Animal Control Offers Wildlife Prevention Tips for Homeowners

VILLAS — Shore Animal Control would like to help homeowners with wildlife issues as the season begins. Across South Jersey, raccoons, skunks and other wildlife have been appearing during daylight hours. If you see a raccoon in your yard during the day, don’t panic—she is not necessarily sick or dangerous. It’s perfectly normal for raccoons to be active throughout the day. She may merely be foraging longer hours to support her young, visiting a garden while the dogs are indoors, or moving to a new location.
The following tips will help prevent issues in a resident’s yard as well as the entire neighborhood. Trapping and relocation of nuisance wildlife does not solve a resident’s problem and only transfers to it to another neighborhood. Removing the source of the problem is the only solution and part of the state Fish and Wildlife policy. The following tips will help repel wildlife from your backyard. Raccoons in unsecured trash cans are an everyday occurrence now because of careless homeowners.
1. Keep Garbage Cans Inside Or In Garage If Possible: Do not put out any garbage cans until the morning of collection. This is the number one attraction for wildlife. Even if they have not been able to get into the cans, the smell attracts them. Find secure cans and keep in garage until pick up with bungee cords over the lids. Spray the interior of the cans with ammonia to reduce odors. Sprinkle raccoon repellant around the cans.
2. Never Leave Petfood Outdoors: When you feed pets outside, you are attracting rodents and wildlife. Do not feed on decks or porches, only indoors. If you are feeding feral cats, place food, and then pull the food after they are done eating or 30 minutes later.
3. Clean Outdoor Grills: If you have an outdoor grill, you must clean it completely after use and put away if possible. There should be no scent to detract wildlife.
4. Clean Up Yard: If you have trees or bushes that harvest fruits, berries or nuts, check your yard often in search of those that have fallen on the ground and remove them. Remove all water sources that skunks can easily access as well.
5. Close Up Any Holes: If you have openings under porches or decks for nesting, close them up. Having easy access to these will attract nesting wildlife.
6. Clean Gutters: Remove leaves and debris from roof and gutters to avoid rodents. Skunks eat mice just like cats so where there are mice, there are often skunks!
7. Close Garage And Shed Doors: You do not want to leave any garage or shed doors open, especially if you keep your garbage in them before pick up.
8. Automated Sprinklers: Automated Sprinklers also known as the scarecrow sprinklers are also a common way to deter skunks. The automated sprinklers have motion sensors that come on and squirt the skunk or any other animal that comes within so many feet of it. The skunk then associates this frightening experience with your yard, and decides to never return. You can place these sprinklers anywhere in your yard near the area you want the skunk to stay away from.
9. Trim All Tree Branches Near Decks: To keep wildlife off your decks and roof you should make sure all tree branches are cut so there is no access.
10. Purchase Grub Killer & Skunk Repellant: To keep wildlife off your property, purchase repellant and follow directions. Grubs being dug up in lawns is easily fixed with drug killer.
If you have followed these 10 steps and after one month still have a wildlife issue, you should consult a pest company for further steps. NJ has state regulations on wildlife removal so please contact the NJ Department of Fish & Game to make sure you are following state laws.