Critter Control Handbook Book Review

This review was originally publised in the Probe, the official newsletter of the National Animal Control Operators Association. It is presented here with few modifications. For other items published in the Probe by Stephen Vantassel click Probe. If you would like your product reviewed click Review.

Pro Secrets for Stopping Sneaky Squirrels & Other Crafty Critters in Their Tracks. By Dan "The Critter Man" Hershey. Voyageur Press, 2002. Pp.1-176 soft cover with B & W photos.

Dan Hershey is a nuisance trapper located in New York who has been in the animal damage control business for over 20 years. The book contains animal damage control techniques and advice for 20 common species, including bats, beavers, deer, voles, and woodpeckers. The book, as the press release suggests, is clearly written for homeowners and not the professional animal damage control industry. You need to know this because I believe books should be evaluated against what they intended to accomplish for their intended audience. This will be an important point given the controversy surrounding this book. However, I will get to that later.

The opening chapter starts with general ideas for identifying the pest animal. Tips include, determining the animal's size, droppings, sounds, smells etc. as clues for identifying the animal. Chapter 2 moves to the important question, "Should the homeowner hire a contractor or do the control himself?" Mr. Hershey provides some important warnings for either choice. He counsels homeowners to consider the risks and responsibilities for controlling animals on their own. He appropriately mentions the dangers of contracting a disease and breaking wildlife laws. Chapters 3-4 cover deterrents and repellents respectively. I liked the terms and how he used them. Deterrents, for Mr. Hershey, refer to barrier protections such as fencing or hole closures. Repellents, on the other hand, refer to chemicals and effigies that seek to make the animal decide to move on as opposed to forcing them to move on through physical means. He provides a table that is several pages long briefly listing chemical, mechanical and natural repellent options for various species that could be very helpful for people.

Chapters 5-6 cover in general terms non-lethal and lethal control techniques. Non-lethal techniques discussed include cage traps, footholds, snare poles and glue boards. He suggested a rather interesting technique with a conibear. Conibears are normally understood as a lethal trap. However, Mr. Hershey has a technique that uses a conibear as a "live capture" device. Professionals may be interested in taking a look at the viability of this technique. Lethal control discusses the use of glue boards, snap traps, gas bombs, conibears, poisons and hunting. The information on snap traps is excellent. More homeowners would have better mouse control by following his suggestions.

There is an appropriate chapter on wildlife diseases as it will give homeowners useful fear which will engender caution. In no way should one consider this chapter be a thorough one. It is more of a snap shot as it only covers mange, rabies, distemper and a couple of parasites. I was disappointed by the claim that a pictured raccoon had rabies without also mentioning that a positive diagnosis can only be had through testing. For the implication of his writing, in my opinion, is to suggest that one can diagnose a rabid animal by looking at it. As I understand it, only a test of the brain tissue itself can determine whether an animal is rabid or not (At least the Centers for Disease Control didn't mention any non-laboratory test for rabies evaluation see http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/rabies/Diagnosis/diagnosi.php) . I fear that any suggestion that one could visually ID an animal as rabid may give people a false sense of security. Nevertheless, I did love the detailed photos of a flea and a tick. Those are enough to scare anyone.

About half of the book deals in alphabetical order with animals most commonly associated with damage. There is a general outline of sub points followed for each animal: a general description of the animal, typical damage, repellents, deterrents, live capture, lethal control, baits, handling and diseases. Each sub-point is not covered for each species so detail loving homeowners may be disappointed. However, one can understand why relocation isn't covered for deer as I doubt too many homeowners would consider relocation for animal of that size even if it was legal.

The book closes with information on designing traps and a listing of supply companies. I was particularly impressed with the trash can trap. If you are handy this would be an excellent raccoon trap in my opinion.

My feelings about this text are decidedly mixed. On the positive side, I found the book very readable with superb layout and design. Photos were clear, and for the most part, helpful. There was certainly a lot of information contained in the book that homeowners and even some professionals would find helpful. I enjoyed reading the text. He had excellent information on baits and repeated himself enough on certain issues to really get the point across.

