In bustling urban areas, unwanted pests like rats often find ample opportunities to thrive. For residents prioritizing eco-friendly and non-toxic solutions, all-natural rat repellents can be a beacon of hope. These repellents not only deter rats but also ensure your home remains free of harsh chemicals.
Continue reading 6 All-Natural Rat Repellents to Keep Those Pests Away
Urban areas in the United States, such as Los Angeles, have seen an upsurge in the raccoon population. The adaptability of these wild animals and the abundance of food sources in urban areas have created unique challenges and increased human-raccoon conflicts. Let’s explore these issues and find practical solutions.
Urban raccoons are highly adaptable creatures. They have a wide home range but can thrive in smaller territories when food sources are abundant. Unfortunately, this adaptability has led to an increase in raccoon-human interactions, which are not always positive.
Another interesting characteristic of urban raccoons is their intelligence and problem-solving abilities. Equipped with highly dexterous front paws, they can open latches, turn doorknobs, and even unscrew jars. This, coupled with their nocturnal nature, often leads them into conflict with humans as they rummage through trash bins and sneak into houses in search of food. Understanding these behaviors is critical to formulating effective strategies to manage raccoon populations in our cities, protect our properties, and minimize conflicts.
In urban environments, raccoons have discovered new food sources in the form of pet food, bird seed, and unsecured trash. These easily available sources have not only increased their population but also changed their natural behaviors.
In search of food and shelter, raccoons often invade crawl spaces, attics, and gardens, causing damage and potential health risks. Baby raccoons born in these areas add another layer of complexity to the problem, as they’re likely to consider these spaces their home range, causing a cycle of return and conflict.
Additionally, as raccoons have become more accustomed to urban life, they’re losing their natural fear of humans, leading to increased conflicts. These conflicts can range from simple nuisances, like scattered trash, to more serious issues such as property damage and potential transmission of diseases. Navigating these challenges requires a combination of proactive measures, increased awareness, and professional wildlife control services when necessary.
Addressing the challenge requires a multi-faceted approach. Firstly, minimizing food sources can discourage raccoons from approaching human habitats. Securing trash cans, not leaving pet food outside, and cleaning up bird seed can reduce the attractions for raccoons.
Secondly, protecting potential nesting sites like crawl spaces can prevent raccoons from setting up homes in human dwellings. This includes regular inspection of your property and taking necessary measures to secure these areas.
However, when raccoons have already taken up residence, expert intervention is necessary.
Raccoons are an integral part of our ecosystem, even in urban areas. Managing their presence and mitigating conflicts require understanding, patience, and professional help. Remember, the goal is not to eliminate these creatures, but to establish a balance where both humans and raccoons can thrive.
If you’re facing a raccoon problem in Los Angeles, don’t tackle it alone. At Animal Capture Wildlife Control, we specialize in humane wild animal removal services, ensuring both your safety and the well-being of the animals. Our experienced team can help remove raccoons from your property and provide advice on preventing future encounters. Reach out to us today and let’s build a better coexistence between humans and urban raccoons.
In the diverse wildlife of Los Angeles, one creature that often goes unnoticed is the big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus). Despite their name, big brown bats are far from imposing, yet they play a critical role in our ecosystem. Today, we’re offering an intriguing deep dive into the world of this fascinating species.
Continue reading Big Brown Bats 101: Understanding Our Nocturnal Neighbors
Bat houses have gained popularity as a means to promote bat conservation and control pest populations. However, before considering installing a bat house on your property, it’s important to understand both the pros and cons that come with them.
Continue reading Examining the Advantages and Disadvantages of Bat Houses
Opossums, with their pointy snouts and prehensile tails, have long been misunderstood and subjected to numerous myths and misconceptions. As experts in wild animal removal services, we believe in providing accurate information to promote a better understanding of these fascinating creatures. In this blog post, we’ll debunk common opossum myths and shed light on the truth, highlighting their unique characteristics, ecological significance, and the importance of coexisting peacefully with them.
Continue reading Unveiling Opossum Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction
When moving into a new property, it’s important to consider all aspects of its surroundings, including the wildlife that may be present. While the presence of wildlife can add charm to your new home, it’s crucial to ensure that it doesn’t become a nuisance or pose a threat to your safety. This is where wildlife inspections come into play. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of wildlife inspections for your new property and why it’s a wise investment to protect your home and family.
