Living With Wildlife

Tips for Keeping Wildlife at Bay

Wild animals contribute to our enjoyment of nature

and outdoor recreation, but they can also damage

property, agriculture, and natural resources and

threaten human health and safety. The Wildlife

Services (WS) program of the U.S. Department of

Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection

Service (APHIS) assists in solving problems created

by wildlife.

Equipped with the right information and tools, most

homeowners can solve their own problems and learn

to live with wildlife. For example, trimming trees and

shrubbery are ways of changing a habitat to make it

less attractive to unwanted flocks of birds or even

snakes.

The following information may assist in keeping

that curious raccoon out of the garbage can, that persistent rabbit or deer out of the garden, that goose or

duck out of the backyard pool, that woodpecker off

the siding, and that swooping bat out of the attic.

Caution should always be taken to avoid overly

aggressive animals.

Some wildlife are protected by Federal or State laws

and regulations. For information about protected and

endangered species and trapping and relocation regulations, contact your State wildlife agency.

Squirrels and Other Rodents

To keep these animals from becoming a permanent part of the family home and yard, screen louvers, vents, and fan openings; keep doors and windows in good repair; tighten eaves; replace rotten

boards; cap the chimney; trim overhanging trees;

remove bird feeders or use squirrel-proof feeders;

and remove acorns and other nuts from the yard.

Chipmunks can be deterred by removing denning

habitat, which includes logs, rock walls, and stones.

Woodchucks

These animals, also known as groundhogs, sometimes burrow near buildings, browse in gardens, and

damage fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Fencing

can help reduce woodchuck damage. The lower

edge of the fence should be buried at least 10 inches

in the ground to prevent burrowing. The fence should

be 3 to 4 feet high, with a surrounding electric

hot–shot wire placed 4 to 5 inches off the ground.

Opossums and Skunks

Opossums and skunks become a problem to

homeowners by raiding garbage cans and bird feeders; eating pet foods; and living under porches, low

decks, open sheds, and any other areas that provide

shelter. Skunks also dig holes in lawns, golf courses,

and gardens. Both animals sometimes kill poultry

and eat eggs. To keep opossums and skunks from

denning under buildings, seal off all foundation openings with wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete.

Chicken coops can be protected by sealing all

ground-level openings into the buildings and by closing the doors at night. Foraging in garbage cans may

be eliminated by providing tight-fitting lids and straps.

Bats

Bats prefer to avoid human contact; however, they

are known to establish roosts in attics and abandoned buildings. Building and attic roosts can be

eliminated by sealing entry and exit holes (after the

bats have left) with such materials as 1/4-inch hardware cloth, caulking, or wire mesh. If a bat makes its

way into the house, you can usually encourage it to

leave after dark by turning on lights and opening windows and doors.

Rabbits

Rabbits can be kept out of the garden or away

from ornamental plants and small trees by using

products containing repellents such as Hinder or by

placing a 2-foot poultry fence around the area. It is

important to bury the fence at least 6 inches beneath

the surface of the ground. For information about

taste repellents, check your local garden or farm center. Before using any chemical repellents, read the

label carefully and check with your State pesticide

regulatory agency for application guidelines.

Raccoons

Raccoons are attracted to easy food sources, like

garden produce, garbage, and pet food. To help prevent scavenging, use metal trash cans that are fastened to a pole or to another solid object. A strap or

latch that secures the lid of the garbage can is also

helpful. To keep raccoons out of the garden, use two

strands of electric livestock fence. The strands

should be placed 4 and 8 inches respectively off the

ground and surround the entire garden. Exercise

caution when implementing this exclusionary method

in urban areas.

Raccoons will also readily inhabit attics, chimneys, and sheds. Use metal flashing and 1-inchmesh hardware cloth to block entrances.

Factsheet

Wildlife Services November 2001

APHIS
Snakes

The best way to keep snakes out of your house

and yard is to seal cracks and openings around doors,

windows, water pipes, attics, and foundations.

Removing logs, woodpiles, and high grass and controlling insects and rodents are also helpful. Remove

nonpoisonous snakes from inside buildings by placing

piles of damp burlap bags in areas where snakes

have been seen. After the snakes have curled up

beneath the bags, remove the bags and snakes from

the building. To remove dangerous snakes, call a professional pest control company.

Woodpeckers

These birds damage buildings by drilling holes into

wooden siding, eaves, or trim boards, especially those

made of cedar or redwood. If the pecking creates a

suitable cavity, the bird may use it for nesting.

Effective methods of excluding woodpeckers include

placing lightweight mesh nylon or plastic netting on

the wooden siding beneath the eaves, covering

pecked areas with metal sheathing, and using visual

repellents like “eye-spot” balloons.

Deer

Deer feed on row crops, vegetables, fruit trees,

nursery stock, stacked hay, and ornamental plants

and trees. Deer can be discouraged by removing

supplemental food sources and by using scare

devices and repellents. The only sure way to eliminate deer damage is to fence the deer out. A

wire–mesh fence is effective if it is solidly constructed

and at least 8 feet high. Electric fencing also helps

reduce damage.

Coyotes and Foxes

These animals may carry rabies and sometimes

prey on domestic pets, rabbits, ducks, geese, chickens, young pigs, and lambs. Coyotes also kill calves,

goats, and deer. Net–wire and electric fencing will

help exclude foxes and coyotes; however, because

they are good climbers, a roof of net wire on livestock

pens may also be necessary. For more information

about fencing, contact your local county extension

office.

The protection of livestock and poultry is most

important during the spring denning period. Foxes

and coyotes will often den close to farm buildings,

under haystacks, or inside hog lots or small pastures

used for lambing. Shed lambing and farrowing in protected enclosures can be useful in preventing predation on young livestock. Additionally, noise– and

light–making devices, such as the Electronic Guard,

may keep these predators away. Guarding dogs are

also useful in preventing predation on sheep.

Regrettably, dispersal methods are not effective in all

situations, so other methods, including trapping or

snaring, may have to be used.

Mountain Lions and Bears

As bear and lion habitats continue to decrease,

interactions between these animals and humans 

continue to increase. Bears are noted for destroying

cornfields and trees, scavenging in garbage cans,

demolishing the interiors of cabins and campers, and

killing livestock. Lions are serious predators of sheep,

goats, domestic pets, large livestock, poultry, bighorn

sheep, and deer. Typical bear and lion predation on

sheep leaves 10 or more killed in a single attack, and

both species are known to attack humans.

Prevention is the best method of controlling bear

and lion damage. Heavy woven and electric fencing

can effectively deter bears and lions from attacking

livestock and damaging property. Loud music, barking

dogs, exploder cannons, fireworks, gunfire, nightlights,

scarecrows, and changes in the position of objects in

the depredation area often provide temporary relief.

The best way to protect pets is to keep them inside an

enclosed kennel or shelter. Using guarding dogs,

removing garbage and dead carcasses, and placing

crops and beehives at considerable distances away

from timber and brush may reduce damage by bears.

Mountain lions also prefer to hunt where escape cover

is close by; removal of brush and trees within a 

quarter of a mile of buildings and livestock may

reduce lion predation.

Professional relocation of damaging mountain lions

and bears is sometimes necessary. For more information about State laws and regulations concerning

relocation or lethal control of mountain lions and

bears, contact your State wildlife agency.

Additional Information

You may obtain more information about how to

solve these and other wildlife problems from any State

APHIS, WS office. For the address and telephone

number in your area, call the WS Operational Support

Staff at (301) 734–7921. You can also visit the WS

Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ws.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national

origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to

all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative

means for communication of program information (Braille, large

print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of

Civil Rights, Room 326–W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence

Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250–9410 or call (202) 720–5964

(voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture