1. The Redneck Trapper – (most of which whom operate under the table without any licenses, insurance, etc) that are happy to trap for you cheap and do it over and over again.

Many of them are fur trappers and actually want a steady source of harvestable furs. Some are dog trainers and want animals to train their dogs, and again, a steady source is what they want. These guys actually benefit from your home being repeatedly reinfested year after year. If you don’t mind the steady build up of animal odors and the regular deterioration of the building materials in your attic and crawlspace, by all means, hire these guys. They will be cheaper than I am.

2. The Tunnel Vision Guys – They are happy to remove your animal and fix up the hole it came in, but they neglect to secure the rest of the house, and they definitely don’t consider other potential problems. If they are there for raccoon control, they won’t notice the smaller holes that will let rats in once the predator is gone. Again, expect to have another infestation next year.

Most of my big company competitors, even if they claim to be full service wildlife control company, fall into this category because the owner doesn’t actually go out to jobs. Some beginner tech being paid barely more than minimum wage is who will actually come to your home. New startups also often are this way too, because they don’t have the experience to know what to look for beyond what you tell them too.Again, if you don’t mind being infested again, maybe by a different species next time, go ahead and hire these guys. The new startups are usually cheap, and the big companies are going for quantity over quality.

3. The “I can do anything” Contractor – We all know that neighborhood handyman who claims he can tackle any home service job. That may be true, but you’ve probably heard the old saying… “Jack of all trades, master of none” You can’t be all things and still be the best.

I can’t tell you how many times clients have said, “Our handyman thought he blocked them out, but they still found a way in.” I hear that about once a week. While I’m sure your handyman, or roofer, or painter, etc can fix the holes the animals make using industry standard repairs, They usually don’t know where to look for hidden access points or what the animals are capable of getting through.

The problem is that if industry standard building practices took pests into consideration, I wouldn’t have a job. Industry standards aren’t good enough for effective wildlife control. The knowledge of the animal’s capabilities is what sets me apart from these guys. I take nothing on faith or the manufacturers assurances. I have seen what otters and raccoons can rip through, and what mice and bats can squeeze through. All Jack Russell repairs are guaranteed, otter strong, and mouse tight, and we will find all the holes, no matter how hidden they are.

If my brother Tommy or I miss something or an animal breaks through a repair of ours (let’s face it, I’m human and it does happen occasionally) I will seal it up or reinforce it for free. Try getting a guarantee like that from your handyman.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these guys usually have no licenses or training on proper wildlife animal disposition and safe handling.

4. The Insect company – There are a few insect specialists who recognize my expertise in relation to vertebrates, and I have a healthy referral relationship with them. However, too many of them step outside their expertise and try to tackle vertebrate problems.

Most insect companies claim they can also perform rat control or mouse control, and a few try delving into wildlife control as well. Rats and mice are one of my biggest pet peeves. Most insect companies try to treat them like insects. They lay poisons around like they’re spraying for ants and then set you up on a long term service contract to lay more poisons every couple of months. They call it a maintenance contract. Yup, they’re maintaining your problem all right. It will just keep going and going, just like a well maintained Honda.

There are two big problems with this rodent control technique.

First off, leaving poisons around the house eventually will lead to dead animals IN the house.  I get called out to remove a dead rat stinking up somebody’s house because of a careless insect company’s poisons at least weekly.

Secondly, as long as there are holes for the animals to get in, the animals will keep coming. Rats and mice are colonial, and the colony is breeding faster than you can kill them, so unless you seal the access holes, they will keep coming.

WILDLIFE REMOVAL

If you hire me for wildlife removal, you only have to do it once, but sealing up your house is a big upfront repair job as opposed to a small monthly contract that goes on forever and ever so I guess I sort of understand why people hire the insect guys. Still, if your going to make monthly payments, a credit card bill or small home equity loan bill for a limited term to pay me to permanently solve your rodent infestation is a better return on investment.