My problems with the book fall into two categories. The first category is preference. I was troubled with the information on footholds. He gave information on using footholds to catch animals under porches. My difficulty with this lies in understanding that homeowners really don't have the training to be taught anything about footholds. It is like publicizing a popular version of surgery for homeowners. Some idiot may actually think they can do surgery after reading the book. Another issue is the lack of up to date control techniques. I got the impression that the author wasn't aware of a wider world of animal damage control. So what you get here is sort of an intellectual island where techniques were invented and used without the cross fertilization that could be gained from other animal damage controllers. Examples of his lack of exposure to other WCO's can be found in the use of footholds for stove dwelling squirrels (p.58), no mention of beaver pipes (pp.86-90), ignorance of bat traps (p.84) and lack of mention of the coral snake which doesn't follow typical poison snake rules (pp.144-146). To be fair, he did tell me in personal correspondence that he does subscribe to WCT magazine (I don't know for how many years) and is a member of the NTA. Perhaps he didn't mention beaver pipes because he didn't think it was a good technique for a homeowner. I also think the coral snake oversight could very well be due to his geographical perspective, ie. Living in a state with no coral snakes.

Another difficulty I had with the book was its lack of euthanasia information. I think that people who write books on controlling wildlife should talk about how to kill the animal in a responsible manner. The fact is not everyone live in states that allow the use lethal traps. But perhaps the biggest problem I had is the book's emphasis on controlling wildlife outside a building. This would be okay, if the title was, The Critter Control book for lawns and gardens. But it isn't. Mr. Hershey provides very little about house inspections and control of building dwelling animals. Essentially this book is for those who live in more rural environments or suburbs away from urban centers.

The second category of problems centers on potentially dangerous and/or potentially illegal control techniques. I couldn't agree more with the suggestion that people cap their chimneys. However, his wire screen method is very possibly illegal (p.167). The mention of using gasoline to evict a woodchuck was probably illegal in that gasoline is a controlled substance. Even if it is legal, I still think that techniques like this should have not been mentioned. The potential for abuse is very great.

Finally, what about all the controversy surrounding this book raised by Critter Control Inc.? Here is a reprint of the text of their press release (used with permission) PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT THE CRITTER CONTROL HANDBOOK by Dan Hershey and Voyageur Press IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED with CRITTER CONTROL, INC. Critter Control © is deeply concerned that people could be seriously injured if readers follow this book's recommendations, and many of its suggested control techniques promote inhumane treatment of animals. For example - the book:
· misidentifies appropriate repellents
· advises using clearly illegal and unsafe chemicals
· recommends smashing snakes with shovels
· recommends excluding bats in a single night without regard for possible presence of young bats
· shows unsafe, homemade chimney screens that do not meet NFPA 211 or BOCA codes
· claims ultrasonic devices seem to work for bats and mice
· lists polybutenes (tactiles) as an appropriate repellent for bats
· lists gasoline soaked rags down the hole as an appropriate repellent for groundhogs
· recommends foot hold traps as most useful for capturing a squirrel in a fireplace
· suggests using birdshot "to dispatch hard to reach or fast moving snakes"
· recommends using a badminton racket to knock bats out of the air
· makes several misidentifications of animals
· advises how to addle goose and sea gull eggs with no mention of State or Federal permits
· suggest using auto or lawnmower exhaust to fumigate ground squirrels
· recommends use of fumigants and rodenticides on muskrats
· notes, "porcupines are not protected by state law so they can be trapped or shot year-round."
· recommends using sulfur or gas bombs to get rid of rabbits
· promotes drowning or gassing of skunks as the most odor free methods available
Our trademark attorney is taking appropriate action, and we encourage you to express your concerns to:
Voyageur Press, c/o Tom Labobky - 1-800-837-2210 at ext. 24, or a Mr. Dregni at ext. 12. You can write them at: 1234 N Second Street, P.O. Box 338, Stillwater, MN 55082. They may also be reached at http://www.voyageurpress.com . To see the book http://www.voyageurpress.com/nh/5883.php#248 .

