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Varmit Views Blog

Warm  weather  is  (almost)  here

3/20/2014

1 Comment

 
Groundhog removal
After an unusually cold and snowy winter in central PA, we are all VERY ready for spring...and so is the wildlife that lives around us.

While not all animals hibernate during winter, many do hunker down and spend less time out of their den, burrow, or hole when it is cold and wet. And just like people, when the weather begins to warm up, they are ready to get outside.

What does that mean for you?
Frisky critters with "spring fever" may be out exploring more around your property.  While that is not necessarily a problem, make sure not to leave trash or pet food outside to encourage critter visitors.

Also be aware that...
1. Several species are having litters this time of year.  That makes animal parents much more territorial and potentially aggressive.  Educate your children to NOT touch wild baby animals. (REMINDER:  You should not touch them either!)

2. Your indoor pets probably have a touch of cabin fever, too.  Now that you are able to leave them outdoors for longer periods of time, remember to keep tabs on them if you have seen fox, raccoon, opossum, or other critters hanging around your property.

And as always...
Assume that any aggressive animal, including those that are naturally bold AND those who are normally shy but acting aggressively, are a danger and health risk to you, your family, and your pets.

Hire Daversa Pest Control to safely and humanely remove the animal(s) from your property.

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014


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Beautiful ... but  not  good  neighbors

3/6/2014

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Fox removal
Fox are shy creatures.  They are nocturnal. If you are fortunate to see one in the wild, most are beautiful.

Fox do not hibernate, so you may see them year-round.  

So why don't I want one on my property?  

1. Fox will eat just about anything that is edible -- small rodents, snakes, rabbits, fruit, garbage, bird seed and pet food.  

This may become a problem for you if you have penned animals or small pets.  Fox will tear into a rabbit and chicken pen.  If they can not find food elsewhere, they may become territorial with an outdoor bowl of pet food, or attack your cats or small dogs.  Fox may also get into unsecured trash.

2. Fox may become aggressive and territorial when they have a litter.  
Fox litters are born between late March to early May.  During this time, fox may become aggressive to creatures they normally avoid.  This could include you, your children, and your pets.

And NEVER attempt to pick up a baby fox (kit).  If you think the mother has been killed or has abandoned her kits, call the game warden or an animal eviction professional.  Do not risk personal injury.

3. As with all wild animals, disease is a consideration.
In addition to the risk of rabies, fox can share distemper or mange with your pets.  As with rabies, a fox with distemper can become aggressive to people and animals it would normally avoid.

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014


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More  than  just  the  smell...

2/20/2014

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Sprayed by Skunk
As soon as the weather warms even a little bit, we can expect skunks to come out of hibernation.

Skunks can cause more than a smelly problem.  They can damage your lawn and landscaping, tear up your trash, and, like all animals, there is the risk they are carrying disease.

Skunks are primarily insect eaters.  They will dig and tear 3" or larger cone-shaped holes in your turf to get to grubs.  They also like grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles.

If you have skunks, there are three things you should know:

1. Skunks hate light!  If you think you have skunks, install floodlights.  That should keep them away.

2. If you or your pets are sprayed, our favorite odor remover is:
  • 1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide 
  • 1/4 cup of baking soda
  • 5-7 drops of liquid dish washing detergent
This option is safe for people, pets, and your clothing. 

Note that:
  • This solution does not maintain its potency for very long, so make it as you need it.  Do not make and store it.
  • The longer the skunk oil is on you, your clothing, or your pets, the more difficult it will be to remove.  Act fast.
  • Sorry to report that tomato juice is an old wives' tale.  It does not work.
​
3. Never try to pick up or remove a skunk yourself.  The risk of bite, scratch, or spray is not worth it.  Hire a professional!

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014


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2013  Pennsylvania  Rabies  Report

2/6/2014

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The 2013 numbers are in!

Here are a few facts about rabies in PA last year:
  • There were 356 reported rabid animal cases last year.  This is a three-year low down from 451 cases in 2011 and 397 cases in 2012.

  • The most common rabid animal remains the raccoon.  PA reported 165 rabid raccoon last year.  Bats came in second place with 75 reports.
Download the full report from the PA Department of Health here.

Remember, if you think you have a rabid or other nuisance animal on your property, DO NOT TRY TO CATCH IT.  Call Daversa Pest Control to professional to safely and humanely evict it.

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014

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Bats  in  the  Belfry

1/23/2014

1 Comment

 
Bat Removal
While most of us do not think bats are "cute", they are an important part of the ecosystem.  They eat mosquitoes and other insects, spreading seeds, and more.

But when bats move INTO your home, their benefit score drops to negative numbers. 

Bats live a very long time and they stay in the same place. The colony grows larger every year, as the females have babies each summer.  

What are the the risks?
Bats can cause problems in your home ranging from minor to life threatening. Risks can include damage to your property and health.

Property Damage
Bats can chew into walls, damaging insulation or wiring.  The wiring damage also creates a fire hazard.

Odor
A larger problem with having bats in your house is the strong, unpleasant odor that results from the droppings (guano).  As the piles of guano accumulate, the odor can begin to permeate your entire home. 

Disease
Bat guano is more than smelly, it is a carrier of histoplasma capsulatam. The spores of this fungus are microscopic and airborne and they can easily get into the living areas of your home. If inhaled, the spores of the fungus can cause an infection of the lungs called histoplasmosis. Sometimes the infection will clear up on its own, but it can also develop into chronic lung infection, which requires treatment. Left untreated, the disease can cause the infection to spread to other organs of the body and cause death.