As for those insect companies that claim to also do the big animals such as raccoons, opossums, etc. They usually fall under the “tunnel vision” category above, and they usually aren’t properly licensed. Most insect companies are licensed with the Department of Agriculture as “PESTICIDE APPLICATORS”. That’s important when you are placing deadly chemicals around a person’s home. I don’t have such a license because I don’t use poisons. I have a Trapper’s license and a Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator’s permit from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. These are the licenses required to set any type of traps other than rat/mouse instant kill snap traps. There are strict laws about the proper use of such traps to insure that animal cruelty does not occur.

I have no problem with insect companies that stick with their expertise. Insects. I don’t do insects and always refer insect jobs to a specialist. I just wish they all did the same. Rats, mice, and Pigeons are not insects, and should not be treated as such.

Okay, rant over. If you’ve read this far, I expect you would like to hire a professional wildlife control service. My number is 360-508-8115. If you actually want to hire one of the above referenced competitors, I can’t legally give their names here as that would be slander, but they usually aren’t that hard to find.

And we don’t mean baby deer taking naps.

No, unfortunately it’s that time of year when too often too many people “kidnap” fawns — and other wildlife babies — found outdoors.

They often think they’re saving an abandoned baby, says Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologist Patricia Thompson.

“But most of the time they’re actually kidnapping a baby out from under the watchful eye of a nearby but unseen mother deer,” Thompson said. “It’s the annual re-run of “The invasion of the baby snatchers.”

Thompson, who coordinates Washington’s licensed wildlife rehabilitator program, takes calls nearly every day at this time of year from well-intentioned but uninformed people.

Sometimes she can talk people into leaving the fawn where it is or putting the fawn back where they found it so the doe can reunite with her baby again. But too often she has to enlist the help of a licensed rehabilitator trained in wild animal care.

“An uninjured fawn really doesn’t need human care,” she said. “It needs its mother. In the rare case of a truly orphaned fawn, it needs a special diet and treatment, as well as no human contact to eventually be rehabilitated back to the wild.”

Thompson says it’s frustrating because WDFW has been promoting “leave wild babies in the wild” forever, and information has been available for years on WDFW’s website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/when_not_to_rescue.html ).

“Sometimes I think people just can’t help themselves,” she said. “When a wild baby seems helpless or abandoned, you want to help.”

But that help can ultimately be a death sentence for young wild animals, which are often intentionally left alone for hours while their parents gather food.

Doe deer leave their fawns alone to avoid drawing predators with their own body scent. Young birds commonly leave the nest before they are fully-feathered and are fed on the ground by their parents for a day or two until they are able to fly. It is common to see very young American robins, spots and all, on the ground waiting to be fed by mom or dad.

More often than not, just leaving a young animal alone affords it the best chance for survival.

Leaving these babies alone means you need to confine cats, dogs and other pets that can cause lethal injury. One of the most common causes of injuries to wildlife, is attacks by cats. Any animal attacked by a cat needs a wildlife rehabilitator’s care, even if it does not look injured. Cat bites often cause serious infection.

One of the few situations in which almost anyone can help wild babies is when very young, un-feathered birds have fallen out of the nest and are on the ground.

If you can find the nest and safely reach it, simply pick up the nestling with a gloved hand and put it back in the nest. Contrary to popular belief, the parent birds will not reject their young because it’s been handled by humans.

Thompson recalled a situation where a fawn was hung up in a fence, probably while trying to follow its mother. It was freed by a neighbor who watched it run around by itself for a day, but then witnessed it reunite with its mother to nurse.

In another incident, a fawn brought in to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator was returned to the pick-up spot within 24 hours. When released by the rehabilitator, the fawn cried out and within minutes a doe appeared, stomping its feet at the human (who quickly exited so the two could reunite.)

