Pest / Nuisance Animal Removal in High Gear
As the old adage says…When it rains, it pours.
Though this has been true of the weather last week, we’re also talking about the pace of animal removal calls this time of year. And, please note, we are not complaining:)
Late April and May are always super busy times in the world of the nuisance animal trapper. All species seem to be problematic and the recent births have really spiked the animal population. So what has Frontline Animal Removal been up to?
Traveling Man
We have been fielding calls from all over Stark, Summit, and Portage Counties and trying to get to as many jobs as possible during this peak period.
Consequently, Ryan is averaging about 120-150 miles a day making the rounds. Some of the communities he made visits to last week were: Kent, Hudson, Akron, Stow, Barberton, Diamond, Cuyahoga Falls, Canton, Cuyahoga Falls, Green, Bath, Hartville, and Uniontown.
And, there has definitely been variety in the work as calls are coming in for squirrels, raccoons, bats, skunks, moles, and groundhogs.
Here is a look at some of the things happening in the nuisance animal removal world.
Species Updates for Mid-May
Squirrels: Squirrels have given birth and the young of the year are growing quickly. The babies that were born not long ago with eyes shut and without hair, now look like regular squirrels. They are only differentiated from mom by their smaller size.
Most are able to come out of the nest now. Catches of multiple squirrels in traps placed at the den entrance is the preferred method. Three, four, or five squirrels all come out of the nest and are efficiently captured together.
Raccoons: Baby raccoons are not as developed as squirrels right now. For example, they are not coming out of the nest on their own right now. And, not all raccoons are even done birthing.
The ones we removed this past week looked like little adult raccoons but were easy to handle: no biting or scratching.
The mother raccoons are being caught coming out of the soffits, eaves, in the chimneys or at the base of the chimney like the raccoon in the picture. The babies are then located and removed by hand.
Bats: There are an increasing number of bat inspection calls coming in as bats become more noticeable. Bats have not given birth as of yet, but the females have maternity on their minds.
There are a lot of pieces in a quality bat control/management puzzle. These protected and ecologically important flying mammals(!) are deserving of much respect, though they are often feared. A thorough inspection answers a lot of questions and provides peace of mind and a quality management plan.
Groundhogs: There are no babies out of dens yet. Some have probably already been born and other are are probably being born today! After being born in an underdeveloped state, they stay in the nest for a month or so before venturing out. 
Most of our groundhog calls come as a result of groundhog denning under and around structures. We’ve never had a call for one running amok in a house, but it will eventually come.
The key to groundhog removal is to observe them and locate all of their den entrances. Then trapping and sealing of the entrances can be done right. Putting obstacles in their way, as seen in the picture, is often tried by homeowners, but rarely effective.
Skunks: Like groundhogs, the babies are not out of the den yet if they have already been born. They spend a month or so in the nest before venturing out and we typically don’t see babies until June.
Now is the time, however, to locate birthing dens. Skunks generally use multiple dens. But, once the babies are born, the mother skunk will return to the same den morning after morning. Homeowners who have found a den and see a skunk daily will probably have baby skunks soon.
Moles: Moles keep excavating lawns. Like the other species we’ve discussed, birth is either going to happen soon or has already happened. Once the little ones are weaned, they too will be on the hunt for worms in a yard near yours.
Never Too Busy to Evaluate Your Wildlife Problem
We noted at the start that being busy is a good thing! Animal removal has peak periods and we’re in the midst of one of them.
If you’ve read this because you recently discovered a nuisance animal problem, please call us with your animal removal issues!
Our primary service area is the Stark/Summit/Portage area, serving communities around Akron, Canton, and Kent.
We are proud to be your trusted source for professional and humane nuisance animal removal and are looking forward to hearing from you.