Rabies
Although rare, bats can transmit rabies. Few bats actually carry rabies, but it is not possible to tell if it is a carrier. If you are bitten by a bat inside your home, or anywhere else, you should begin rabies treatments right away. 

How Do I Know if I Have Bats?
You may hear squeaking or rustling in your walls or attic, find  a single live or dead bat in your living area, or begin to smell a decaying bat in your walls. These problems are minor, but should not be ignored because a larger problems could develop. 

If there is a lot of guano or urine stains on a wall or on an area of your roof, that is likely where the bats are entering/exiting your home. Watch your house at dusk and wait for the bats to exit for their nightly hunt. They will almost always leave as a large group, so if you are looking in the right spot, you won’t miss them. 

What Do I Do if I Have Bats "In My Belfry"?
Due to their important role in the environment, bats must be removed safely and humanely by a professional.  After they are removed, you must seal the entry/exit point(s) in your  home to make sure they do not return. 

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014

1 Comment

When  to  evict  an  animal  from  your  property...

1/2/2014

3 Comments

 
Fox Removal
Living near animals is like having new neighbors—you never know what the situation will be until after the new family has already moved in.  But unlike the new neighbors next door, you CAN do something about nuisance or problem wildlife.

When To Take Action
An animal passing through your property is not necessarily a reason for concern, but you do have options if:
  • you think your safety or health are threatened, or
  • the animal is doing damage to your property

​Safety Issues
A wild animal may pose a safety concern if it is:
  • aggressive to you or your pets.
  • erratic, including an otherwise "shy" animal not running away at the prospect of human or pet contact.
  • territorial about your property.  This may indicate babies nearby.  You should NEVER attempt to remove an animal mother or try to care for her babies yourself.  Call a professional.

Animals that exhibit any of these characteristics may pose a safety risk to you, your children, your pets, or your employees. They should be removed.

Health Concerns
Wild animals are fun to watch, but if they "move in" they can bring their parasites and diseases with them. Fleas, ticks, worms, and rabies are just a few of the health issues a wild animal can introduce to your family or pets.  Evict animals that move in too close to your home.

Property Damage
That cute raccoon or beautiful fox are fun to watch...until they begin to damage your property.  Toppled trash cans, damaged lawn furniture, torn screen doors, and chewed wood are just a few of the not-so-cute things critters can do to your property.  

Protect Yourself
If a nuisance or problem animal is putting your family or property at risk, you have to protect yourself. Have a "critter control specialist" humanely evict your wildlife neighbor before something bad happens.

Daversa Pest Control is a professional animal removal service.  We humanely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2014

3 Comments

Rabies  in  Pennsylvania

12/18/2013

4 Comments

 
Raccoon Removal Rabies
As we end 2013, we are happy to state that rabid animal reports in Pennsylvania continue to decline.  At the end of November, the PA Department of Health reported only 329 cases in the Commonwealth year-to-date. See monthly reports here.

What is Rabies?
Rabies is a deadly virus of the central nervous system, attacking the spinal cord and brain. Rabies can be transmitted to humans from other species, usually through a bite.  

People bitten by a rabid animal usually will not contract rabies if they promptly receive a post-exposure rabies vaccination.  Rabies treatment entails a series of  injections.  Without treatment, the disease is generally fatal once symptoms appear.  

Raccoon and Rabies
Raccoon's tendency to be curious, social creatures that eat just about anything, make them highly susceptible to contract the disease.  Raccoon consistently rank the highest in the number of reported rabies cases both across the U.S and in Pennsylvania. 

As of November, 145 rabid raccoon were reported in PA.  Bats were a distant second on the list with only 74 reported cases. 

How Do I Know if an Animal is Rabid?
You don't.  That is why we always recommend pets and their people stay away from wild animals.

While some rabid animals exhibit no symptoms at all, aggression is one of the best-known indicators. Wild animals that normally shy away from people, may boldly seek and confront them.

What Should I Do if I See a Suspicious Animal?
  • If you or your pets have been bitten by any wild animal, you should seek immediate emergency medial attention.
  • Do not attempt to catch the animal.
  • Contact your municipality. Animal Control Services may send an officer to investigate. Some municipalities may tell you to call the Pennsylvania Game Commission if a wild animal is involved.
  • If the animal is outside your home or office, you may want to contact a nuisance animal removal service to trap and remove the animal from your premises.

Daversa Pest Control  is a professional animal removal service.  We safely remove bothersome animals, including raccoon, skunks, foxes, ground hogs, opossums, bats, and other unwanted "critters" from in and around your home or office.  We are available 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to help you feel safe.  (c) 2013

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    Author

    At Daversa Pest Control, we know A LOT about critters you don't want around your home or office. 

    Thank you for letting us share a little information about those pesky 'varmits'.

    Archives

    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    Categories

    All
    Aggressive Animals
    Animals In Trash
    Baby Animals
    Bat Guano
    Bats
    Bitten By An Animal
    Disease
    Evicting Animals
    Fox
    Groundhogs
    Hibernating Animals
    Histoplasmosis
    Nuisance Animals
    Odor In My Home
    Opossum
    Rabies
    Raccoon
    Skunks
    Sprayed By A Skunk

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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Critter Trouble?
  • Services
    • Interior Pest Control >
      • Bed Bugs
    • Exterior Pest Control
    • Wildlife Control
  • Varmint Views Blog
  • Contact Us