Wild animals of any age that show obvious signs of illness or injury such as bleeding, vomiting, panting, shivering, or ruffled feathers or fur, or that are just lethargic and make no effort to escape your approach, may indeed be in need of care. However, call a wildlife rehabilitator first before attempting to pick the animal up.

Most Washington counties have wildlife rehabilitators, listed with phone numbers and addresses for 24-7 access on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/index.html.

If you and a wildlife rehabilitator decide it might be best to help the animal, find out from them how to safely contain and transport the animal. Always wear gloves when picking up a wild animal to place it in the container. Until the animal is transported to the rehabilitator, keep it in a warm, quiet, dark place.

Another way to help wildlife, whether or not you find an injured animal in need of care, is to support your local volunteer wildlife rehabilitators. All of these volunteers must establish and maintain a good working relationship with a cooperating veterinarian, and many are veterinarians themselves; none can charge for their services to wildlife, but may accept donations.   

We headed out early to Grayland for a rare -1.2 spring tide daylight clam dig. It took a little over an hour, but the 10 of us in the family managed to dig 150 clams. We also saw a seal pup sleeping on the beach. There was a big sign that a park or wildlife official must have placed saying it is illegal to disturb the seal. Yet it seems they had to have disturbed it some to get the sign so close… In any case, I think people are the least of this pups worries since I noticed a bald eagle circling above. I can just imagine that eagle thinking, “if those humans would just leave, I could nab that little seal pup for lunch”.

After we left the beach, my aunt went crabbing while my wife and I took the kids to a soccer game. Unfortunately I was called away to pick up a captured Opossum. I also had to pick up a deer carcass. It made for a smelly and messy afternoon.

We are still cleaning clams, and making chowder. Almost time for bed and a new day tomorrow.

All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy. I do try to get some play time in. Next week, Squirrels and bass/trout at Lake Cushman!

That means more animals of all kinds getting active nesting. I have already been busy with Starlings, Raccoons, Rats, Otters, and Squirrels this spring, but the rush hasn’t quite arrived. The early nesters are getting busy, but the bulk of the activity is yet to come.

Get ready for raccoon kits and starling hatchlings any time now. They are usually the first to get loud and destructive each spring. Rats breed year round, so the only difference for them means that more of the young will survive. Squirrels are usually a bit later. I won’t expect many squirrel babies until June.

The hardest part for me this time of year is keeping up with demand, and prioritizing jobs. If you are having problems, you should make an appointment as soon as possible. I’m only booked a week out right now, but by mid May, I will be over 3 weeks out.

Thanks for reading!

-Jack

The most common form of nuisance problem is simply the nesting of the birds. They will nest in protected alcoves and ledges on all types of structures, wood, brick, stone, concrete, etc. The nesting itself can be troublesome as the mud and straw used to make the nests can both deteriorate the background material, as well as create extra weight on structural components not designed for it. The nests and the related droppings that accumulate around the nests are also aesthetically problematic and can detract from pleasant structural appearance. On an old barn, that usually isn’t a concern, but on a restaurant or social club, such stains can create a serious business risk.

The easiest way to eliminate swallow problems is to eliminate the ledges they will use to build their nests. Despite common myth, swallows can’t adhere their nests to anything. They need rough surfaces and inside corners, or small ledges. Even a 1/4″ ledge is enough to hold a nest, so every ledge and rough inside corner needs to be eliminated. Once eggs have been laid, Federal law requires that no nest mitigation can be done until the young are fully developed. The best time to do swallow work is the early spring before eggs are laid.

Because the needs of each building are different, I need to do an onsite assessment of the structure to give accurate advice as to the best solution that will eliminate the ability of the birds to nest as well as maintain the appearance of the structure.

Repel the invaders that scale your walls! Your home is your castle, and I will make it a fortress!

Call now to set up an assessment.

