 When someone says “rat” the first image that comes to mind is the nasty, disease ridden, sewer rats, but this is an Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana). They look more like a Disney character than a scabby sewer rat.  With big black eyes, soft fur, and a furry tail, these creatures seem more like pets than pests. Eastern Woodrats, or Packrats, commonly live in the forest and build nests that resemble beaver lodges, but this one was in an attic where she shouldn’t be! Despite their cute appearance, woodrats can be very destructive. Like all rodents their teeth grow non-stop and they need to chew to keep them worn down. Unfortunately, one of their favorite things to chew on is household electrical wiring. Often the first indication you have a woodrat is that the lights go out! Their other defining characteristic is that they are hoarders. They will gather sticks, pieces of insulation, shiny objects, and of course.... food! This leads to their common nickname...packrats. One customer had an entire 50lb bag of dogfood emptied out and carried piece by piece up from his garage to the attic above the second floor. You have to admire their determination! Woodrats tend to be solitary other then when a female has young, so you wont have to deal with a large infestation like you might with roof rats or Norway rats, and they are not a significant carrier of diseases, but they still need to be relocated before they can damage your wiring or plumbing. Think you might have a woodrat? Call Predator Impact. We can deal with him/her quickly and efficiently. (918) 397-4091
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 I love skunks! If it wasn't for that whole "stinky butt juice" thing, most people would like having them around. They are peaceful, playful, good mousers, and uniquely beautiful. But, until they find a way to stop the smell, skunks aren't going to be everyone's favorite animal! Skunks have a very structured life cycle and their breeding season is from January to Mid March. In other words.... now! Skunks can be noisy during the breeding season. You may hear high pitched squealing sounds at night, which is often the sound of males fighting over a female. This is a noisy time in the skunk breeding season. Often times when you hear the high pitched squealing, shortly following will be the smell of skunk spray. The certain indicator that you have skunks courting under your house is when you hear one with a really bad French accent saying " Ze moon! Ze June! Ze spoon! C'est l'amour!! C'est toujours!" or "Au revoir, pigeon. Sweeting is such part sorrow." When you hear this, it is definitely time to call Predator Impact!  As the mating season winds down, the females start looking for safe, enclosed and dark places to make a den to raise their young. Some of their favorite den sites are under porches, decks, sheds or crawl spaces.  Sometimes skunks find their way into very unusal places looking for a den. We recently had to evict one from some new cabinets waiting to be installed in a new home!  So.... what is one to do to minimize the problems when you suspect a skunk on your property?? It is a good idea to conduct regular perimeter inspections. Looking for holes that have been dug under the foundation, skirting, or slab. Make sure all access points under your homes crawlspace are secure and well sealed. It is possible to make your property unattractive to skunks. Remember, they are looking for someplace that is dark and quiet. you can use lights on the area to keep it from being dark (we had one customer that installed a '70s disco ball!), you can leave a radio playing talk radio to create noise; or any other disturbances to encourage skunks to move elsewhere. Nothing short of trapping and relocating them is guaranteed, but it is worth a try! Diseases, especially rabies is a real concern with skunks. Most of the time, skunks do not get sick from rabies and can carry it their entire lives. Many are born with it from their mothers. Use extreme caution with them and never touch or handle them. Make sure pets, especially dogs and cats, are up to date on rabies vaccinations. Skunks are the number two (behind bats) source of rabies exposure in Oklahoma. It normally requires a direct bite to transmit the virus. Keeping vaccinations current reduces the risk in case of illness or death if your pet encounters a rabid skunk. If a person or pet is bitten by a skunk, seek a medical care immediately.  Having skunks under or near your yard isn't a cause for panic. Just call Predator Impact. We have special traps and years of experience handling skunks. We will live trap them and release them on our huge wildlife preserve. We have never had a skunks spray on a customer's property and we hope to keep that trend up!
Call Predator Impact if you think you have skunks for a free, no obligation site inspection and we can discuss options to evict your unwanted houseguests! Predator Impact, LLC (918) 397-4091 |
AuthorMark Runnels is a professional engineer and owner of Predator Impact, LLC. Archives
May 2025
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