Home & Garden

You’ve just settled in for a peaceful night’s sleep when you hear the dreadful yet familiar noise.

Scratch, scratch … scratch.

This isn’t a scene from Holly­wood’s latest thriller. It’s just another mad­dening night for those Tennesseans who resentfully share their homes with critters.

Cute as they may be in the out-of-doors, raccoons, squirrels, bats and the like are seldom welcome in the home. But despite homeowners’ best efforts, the pesky creatures often still find a way in.

That’s where Tennessee’s animal damage control operators come in.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize that animal damage control businesses exist,” says Rodney Hall, owner of Wild Things Professional Wildlife Control
in Johnson City. “Many people try to take care of their own animal problems – they don’t want to pay someone to do it.”

Nevertheless, Hall removes nearly 400 wild animals each year from homes in northeast Tennessee alone.

Robert Keene, owner of Critter Control in Nashville, recalls one such incident.

“One time a guy had a raccoon living in his house. He didn’t know it was there, but every morning when he woke up, his lamps would all be knocked over,” Keene says. “We chased that raccoon all over the house and finally caught him with a dog-catcher pole. I put him in my truck to take him out and release him, and about five miles down the road, he jumped out of the truck right in front of a lady jogging – with the pole still around his neck. That raccoon pole-vaulted all the way down the street.”

As amusing as they can be, wild animals can present a real problem for homeowners. Attics and crawl spaces make great habitats for skunks, snakes, possums, beavers, bats, raccoons and squirrels.

Not only are freeloading critters a nuisance, they also present certain dangers and health risks.

“There’s a huge concern about rabies right now among skunks, raccoons and foxes,” says Randy Wolfe, owner of Varmint Busters, a company based in Knoxville that serves all of East Tennessee.

In fact, more than 25 counties in eastern Tennessee are under surveillance by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency because of rampant raccoon rabies there.

“We’re trying to stop it from spreading westward by dropping raccoon bait containing rabies vaccinations in these areas,” says Randy Huskey, TWRA furbearer and wild turkey coordinator. “Then we go back and do tests to see if the raccoons have eaten the bait and become vaccinated.”

Since the surveillance efforts began, as much as 30 percent of raccoons in some areas have become vaccinated. But there’s still a long way to go.
It’s also important to remember that an animal carrying rabies may not show it.

“Rabid animals can spread disease months before you even know they have it,” Huskey says, adding that anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal should call a doctor for advice.

Critters pose other health risks in the home as well – breathing dust from bat feces can cause a serious respiratory virus, and raccoons often carry roundworm.

Fortunately, homeowners can take an active role in keeping their homes critter-free.

“Most folks don’t do anything until after they have a problem,” Hall says. “The biggest thing to remember is don’t feed your pets outdoors. If you do, be sure to clean the food up after your pet is finished.”

Wolfe says it’s important that your house be in good repair. Check foundation vents periodically for holes and tears, and be wary of pet doors if you’re having problems with wildlife.

“I’ve seen raccoons and foxes walk straight through cat doors into people’s homes,” Wolfe says.

He also discourages people from intentionally feeding wildlife.

“In every neighborhood, there’s someone feeding the raccoon that’s living under another guy’s house causing a problem,” Wolfe says. “If you want to feed wildlife, feed the birds. But by inviting animals up to your back porch, you’re asking for tenants that aren’t paying rent.”

Traps, Snares and One-Way Doors

So how does an animal damage control operator remove animal outlaws from your home? And what happens to a critter once it’s in custody?

It all depends on the type of animal.

Bats, for example, are often removed by installing one-way doors in the holes, cracks or crevices they’ve been entering. The doors allow the bats to exit but prevent them from re-entering.

Raccoons, skunks and other small animals are often caught using traps.

08winter state regulations require that all animals susceptible to the raccoon rabies strain (mainly raccoons, skunks, feral cats and foxes) be euthanized upon capture to prevent the spread
of rabies. The animals are then sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta for rabies testing.

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Fall 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
Bats in the Belfry? Coons in the Closet?

Summary:
Get some help clearing the wild things – such as raccoons, opossums and bats – out of your home.

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