As I always do this time of year, I operate on my winter scheduling program until I get overbooked. In the winter, jobs can be few, and to make sure I don’t lose any, I book at my next available open position in the calendar. Of course, when the spring rush comes on, I will soon find myself with no days off to reset and recouperate. After a 3 week solid work schedule with a backlog of office work, no family time, and an increasingly disorganized truck, I will start remembering to set aside days for family, rest, and office work.

Lately, I’ve been doing a bunch of jobs on Vashon Island for Otters and Rats. Don’t know what it is about that island, but it seems overrun this year. Not a lot of contractors like to work on the island, because the ferry ride is time consuming and expensive, and it’s out of the way. I don’t mind though. I love standing outside on the upper deck and watching for the Marine life in the Sound. I once saw a pod of about 25 Orca while riding the Vashon Ferry from Fauntleroy. Seals, Sea Lions, and Gulls are usually seen on every ride. It truly is a wonder to live in our beautiful Salish Sea!

Although I’m busy, I am still happy to get whatever jobs I can. My brother, Tommy, sometimes pitches in during these seasons to keep me from getting too backed up on work. His own work is conveniently slow when mine is busy.

Growing up on the farm, starlings Regularly decimated our crops. A murmuration of Starlings can descend upon a grain field, or cherry orchard, or vegetable patch and destroy half the production in a matter of minutes. They’re almost as bad as locusts, though fortunately we don’t have locusts like that here in Western Washington.

Starlings are native to Europe. The first 100 Starlings in the US were introduced to Manhattan’s Central Park in the 1890’s by the Shakespeare Society of New York so that “American’s can enjoy the splendor of all the birds mentioned in Shakespeare’s Works.” Every one of the some 100 million starlings in the USA today is descended from those original birds. If only we had a time machine…

There’s not much I can do about the decimation of crops, but I can keep starlings out of your house. They typically nest in the vent holes under your eaves, and the exhaust vents for your dryer, bathroom, and oven vents. There are other places they may nest, but those are the most common.

I solve this problem by reinforcing the screening on your vents and blocking sheltered cubbies on your home to eliminate their nesting sites.

Removal of the adult birds is usually a simple procedure of shooing them out as I do the reinforcements. Removal of the young can sometimes be more challenging and may involve cutting into protected spaces.

Your Home is Your Castle, and I will Make it a Fortress to keep these birds, and any other animal vermin from getting in.

Jack Russell Wildlife Control. Born and Bred for Vermin Security.

They also bring their odors with them. Not only do Otters have a very strong musk that otters use to mark territory and attract mates, they also bring their marine based food into their living area which they leave strewn around to rot. There’s nothing quite like the smell of rotting fish and clams to really give your house an ambiance you’d rather avoid. That’s why you need to hire a professional Otter Removal service!

Otters are protected under federal law, and if trapped, must be relocated unless trapped during the regular fur trapping season. When relocated, Otters are capable of extensive travel, and since most waterfront communities in our area are closely connected by both land and water routes, an otter can easily make it back to its home range no matter where it is relocated to.

Because of that, Otter Removal and prevention is all about reinforcing the building so that they can’t get back in.  Otters are strong. Stronger than any other structural infestation animal I deal with. They can rip through standard wire screens and tear through particle board. Thus, making a house secure against otters requires heavy duty reinforcing of all potential access points leading into your crawlspace.

Your home is your castle, and I can make it a fortress, strong enough to keep out otters, and tight enough to keep out bats and mice. I can also get your crawlspace cleaned, deodorized, and repaired through my Insulation, HVAC, and other partners. Call me to solve your otter infestation, and you will rest easy knowing your house will be Varmint free.

Jack Russell Wildlife Control, BORN AND BRED FOR VARMINT SECURITY.

Although not all bat species are endangered, ALL the bat species are very beneficial for managing insect swarms, and so every effort should be made to avoid harming any bats. Thus, the focus to solve the problem should be on the building.

Bats do not have calcified bones like we do, and this flexibility enables them to squeeze through extremely small openings. In order to eliminate a bat infestation, it is important to find all the potential gaps in a structure and seal them.

