Wildlife Damage Management Program

Question:
My neighbor and I are planning to establish a small apiary for home use.
I've heard recently that skunks and even bears may destroy the hives.
How can we prevent this from happening?

Answer —

• Electric fencing will deter bears or skunks
• Elevating the hives (2-3 feet high) will often discourage skunks

Question:
What options for fencing deer are available and how well do they work?

Answer —

• 8-foot high woven wire designs are most effective but expensive
• Multi-strand, high-tensile electric fence; sloped or vertical designs are less expensive than woven wire and very efficient
• Bird netting for homeowner sites to protect a few shrubs or small areas

Question:
Occasionally, I find a bat in my house.
How do they get in and how can I keep them out?

Answer —

• Bats may accidently enter homes at night through open doors and windows without screens. In addition if there is a maternity colony of bats residing in an attic or eaves, an occasional bat, particularly young bats, may get confused and enter the living quarters via unsealed openings to the attic, under doorways, etc.
• Keep doors and window screens closed at night - Seal all small holes from the attic into the living quarters
• Seal all holes form the outside into the attic, eaves, and soffit in early spring or late summer

Question:
I have Canada geese nesting and feeding around my pond. They are creating an awful mess.
What can I do?

Answer —

• Use a combination of methods (dogs, noise devices, physical barriers) to deter or repel geese
• No single method used alone is usually effective - Initiate damage control measures as soon as you notice geese in your area and be persistent
• Do not feed geese - Where possible, let grass grow to its full height around water bodies
• Fence ponds prior to the molt (loss of flight feathers in early summer) to prevent access to water and discourage geese from remaining in the area when they are flightless
• Encourage population management whenever possible
• Federal and state permits are needed to handle geese, or destroy eggs or nests

Question:
My greatest problem is with small rodents. What are the best controls for use around my home?

Answer —

• Exclusion—seal openings to the outside of your home (around doors, pipes, etc.)
• Remove brush and mow close to the foundation of your home
• Remove potential food supplies and nesting materials
• Snap traps or Sherman box traps can be used to reduce rodent numbers
• Commercial rodenticides should be used as a last resort. Follow label instructions carefully

Question:
Why is deer damage becoming a more widespread and important problem?

Answer —

• Increase in deer herd size during the past 2 decades in many areas of New York
• Fragmentation of rural open land and forests by development results in landscaped homes in close proximity to deer and reduced access by hunters
• Crops and ornamental plants provide high quality, concentrated forage

Question:
Are deer repellents effective, and under what conditions can I expect to get satisfactory results?

Answer —

• Repellents may be effective when deer damage is at low to moderate levels
• Repellents work best when applied before feeding patterns develop
• Must reapply materials on a monthly schedule for continued effectiveness
• Odor-based repellents often perform better than taste-based materials

Question:
What deer damage control methods are available to orchardists, nursery producers, landscapers and homeowners?

Answer —

• Population control via hunting—particularly removal of adult female deer
• Exclusion: electric or woven-wire fencing or other physical barriers
• Repellents: commercial products based on odor and/or taste
• Establishing ornamental varieties that are less palatable to deer
• Removal of individual deer causing damage via NYS DEC deer damage permits in agricultural situations

Question:
Striped skunks repeatedly dig small holes in my yard and destroy the turf in many areas.
Why do they do this and what can I do to stop this?

Answer —

• Skunks are searching for white grubs and insect larvae
• Benefits of removing injurious insects may outweigh the damage to your lawn
• Remove skunk habitat—exclude them from building foundations and under decks and sheds, and remove rock or brush piles

Question:
Each year I lose a large portion of my sweet cherries as well as a part of my blueberries to birds.
What is available for the control of birds in my garden?

Answer —

• Netting over trees or bushes will provide bird exclusion
• Hawk models or “scare eye” balloons may provide temporary relief for some bird species
• Noise or pyrotechnic devices may temporarily disperse feeding flocks of birds, but may annoy neighbors

Question:
Have biologists identified a list of plants that are never browsed by deer?

Answer —

• No plants are known to be avoided by deer under all circumstances
• Yews, arborvitae, apple trees, euonymus, rhododendrons, and tulips are very susceptible to deer damage
• Pachysandra, daffodils, birches, Japanese pieris, boxwood, and spruces tend to be resistant to deer browsing

Question:
Animals including skunks, raccoons, bats and squirrels are an occasional nuisance at my house.
What can I do about this?

Answer —

• Exclusion is the primary defense - seal openings to buildings, fence vulnerable areas, use netting to protect individual shrubs/trees
• Modify the habitat - remove brush and scrap lumber piles, food supplies and other attractants