Wildlife

Look in the links above for a specific topic or scan the questions below. Questions are arranged by date so you may want to jump down to the month when you are experiencing trouble. Follow the links within the answers for a complete description of the insect/disease cycle and discussion on causes and control.

Feeding Birds
Q. 2/24 How do I keep squirrels out of my bird feeder?

A. Keep feeders away from branches and shrubs that may serve as "jumping off points". Use homemade or commercial baffles placed above hanging feeders or below feeders mounted on a pole. More on feeder pests and bird feeders at Cornell's Lab of Ornithology

Skunks

3/01 The Striped Skunk becomes active active from mid February to March when their breeding season begins. They will begin to search for protected places, such as underneath porches and decks, to make their den. 6 to 7 young (kits) are born in May or June. Seal possible entry points before they become a home. If you are uncertain whether an entry site is active, watch for two days. Place newspaper in the hole or staple cardboard over it. Use live traps (baited with marshmallows and molasses) if there is activity in and out. Later in the year skunks may damage lawn by digging shallow holes searching for grubs and other soil insects.

Voles eating bark
Q. 3/30 Something has eaten the bark off of my crabapple. Is it dead or can I save it?

A. Meadow voles, AKA field mice, can cause serious damage to trees in orchards, Christmas tree plantations and landscapes. Rodents chew at the bark of certain species girdling the tree by exposing and drying out living cells under the bark. Keeping grass short and removing a food source (bird seed) is the first step. Protecting individual trees or shrubs is recommended on a small scale. Galvanized wire mesh should be placed into the ground around trunks and extend 18-24" above depth of snow cover. On a larger scale, trapping or rodenticides can be placed in bait stations. If damage is noticed soon after it occurs, fruit trees may be saved by bridge grafting.

Woodpeckers
Q. 4/16 Woodpeckers are pecking at my siding. How do I get them to stop?

A. Woodpeckers knock on siding either to signal other woodpecker of their territory, or because they are going after insects in the wood. If they have dug holes into the wood, they are likely after insects and you need to address that problem by treating the siding with a wood preservative or paint. Discouraging woodpeckers from specific areas can be achieved by scare devices such as strips of plastic, pin wheels, mirrors, pie tins or hawk or owl effigies. You may also try deadening the sound produced by filling the space behind the wood with expanding foam insulation.

Whitetail deer
Q. 6/9 We are looking to replant an area, in the open, with shrubs that are resistant to deer damage. Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

A. Depending on the winter, deer (pdf.) will feed on just about anything. That leaves you with two options; 1- protect the plants with fencing EVERY year, or 2- choose plants that can withstand the damage. Individual shrubs and beds can be protected with burlap, plastic netting or wire mesh 3-4' high, staked around the plant. A list a plants favored by deer is in the following article, "Feeding deer your favorite plants" (pdf).

Protect yards and fields with fences. Woven wire fences should be at least 8 to protect areas up to 10 acres. Larger areas may need an additional 2 feet with two strands of smooth wire placed above the woven fence.

Rabbits or Woodchucks in Gardens

Wildlife in gardens are almost impossible to "get rid" of completely, especially when you do not have control over nearby property. The first step is to cut tall grass and remove brush piles or other cover. Protect the vegetable garden from rabbits and woodchucks with chicken wire fencing with one inch or smaller mesh. Wire should be at least three feet tall. Install around garden and bend back six inches of fencing and bury below the soil. This will keep animals from crawling underneath the fence. Bend to top 15" out at a 45* angle to keep them from going over.

Bees at Hummingbird Feeder

Bees may be attracted to hummingbird feeders, especially in dry summers. Cornell Lab of Ornithology web page, Insect Pests at Feeders, recommends using feeders with bee guards or a "saucer-shaped feeder, from which the birds feed through ports in the top".

Amphibians

Q. 7/29 The attached picture shows a jelly-like egg sack attached to a rope which has been in the water all season. We have also found these jelly things just attached to the rocks at the bottom of the water. Question: What are they and should we be happy to see them?

A. You should be very happy to see these egg masses. It is hard to be specific from the picture, but they are either the eggs of the wood frog or the spotted salamander.

Bats
Q 8/15 I found bats (pdf) in my attic. How can I get rid of them?

A. Bats roosting in homes should not be excluded until late August. The young little brown bat are born in June and are flightless for about two months. One way doors(pdf) can be built over entry points to let bats out and prevent them from getting back in. You may then seal the holes during the day. Remember that bats can enter holes as small as 1/4" wide by 1 1/2" long. Bat droppings contain the spores of the fungus that causes histoplasmosis, which can be inhaled. To remove, ventilate the area and wear leather gloves, disposable Tyvek™ coveralls, goggles, and a proper respirator. Do not vacuum or sweep. Instead, thoroughly wet the materials with a household or commercial disinfectant. Wipe up with a damp sponge. Do not use a bleach solution, because bat guano contains ammonia. Do NOT mix bleach with ammonia because the fumes are toxic.

Build a bat house(pdf) to keep them around to feed on mosquitoes.

Deer Management
9/29 Q. I was talking to a farmer friend of ours this week and we got discussing the problems farmers have with deer damage. My question is this: If a farmer has deer management permits for farm damage control (I believe it's through the DMAP program?), could they have others come help them fill those to control the herd? My friend was saying that the DMAP permits are good, but farmers never have time to focus on the deer control. Is that something that they can have others help with Or does it have to be the landowner themselves?

A. DMAP is specifically designed to give landowners the option of handing out the antlerless deer permits during the hunting season to licensed hunters. Applicants must manage at least 100 acres and show that their property is in need of site specific deer management efforts.

Squirrels eating bulbs
10/10 Q. There is something eating my bulbs, I think it may be squirrels. I lost my tulip bulbs and hostas the last two years. I planted oriental lilies two days ago, put red pepper around the bulbs and in the soil but this morning I found one pulled out. What else can I do to save the bulbs I plant?

A. Squirrels may dig up flower bulbs. Newly planted bulbs can be protected with 1-inch-mesh poultry wire. Dig a trench slightly deeper than
the desired depth of planting and fit the poultry wire in the bottom. Add dirt and plant the bulbs. Place another strip of poultry wire over the plantings so that the bulbs are completely encased, and finish covering with dirt

Using Pesticides Safely
Indiscriminate use of pesticides introduces unneeded chemicals into the environment, puts yourself at risk of contamination, possibly kills beneficial insects and could lead to pesticide resistance in pest insects. Before choosing an insecticide, ask yourself how much damage you can withstand. If the damage to the plant is only aesthetic, your first option is always to do nothing. To choose the appropriate insecticide, look for the name of the pest and the host plant on the label. Always read the label and follow the directions for application methods.

This publication may contain pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Due to constantly changing labels and product registrations, some of the suggestions given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any information in these recommendations disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author and Cornell Cooperative Extension assume no liability resulting form the use of these guidelines.