To their concerns I will only say that they do have some legitimate ones and I have mentioned a couple. The book is going to a second printing and the name will be changed to "The Homeowner's Guide to "CONTROLLING PESKY CRITTERS." So if you don't find it under Critter Control guide look for it under the new title. However, I think that several of the criticisms on Critter Control Inc's list could be considered a bit of a reach. For example, the comment on using a badminton racket to stop bat (p.84). Certainly I don't recommend this technique. However, I must say that the author hasn't told the reader to make it his first option. He does say if you need more drastic measures, then the badminton is the way to go. I can certainly understand his perspective here. How many times do you have a customer looking for a WCO to remove a flying bat but is unwilling to pay the money for a 2 A.M. call? What is the person supposed to do when he/she is time pressed as well as financially pressed? What is more important? Getting the bat out to prevent a potential biting incident or going back to bed and ignoring it? The comments on addling should have come with an explicit statement reminding homeowners that one needs a permit to addle. However, the writer did clearly state in the disclaimer the need to check out the law before implementing any control procedure. Is that enough? Perhaps not. But he did say that killing geese requires a permit. The question is does the idea of killing geese mean don't addle to the uneducated reader? Finally, I am not sure what problem Critter Control Inc. has with the statement that gassing and drowning of skunks is the most odor free killing methods around. I think for homeowners, the statement is correct so if Critter Control has a better method for homeowners, I would suggest they publish it soon. (For the record, I asked Critter Control Inc. to answer this question but no answer was given in their reply.

Critter Control Inc. certainly has a problem with the title of the book. But according to the author, he was unaware of Critter Control Inc. He actually told me that the Publisher not him decided on the title. So I guess it was an honest mistake. Nevertheless, book titles, as I understand them, are not copyrightable and there is now a sticker on the back cover (at least there was with my copy) that points out that Critter Control Inc. has no relationship with this book. How copyright and Trademark law mix, I have no idea. But as one who has had my work used without permission by various groups, I can only say copyright laws are relatively useless. (Any lawyers out there, feel free to take my case and prove me wrong). As I said earlier, the title is being changed in the second printing so the issue will soon be moot.

From this review you might think that I hate this book. I don't. I will be selling this book from my web site. But I do think that the book could have been an awesome one with a little more judicious editing. I would have suggested that he cover fewer species but provide more detail. For example, the information on mole trapping could have been expanded to really explain how to trap moles. I hope he does a second edition. I would love to be an editor for it. I also think he should have ignored insects and stick with wildlife only.

You can purchase your copy of the book from Amazon.com for $11.17 plus S&H (at time of publication). So it is very reasonably priced. If you are a professional, the book may be worth the plans for the trashcan trap. But otherwise, you will do better buying something else. If you want to sell a book to clients, make sure they know this book is best for people who live in states with very liberal wildlife damage control laws and who live in very rural environments.

Disclaimer: WDC seeks to provide accurate, effective and responsible information on resolving human/wildlife conflicts. We welcome suggestions, criticisms to help us achieve this goal. The information provided is for informational purposes only and users of the information use it at their own risk. The reader must consult state/federal officials to determine the legality of any technique in the reader's locale. Some techniques are dangerous to the user and to others. WDC encourages readers to obtain appropriate training (see our informational literature at our Store ), and understand that proper animal damage control involves patience, understanding that not every technique/method works for every situation or even 100% of the time. Your use of this information is governed by this understanding. We welcome potential users of the information and photos to simply ask for permission via e-mail. Finally, WDC welcomes e-mail but understand that all e-mails become property of Wildlife Damage Control.

Book Review: The Critter Control Handbook:

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