Many customers inquire about the use of poisons and chemical deterrents to
solve their animal damage complaints. Some of this is due to their familiarity
with Pest control companies who solve pest problems by spraying some poison.
Other times customers read about substances whose odor is believed will stop
animals from remaining in the area, such as moth balls or human hair.
Unfortunately, these methods generally don’t apply to animal damage situations.
First, it is a federal crime to use a poison inconsistent with its labeling.
If the container doesn’t list the critter as a target species, than you
cannot legally apply the poison for that creature. It should be pointed out
that the vast majority of animals that damage property have no poisons registered
for them. Thus the only legal, lethal option is trapping. Shooting is a possibility.
However, given that guns cannot be fired safely near buildings or roads, it
isn’t usually an option either. There is one more problem with poison,
it is dangerous. Think about how lethal the poison would have to be to kill
a 20 pound raccoon? What would happen if a child ate this poison? What would
be the long term effects of such poisons on children, wells etc? Obviously,
no one contracts cancer from trapping. Trapping is truly an environmentally
friendly form of animal damage control.
As for repellents, they don’t work very well. Generally speaking, these
products only have applicability in farming situations. There farmers are looking
to reduce the overall crop damage caused by deer, woodchucks etc. For them,
reducing crop damage from 20% to 10 % is a major accomplishment. On the other
hand, most urban and suburban animal damage control clients want 100% damage
reduction. This cannot be accomplished with the present state of repellents.
However, if you would be happy with less than 100% damage reduction, then consult
with our resources. They will be able to advise you on the best techniques and
products available.
Why don’t repellents work very well? The answer is very simple, animals adapt.
Think of how many products we are exposed to every day. If you had the choice of putting
up with a bad smell versus not eating which do you think you would choose. Of course, you
would hold your nose and eat. So it is with the animal kingdom. Even loud noises or scary
objects soon lose their shock value. Visit my repellents page to learn even more about the weaknesses of repellents.
We hope that this article helped you better understand the role of trapping
in controlling animal damage. While it is not the only method, it is certainly
the most effective.
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.