Continue reading The Benefits of Wildlife Inspections for Your New Property
Bats have long been shrouded in myths and misconceptions, largely due to their nocturnal nature and their depiction in folklore and media. However, at Animal Capture Wildlife Control, we believe it’s crucial to dispel these myths about bats and shine a light on the essential role these misunderstood creatures play in our ecosystem.
Continue reading Bat Myths and Misconceptions: Debunking Common BeliefsSpring and summer are when encounters with baby wildlife are most common, but before you take any action, it’s important to place the safety of animals and humans at the top of your list. This involves assessment, doing your research, and getting help.
Continue reading What to Do If You Find Baby Wildlife on Your PropertyEncounters with wildlife can be both fascinating and frightening. While many people are eager to get a glimpse of wild animals in their natural habitats, some may find them to be a nuisance or even extremely destructive to their property and a threat to their safety. In these cases, it is common for people to turn to do-it-yourself (DIY) methods to control wildlife, such as trapping or relocating them. However, what many people fail to recognize is that DIY wildlife control methods can be dangerous, both for the person attempting the control and for the animals themselves.
Continue reading 5 Reasons Why DIY Wildlife Control Methods Can Be DangerousBats do a lot of good for the environment, pollinating plants and eating nuisance insects like mosquitoes. Yet when they choose to roost in homes and other human structures, bats can also quickly become both a nuisance and a danger. When bats have infested a property, a professional is always the best person to call.
Bats roost in colonies that are usually located in caves or tree hollows. They sometimes will choose other areas that offer the food, warmth, darkness, and shelter they need to survive.
Therefore, places like attics are very attractive to bats, especially when that attic is located in a well-lit area that attracts insects. Because they really are creatures of habit, bats will return to the same roost for several years.
Many homeowners with bat infestations ask whether it’s better to just leave the bats where they are. The answer is yes and no—it’s dependent on timing. For example, mother bats nurse their flightless young in the summer months, so removal shouldn’t occur until the babies are able to fly.
Installing bat houses around your property will keep bats away from structures and allow you to enjoy their pollination and insect-eliminating benefits.
There is more than one risk that bats pose when they invade human structures.
Bats can and do carry infectious diseases like Leptospirosis and rabies, which pose a health risk to humans and pets. Their dried feces, or guano, can contain histoplasmosis, which is a fungus that causes respiratory illness in humans if the spores are inhaled.
In fact, microbiologist studies of Mexican free-tailed bats (also called “guano bats” for the high volume of excrement they produce) revealed the presence of billions of bacteria in just one ounce of their bat droppings.
Should guano be left in dark and humid conditions to accumulate, its weight can be enough to cause an entire ceiling to collapse. Guano in your insulation can render it ineffective, raising your cooling and heating costs significantly.
Bats can cause damage to soffits, fascia, and other roof parts when they squeeze their bodies into chosen entry points located in and around these areas and then continue to fly in and out of a structure. They can also damage wiring and vents.
As we mentioned before, bats are a vital part of the ecosystem, keeping insect populations in check and pollinating trees and plants. Almost half of California’s bats have been classified as species of special concern. As well, bats are a protected species, meaning that it is illegal to trap and kill them.
If a homeowner doesn’t know what they’re doing, they could kill a bat or their young. Even if this is unintentional, it is a serious offense. They can also place themselves at great risk of contracting a serious illness from bat excrement if they’re not wearing the proper equipment when cleaning guano out of a space where bats have roosted.
Along with this, a homeowner may mistakenly think that the only way to get rid of bats is to catch and release them. For all these reasons and more, calling a professional bat removal service is the best thing to do.
A professional bat control specialist can definitely remove a bat infestation, but their knowledge goes beyond mere removal. A professional bat removal company understands bat biology and behavior.
For example, they know bats may have several access points they can use to gain entry into a structure. They also understand because bat species are protected, eliminating a bat problem properly requires measures that preserve these vital animals.
Animal Capture Wildlife Control is an established company licensed by California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife to handle the removal of bats and several other wildlife species, including skunks, snakes, opossums, and raccoons. Our services offer efficient and effective bat removal that preserves the species.
We will never endorse or engage in the extermination of bats. Instead, we identify all entry points, and then we install bat exclusion devices. These devices provide a way for bats to fly out, but prevent them from re-entering. Following their exit, we seal all access points.
All of our professionals are equipped with the best training and safety gear. They understand and comply with all local laws and regulations regarding safe and humane bat removal.
Have you observed bats flying into or out of your property, or heard strange noises in your chimney or attic? These are two classic signs of bat infestation. Animal Capture Wildlife Control specializes in the removal of bats in Los Angeles and beyond; visit us today.
