it exhibits

26. Selection of prevention and management techniques
An IPM strategy is often the best way to deal with wildlife problems
Several methods are combined to include short- and long-term approaches that result in a reduction of wildlife damage

27. Evaluation of the Management Program
Periodically evaluate the management program
Make sure that the cost of the program is lower than the reduction of damage due to wildlife
(basically your not losing money on the program)

28. Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion of problem wildlife
Habitat modification
Frightening
Repellents
Toxicants
Fumigants

29. Prevention and Control Methods
Trapping
Shooting
Nontraditional methods
Planning for prevention of wildlife conflicts

30. Habitat Modification House attics for bats and squirrels
Woodpiles and thick vegetation for snakes and rodents
Crawlspaces under houses for skunks, opossums and other small mammals
Empty warehouses and overhanging structures for pigeons
Thick, dense timber and other vegetation adjacent to agricultural crops for deer

31. Frightening Techniques
Visual deterrents such as effigies of owls, hawks or people
Noise deterrents such as firecrackers, gunfire, propane cannons, sirens, barking dogs, predator calls and recordings of distress calls
Odor deterrents such as predator urine or feces

32. Some Examples of what works
Chipmunks
Exclusion
¼ inch hardware cloth around (and buried) gardens and flower beds
Cover down spouts
Habitat modification
Wood piles, mulch, plants located away from structures

33. Squirrels Repellents – Thiram painted on trees
Toxicants – Zinc phosphide 5% tracking gel (RUP)
Fumigants – None registered
Traps – Leg hold, box, cage, conibear
Shooting – where legal; BB or .22-cal w/ rat shot
Squirrels cycle – efforts in some years with high density may prove futile

34. Lets try an example Scenario
Opossum in the shed/garage and is eating the dog/cat food.
What should we do?
Example No. 1- Opossum in shed/garage eating dog/cat food
Wrong Answer: Trap opossum and relocate
In a few days another hungry animal finds the food.
Right Answer:
1 - Seal the pet food in container with tight fitting lid
2- Seal openings to shed
3- Relocate opossum
This removes the problem (available food) and the symptom (hungry opossum).

35. References