If you have a metal roof, concrete/slate/or rubber tile roof, or cedar shake roof, you should start by replacing it with an asphalt composition roof.  There is just no way to seal metal, tile, or cedar roofs against bats without adversely affecting the moisture properties of those roofs. Metal roofs also pose a unique problem in that they expand and contract significantly in the heat and cold which forces new gaps to open in surrounding materials.

If you already have an asphalt roof, then I start by finding all the gaps in your structure.  Your Home is Your Castle, I can make it a fortress. When I have found the bats’ primary access points, I will begin sealing all the OTHER access points, and leaving the primary access points open. When the bats are restricted to just one to four remaining holes, I will place one-way doors over those access points to make sure the bats can get out, but not get back in again. They will have to find a new home. Our Bat Removal service creates a permanent solution to your problem.

Timing is also important with bats. During the late spring and early summer, female bats may leave their flightless young behind in the nursery while they go out foraging. To make sure that no juvenile bats are trapped inside to die, a nursing colony should not have any one-way doors placed from April to August. By the time September rolls around, the young are old enough to fly, and so the doors can be placed at that time.  If an exclusion is done in the winter, the one way doors should be left up until May just to make sure that no hibernating bats are trapped inside.

Once I am certain all occupant bats have successfully escaped the fortified structure, we can take down the doors, and then we can seal those access points permanently.

If you are interested in making your structure bat-proof, call!

Jack Russell Wildlife Control, Born and Bred for Varmint Security.

360-508-8115

The most important thing to remember about Raccoons is that they have individual personalities as diverse as humans. This makes blanket statements about behavior and pest status overly simplistic. I often am called from people concerned about seeing raccoons in their neighborhood, afraid for their pets or children, because they’ve seen news programs about dangerous raccoons on TV. That’s kind of like calling the police every time you see a stranger walking down the sidewalk. Not every stranger is a thug aiming to break into your home, vandalize your property, and attack your loved ones.

Since it is perfectly normal for raccoons to forage for bugs in your lawn, travel the neighborhood at any hour in search of food, and hang out in trees, there’s really no need to be concerned about seeing Raccoons doing those things.

Things you do need to be concerned about: Raccoons eating pet food and garbage, because raccoons used to getting handouts often become aggressive;  Raccoons hanging out on porches and knocking on windows, because this is the aggressive behavior that follows regular handouts when their old supply dries up, or their population grows beyond what the old handout provides; Several Adult Raccoons traveling together, because such groups are always the result of a human fed multi-generation family which are highly likely to assault humans and their pets in their quest for food; and Raccoons climbing on roofs or under buildings, because this is usually a sign that you have a raccoon squatter living in your house.

The focus on Solving raccoon problems should always be on prevention. If you have someone in your neighborhood who is leaving pet food outside, or has unsecured garbage cans you should encourage them to remove those raccoon attractions. Raccoons invading structures is best resolved by securing the building which I can do to any building, or If you already have a raccoon living in your attic or crawlspace, I can help. In situations where a Raccoon has already gotten into your house, damaging insulation and heating ducts, tearing out screens, and stinking up the place, First we need to get those pesky varmints out.

The methods I use for Raccoon Removal vary from situation to situation, sometimes involving catch cable poles, sometimes trap cages, sometimes just a thick pair of gloves. Regardless of how I Remove the raccoons, to make sure the problem doesn’t happen again requires that we fix your house.

Your Home is Your Castle, I can Make it a Fortress. I will identify all the weak points on your house that animals like Raccoons can use to enter your home, and I can reinforce the building to guarantee no animals will get in.

When the Animals are gone, and the house is secure, I can clean up the mess and repair the damage they left inside.

If you are ready to make raccoon issues a thing of the past, Call me today! Raccoon Removal is my specialty.

Jack Russell Wildlife Control. Born and Bred for Varmint Security.