ANIMAL MAGNETISM When woods creatues start living in your house, somehow they don’t seem so cute anymore

Mahlon “Woody” Wood is a busy man this time of year. So is Dana Johnson. They are licensed animal damage control agents, and their phones are ringing. Ringing about squirrels, skunks, raccoons, moles, groundhogs, bats, porcupines, chipmunks, pigeons, starlings and sparrows. And if you’re a homeowner, you’re probably familiar with these animals. Right now, while you’re in early stages of your summer projects, these animals are starting projects of their own. Maybe in your basement. Maybe in your chimney.

Wood, owner of Pestco of Maine Inc. in Hermon, had three calls from Brewer just recently about raccoons. The black-ring tailed, nocturnal owls are having their kits right now, and the shelf behind the chimney’s damper makes a great place to raise them.

Dana Johnson of Creature Catcher in Wells is busy, too, trapping 1,000 animals a year. Johnson says animals come into our houses for three reasons: for food, shelter, and a place to raise their young. Our homes provide them a home. And animals are seeking out our houses more often now because their natural habitat is shrinking as housing and building development increase. They are either forced out of their area, or they try to stay even after new homes or structures take over theirs.

Adam Vashon, a wildlife biologist with the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says, “This is a consequence of our more urban lifestyle.”

A call to the regional office of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will put you in contact with someone who knows how to deal with nuisance animals. The department receives hundreds of calls a year from homeowners dealing with these intruders. Mark Stadler, a wildlife biologist there, said, “It’s really important that homeowners stop the animal from getting into the house in the first place.” Exclusion work (keeping them out) should be a homeowner’s primary focus. Trappers spend much of their time doing preventive measures in addition to trapping an animal.

To stop raccoons, because they like to get into chimneys, Johnson and Wood suggested installing a cap or screen over the chimney. Johnson theorizes raccoons think it’s a hollow log and are drawn to it. The screen and cap also work well for bats and squirrels. Bats, on hot summer nights, are drawn to the cool air coming up the chimney and fly down. If your damper is open, more than likely you’ve got guests.

Check eaves, soffits, vents and louvers on your roof for any spaces or holes. These are “welcome signs” for red squirrels, gray squirrels, and flying squirrels who like to live in the attic. This time of year, they’re tending to their young and prefer the southern end of the attic for the warm sun. Check overhanging limbs as well, which make it easier for the squirrels to enter. Flying squirrels can form colonies, sometimes containing 15 to 20 in all. A small hole under a dormer is all they need. Checking these areas also will help prevent bats from entering.

Make sure the bulkhead closes securely. Check for screens on your basement windows. Check the foundation for gaps and holes. Skunks like to get under trailers, sheds and any additions that don’t have foundations, as well as basements. They can dig down about 6 to 8 inches, so Johnson digs down 12 inches, and using heavy wire with 1-by-1-inch squares, places it up and underneath the siding. Skunks won’t be able to dig under the wire, which is very helpful, particularly in February, says Johnson, when skunks take up residence under the house for the warmth and place to start a family. Males fight over the female and can spray. Not exactly a pleasant odor to enter the house.

And then there is the bird feeder. Trappers and wildlife biologists agree that bird feeders are a big problem because they feed more than just birds. Stadler says, “These are prime attractions for animals.” Squirrels are the most common culprits. To prevent them from eating the seed, Wood sells a squirrel-proof seed coated with cayenne oil. Birds don’t mind it, but squirrels do. And if you’re in bear country, bears can be drawn to bird feeders. In addition, make sure the barbecue grill and garbage pails are put away from these marauders.

To protect trees, Wood and Johnson wrap aluminum flashing 2 to 3 feet up around the base. Porcupines won’t be able to climb up them, and they and beavers won’t be able to chew through to the bark. Wood places netting over trees to prevent starlings from congregating. Bird wire, spikes and springs are used to prevent pigeons from gathering in one place. Their droppings are messy and when dry, can distribute airborne bacteria.

Speaking of pigeons, owl statues used to deter the birds are not highly endorsed. In Vashon’s experience, they might work for a short period of time, but eventually the birds figure out these owls aren’t real and don’t pose a threat. These replicas become ineffective. In fact, Wood has seen pigeons sitting on an owl statue “too many times.”

So, what do you do when, despite your best efforts, you find an intruder in or under your house? “Maine state law allows a homeowner to trap any animal that is a nuisance or causing property damage,” says Stadler. But trapping can be dangerous. You can get bitten, scratched – or maybe worse, sprayed. In fact, Johnson and Wood get calls from homeowners who basically say, “I’ve got a skunk in a trap. I don’t want to get sprayed. Now what?”

State biologists recommend calling a regional office to get names of animal damage control agents who are state licensed. Vashon says calling the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is a good place to start, as well. For a fee, an agent will come to your house and trap the animal. The agent is knowledgeable about what specific trap and bait to use to catch that specific critter. Live traps are used, which allow the capture and release of the animals. Often, homeowners use a trap that is either too large or too small, which can result in catching either the wrong animal or more than was intended.

For birds, many are protected under federal law and a federal permit is required to remove them. Which birds those are, is not easy to figure out. The U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act protects those birds not hunted. But various state laws are in effect, as well. So Vashon says, “It’s confusing to know which birds are safe and which aren’t. A call to our office or the regional IF&W is your best bet to get the proper information. Besides, we’re part of the process to get the federal permit, anyway.”

Once the animal is caught, knowing how far away you need to release it is important. According to Johnson, “Release a squirrel more than a mile from your house, or he’ll beat you back home.” Skunks need to be taken a minimum of five miles away. They can wander over a mile in just one night.

So taking precautionary action is key to avoiding nuisance animals. Because one squirrel here, a skunk there, and the next thing you know, there goes the neighborhood, and your home.

David Jacobson can be reached at jcubson@pivot.net.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife can be reached at 287- 5252. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service can be contacted at 622- 8263. Information about catching protected birds is available at www.fws.gov/permits/mbpermits/birdbasics.html.

Methods of dealing with nuisance animals

. Check your house for holes and gaps regularly.

. Use care when trapping an animal yourself.

. Call the regional Inland Fisheries and Wildlife office for names of state-licensed agents.

. Pet food, bird feeders, garbage and barbecue grills are prime attractions for animals.

. Cap or screen chimney tops to prevent entry.