Wild animals are an important part of nature and a source of outdoor 

enjoyment, but they can also damage property, agriculture, and natural 

resources and threaten human health and safety. Most wildlife species 

are protected by Federal or State laws and regulations. For information 

about threatened and endangered species and trapping and relocation 

regulations, contact your State wildlife agency or the U.S. Department of the 

Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov. 

Techniques to manage wildlife conflicts can involve simple actions such as 

trimming trees and shrubs or limiting food sources by securing garbage. 

More specific information is below, but for further details or direct help, 

contact your State’s Wildlife Services office by calling 1-866-4USDA-WS 

(1-866-487-3297).

Squirrels and Other Rodents

To keep these animals from becoming a permanent part of your home 

and yard, you can screen louvers, vents, and fan openings; keep doors 

and windows in good repair; tighten eaves; replace rotten boards; cap the 

chimneys; trim overhanging trees; remove bird feeders or use squirrelproof feeders; and remove acorns and other nuts from the yard. Because 

landscaping features such as ground cover, trees, and shrubs can provide 

protection for chipmunks trying to get into your home, do not plant the 

features in a way that connects wooded areas with your home’s foundations. 

Factsheet

August 2016

Living with Wildlife

Wildlife Services, a program 

within the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture’s Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service 

(APHIS), provides Federal 

leadership and expertise to 

resolve conflicts between 

people and wildlife, to create a 

balance that allows coexistence 

and reduces wildlife damage. 

In many cases, we accomplish 

this by providing information 

and tools so people can solve 

their own wildlife-related 

problems. 

Scare devices, repellents, 

and wire-mesh fencing may 

discourage deer from feeding 

on row crops, vegetables, and 

nursery stock. 

Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service

Wildlife Services
Woodchucks

These animals, also known as groundhogs, sometimes 

burrow near buildings, eat gardens, and damage 

fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Fencing can help 

reduce woodchuck damage. The lower edge 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 electrical fencing wire placed 4 to 5 inches 

off the ground.

Opossums and Skunks

Opossums and skunks become problematic when they 

raid garbage cans and bird feeders, eat pet food, and 

live under porches or anywhere that offers shelter close 

to a home. Skunks also dig in lawns, golf courses, and 

gardens. Both animals sometimes kill poultry and eat 

their eggs. To keep opossums and skunks from denning 

under buildings, seal off all foundation openings with 

wire mesh, sheet metal, or concrete. Protect chicken 

coops by sealing all ground-level openings into the 

buildings and by closing the doors at night. Use tightfitting lids and straps to eliminate foraging in garbage 

cans. 

Bats

Bats prefer to avoid human contact; however, they are 

known to roost in attics and abandoned buildings. You 

can prevent this by sealing entry and exit holes (after 

the bats leave) with such materials as one-fourth inch 

mesh hardware cloth or caulking. If a bat makes its way 

into the house, it will usually leave after dark if you turn 

on lights and open windows and doors.

Waterfowl

Although most people find a few birds acceptable, 

problems quickly develop as bird numbers increase. 

Damage includes overgrazing of grass and plants; 

feeding on agricultural crops; accumulation of 

droppings and feathers; attacks on people by 

aggressive birds; and the fouling of water, lawns, and 

recreational areas. When people feed waterfowl at 

public parks and other areas, it may worsen these 

issues and cause further conflicts. Wildlife Services’ 

factsheet on waterfowl offers information on numerous 

techniques to address these problems. 

Rabbits

You can help keep rabbits away from gardens, 

ornamental plants, and small trees by using products 

with repellents or by placing a 2-foot-high poultry fence 

around the area. The fence must be buried at least 6 

inches beneath the ground surface. Local garden and 

farm supply centers may be a source for repellents . 

Taste repellents are usually more effective than odor 

repellents. The degree of success, however, is highly 

variable, depending on the behavior and number of 

rabbits, and alternative foods available. Before using 

any chemical repellents, read the label carefully and 

check with your State pesticide regulatory agency for 

application guidelines. 

Raccoons

Garden produce, garbage, and pet food are all easy 

food sources that attract raccoons. To help prevent 

scavenging, use metal trash cans fastened to a pole 

or other solid object. A strap or latch should secure 

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

To prevent problems, you can modify habitat and avoid feeding wildlife, either 

intentionally or accidentally.

Simple steps can keep opossums from raiding garbage 

cans or denning under buildings. 
strands of electric livestock fence placed 4 and 8 

inches, respectively, off the ground, surrounding the 

entire garden. An electric fence has currents running 

through it that will shock anything that touches it. It 

should be used with care. To prevent injury, follow all 

of the manufacturer’s safety instructions, keep children 

and pets away from the fence, and post warning signs. 

Raccoons will also readily dwell in attics, chimneys, and 

sheds. Use metal flashing and 1-inch mesh hardware 

cloth to block entrances. 

Snakes

The best way to keep snakes out of a house is to seal 

cracks and openings around doors, windows, water 

pipes, attics, and foundations. You can make your yard 

less attractive to snakes by removing logs, woodpiles, 

and high grass and controlling insects and rodents. To 

remove dangerous snakes, always call a professional 

pest control company. You can remove nonpoisonous 

snakes from inside buildings by placing piles of damp 

burlap bags or towels in areas where snakes have 

been seen. After the bags or towels have been out for a 

couple of weeks, completely remove them with a large 

scoop shovel during the middle of the day when snakes 

are likely to be inside or underneath. 

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 “eyespot” balloons and Mylar strips. 

Deer

Deer feed on row crops, vegetables, fruit trees, nursery 

stock, stacked hay, ornamental plants, and trees. You 

can discourage these animals by selecting garden 

plants they don’t eat, removing supplemental food 

sources, and 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

It is vital to protect livestock and poultry during the 

spring denning period. Foxes and coyotes will often 

den close to farm buildings, under haystacks, or inside 

hog lots or small lambing pastures. Shed lambing 

and farrowing in protected enclosures can be useful 

in preventing predation on young livestock. Noiseand light-making devices and guarding dogs may 

also help prevent predation on sheep. Regrettably, 

dispersal methods are not effective in all situations, 

so other methods, including trapping or snaring, may 

be necessary. 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. 

To keep snakes out of your house, seal cracks and openings around doors, 

windows, water pipes, attics, and foundations. 

Foxes often den close to farm buildings or animal 

enclosures.
Wildlife Services is not the only source of wildlife damage management services available to the public. Private-sector wildlife damage management providers may 

also be available. Wildlife Services does not endorse or recommend any specific private-sector provider or the use of any specific product over another.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

APHIS 11-15-006

Mountain Lions and Bears

As bear and lion populations increase and their habitats 

continue to decrease, interactions between these 

animals and people become more frequent. 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 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; removing brush and 

trees within a quarter of a mile around buildings and 

livestock may reduce lion predation. Professional 

relocation of damaging mountain lions and bears 

is sometimes necessary. Your State wildlife agency 

can advise on laws and regulations in your area for 

relocation or lethal control of mountain lions and bears.

Learn More

For more information about solving these and other 

wildlife problems, call the Wildlife Services office in your 

State at 1-866-4USDA-WS or contact our staff at (301) 

851-4009. 

You can learn more about Wildlife Services’ work by 

visiting our Web site at www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlifedamage.