Foxes are one of my favorite animals. If you don't raise chickens, and don't mind an occasional roadkill being left in your yard, they are kinda fun to have around.
They do NOT make good pets, and are a significant carrier of rabies, but watched from a distance, they can be a lot of fun.
This time of year, the foxes have kits. In urban settings, they can often be seen as a whole family playing in a yard. 

Unfortunately, there are times that they must be relocated. The adults are notoriously difficult to lure into a live trap, but there are ways to move them out of your area. 
Predator Impact will often trap and relocate the kits to a rural area and then treat the area with the scent of a large coyote, the fox's mortal enemy. 

The kits at this stage are able to fend for themselves and we release them in a protected area where they have the best chance of surviving. 
Once the mother (vixen) smells the presence of the coyote, she will gather up any remaining babies and move them to another location where there is less "threat" of coyotes. 
If you have foxes in your yard and don't have chickens, pigeons, or other small livestock, enjoy watching them grow up. If they need to be relocated, Predator Impact is here to help! 
Predator Impact, LLC
​(918) 397-4091 

Unfortunately, occasionally the "tree" they choose is the siding on your home!

If they are just drumming to attract a mate, it can be annoying, especially if you have metal siding, but the damage is fairly minor. If, however, they are excavating a nest cavity, they can do significant damage to your siding. 
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Woodpeckers present a special problem for wildlife management. The are Federally protected and it is a crime to touch them, or their eggs or young. Therefore, the first thing we have to do is inspect the inside of the nest with a snake camera to make sure that there aren't any eggs or young. If there are, it's hands off until the young have flown! 

If the nest is empty, the next step is to fill the cavity with a special expanding foam that has a chemical irritant in it that deters animals from coming back. 
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Then a metal plate is installed that is color matched to the house, and prevents the woodpeckers from doing more damage in that immediate area. 
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The metal plate is held in place with a professional construction grade adhesive and screwed into place. 
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A wind blown reflective frightening device is placed in front of the hole after it is repaired. It frightens the woodpeckers and prevents them from creating another hole in the immediate area. 
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Something about the reflective surface moving in the wind frightens the woodpeckers and convinces them to look elsewhere for a nesting site. 

In general, I don't like woodpecker jobs. I like to be able to assure the customer that the problem is solved once and for all. With woodpeckers, all I can guarantee is that they will not reenter at the same location and that they will create another cavity somewhere. Hopefully they will choose a dead tree where they don't cause any damage and we can all listen to them drumming, and enjoy the sound. 

So far, we are 100% successful at eliminating woodpecker problems. Here's to keeping it that way! 

If you have a problem with woodpeckers, call Predator Impact at (918) 397-4091 for a free, no obligation inspection and to discuss options to resolve your woodpecker issues! 

Mark Runnels
Predator Impact, LLC
(918) 397-4091

Had a customer with a squirrel in the attic. OK.,,,not that unusual. We get lots of squirrel in the attic calls, but this one was a little unusual. 
The squirrel had torn open the screen on one of the cable vents to get into the attic to make a nest. 

Again, nothing really unusual about squirrels tearing open the screens, even if this was three stories up! 

What was unusual was what was directly under the vent. 

Below the vent was a dense pile of grass and insulation. Remember, this is three stories in the air! 
Having seen similar nests before, I assumed that this was the work of European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), and sure enough, we witnessed one coming and going though the vent. They had made the nest and lined it with insulation, but there were not any eggs yet. 

We trapped the squirrel and released it on the wildlife preserve, and made sure the starling(s) were out of the building before starting exclusion. 
The old rusty screen wire that the squirrels had torn though was replaced with high quality black stainless steel screen wire, and a panel of heavy duty expanded metal fitted over the screen. 

If squirrels or starlings make it back into this attic, I am not sure where they will get in, but I can guarantee to won't go through this vent! 

These iridescent speckled birds are not well loved in the US, but are very highly thought of in parts of Europe.
In the 1890s, a book club in New York noted that Central Park had all of the birds mentioned in Shakespeare's plays except starlings. They imported 100 starlings from Europe and the estimated 200+ million starlings currently in North America are all descended from those imported birds. 
Starlings are strong fliers that can reach speeds of up to 48 mph. 
Starlings are vocal mimics. They can learn the songs and sounds of a dozen or more different common birds. 
The oldest recorded starling was banded in Tennessee in 1958 and died in the same state just over 15 years later in 1972.  
Starlings are cavity nesters. If they nest in a woodpecker hole, or similar size cavity, the just build a simple nest. 

Bit if they choose a larger cavity, they try their best to fill it completely with dry grass, twigs, papers craps, etc. Here is a much bigger nest, also in an attic. 
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I suppose that, given enough time, the starling's goal may be to fill the entire cavity (attic)! 

We had a project with a local hospital a couple of years ago where the starlings had build a nest that occupied a hollow section of wall that was about four feet square, and reached from the third floor to the fourth floor. That nest was huge and we hauled approximately 10 trash bags of dry grass out of that wall. 

If you have a problem with starlings, or other nuisance birds, please contact Predator Impact. There is never a fee for initial consultations or inspections. 

Predator Impact, LLC
Mark Runnels
​(918) 397-4091

The phones are ringing off the hook! Momma squirrels are ready to have pups and they are looking for a nice safe place to have and raise them. All too often that safe place is your attic. Once they make a way in, they will tear up insulation to make a nest, chew through electrical wires and generally make a mess of things. 

At the top of the list of things NOT to do... don't block the hole once she has made it in. Don't cover the hole, and don't put up a one way door.  Nothing will keep momma squirrel from getting back to he nest. In the pictures below, you will see a hole that the homeowner covered with black tape and then nailed a metal plate over the hole. The squirrel simply chewed another hole right next to the first one. (Note: The metal plate is off in this picture, but you can see it in some of the later ones.) 
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The correct approach is to block all the holes but one and then place a specially designed live trap over the entrance. 
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​When the squirrel comes out the opening, it is safely caught in the live trap.

In this case, the squirrel had not had her babies yet, so we relocated her to the woods with plenty of time to make a new nest to raise them in. 

Squirrels in your attic? Call Predator Impact. We will be happy to come to your home and discuss options. There is never any cost or obligation for consultations. 

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Predator Impact, LLC
Mark Runnels
​(918) 397-4091 

Many of you will notice an uptick in animal activity. It is breeding season for skunks, squirrels, and a host of other animals. The males are wandering far outside their normal territories looking for partners, females are starting to search for comfortable den sites. 
If you suddenly have unwelcome houseguests, contact Predator Impact. We can quickly and easily find them a new home! 
Predator Impact. LLC
Mark Runnels 
​(918) 397-4091

Few creatures are hated by homeowners and agriculturists as much as moles and gophers. Their underground excavations create mounds of excess dirt that has to go somewhere, so they push it out of the burrow and make unsightly mounds in the middle of the lawn or landscaping. 

Moles and gophers are often lumped together, but in reality, they are very different animals. Other than they both dig in the yard or garden where we don't want them to, they really have very little in common. 
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There are 13 species of gophers in the US, but the one most commonly found in Oklahoma is the Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius). There is, however, a localized population of Mexican Pocket Gophers (Cratogeomys castanops) found in the Oklahoma panhandle region.

Gophers are strictly vegetarians. The eat the roots and young shoots of plants chewing them off at the surface from below. They can cause a lot of damage in a garden and are hated by gardeners. 
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Gophers dig deep tunnels. The only evidence that they are present is the unsightly, crescent shaped mounds of dirt that push up out of their tunnels. Below the surface is a complex network of connected chambers, storerooms, and a drainage system that would be the envy of any engineer. ​

Gophers also have another unique adaption in that their skin closes BEHIND their teeth. This allows them to chew through the dirt without getting dirt in their mouth! 

Moles are strictly carnivores. They dig long tunnels just below the surface in search of earthworms, grubs, etc. The do not damage the grass or plants by eating their roots as gophers do, but rather dislodge them while digging tunnels in search of food. 

On an average day, a mole will eat 60-90% of its own bodyweight in earthworms, grubs and insects. 

Moles create a nest under a sidewalk, tree, driveway, or other hard surface. They make deep tunnels that they use to move from place to place, especially from the nest to the feeding grounds. These tunnels are 6-12" deep and usually run along a hard surface such as a retaining wall or sidewalk. These deep tunnels are used daily and may be used for years. However, once they get to their feeding grounds, they move up to just below the surface and create shallow tunnels. Rather than digging the dirt out of a feeding tunnel, they simply push the dirt upwards to create the classic "mole tunnel". 

Shallow mole runs may be used once and never used again, or if the hunting is good, may be reused several times as long as they are finding food. 
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​Predator Impact has a policy of live trapping and relocating animals whenever possible, but moles and gophers are one of the few exceptions to this rule. There simply isn't an effective live trap for either animal. 

The most successful approach to controlling moles and gophers is a comprehensive one. A combination of gas fumigation and mechanical traps. 

The traps we use varies a lot by location, the basically the principal is the same. We excavate a small area of the tunnel and place a trap in the tunnel. When the mole of gopher uses the tunnel, it is caught. 

Traps work well, but are not 100% successful. Predator Impact follows trapping up with an EPA approved treatment that fills the network of tunnels with a gas that is toxic when concentrated, but which dissipates harmlessly into the soil or atmosphere. The combination of the two methods results in an more effective treatment than either one alone. 

I wish I could say that after one treatment, you would never have moles or gophers ever again, but there currently are no effective barriers or repellants. Sooner or later, new moles or gophers will move in. I like the analogy of having your apartment exterminated for cockroaches, but the apartment next door is still infested. We can eliminate all the moles and gophers on your property, but as long as the neighbors have moles or gophers, they are likely to recolonize your yard as well. Often a group of neighbors will band together and all have their properties treated at the same time. This approach slows the spread, especially for those neighbor in the middle of the "clean zone". 
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Another alternative is a lower cost monthly contract where, for a set fee per month, we inspect and treat your yard or property as needed. 

Predator Impact, LLC can solve your mole or gopher problem. 
Call today to discuss your situation and alternatives for eradicating them. 
There is never a fee for consultations, and we are licensed and insured for your protection. 
Mark Runnels
Predator Impact, LLC
​(918) 397-4091

A few Canada geese can make a nice addition to any park, golf course, etc., but with few natural predators, their population soon gets out of hand!

Each goose generates 4 lbs of nasty, unsightly goose poop, and a small flock of 15 can fill a bushel basket every day! Not only is it unattractive, there are a number of serious diseases that can be transmitted through their droppings!

Just a quick note that all Canada geese, their nests, eggs, and young are Federally protected. Harming them is a felony that can carry stiff fines and/or jail sentences. Predator Impact, LLC has the proper State and Federal permits to manage nuisance geese for you. 
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Management of Canada geese falls into two categories. 
#1 Resident Geese
Most of the urban geese in Oklahoma are non-migratory geese that live here year round. They do not migrate north in the summer, but live and nest in Oklahoma all summer. 

#2 Migratory Geese
Most of the rural geese and some of the urban geese are migratory. They live here in the winter, but migrate north in the spring to nest and raise their young. 

The Federal Government has set a date range between March 11 and 1-Septenber as the period of time when all of the migratory geese are gone from Oklahoma and only resident geese are left. The management practices inside and outside of this date range are very different. 

Managing Migratory Geese. 
During the period from 1-September to 11-March of the following year, it is presumed that we are dealing with Federally protected migrator geese. Management at this time is strictly "hands off". We can harass the geese, and use deterrents, but we cannot physically re-locate them without special permission. 
Predator Impact, LLC has a number of non-contact controls that will encourage the geese to take up residence somewhere else. These include: 

• Special frequency hand held lasers to disturb their sleep at night. 
• RC boats and RC cars to harass them both on land and on water. 
• Robotic alligator that harasses them. 
• Trained dogs that will chase them, but not harm them. 

In addition, we have a harmless chemical that we can put on the grass to keep them from feeding. If you were to taste it, it would taste like candy. It is harmless to people, pets and wildlife... except.... if a goose eats grass treated with it, it gives them short term, but very uncomfortable intestinal cramps. The geese can tell the grass has been treated and they will go somewhere else to feed! 

These measures combine to create an environment that the geese do not find comfortable, and they will go somewhere else to live! 

Managing Resident Geese
After 11-March and before 1-September, it is presumed that the geese that are still here are non-migratory resident geese. The Federal government grants the state special permits that allow a lot more aggressive activities that are not allowed the rest of the year. 

Egg Addling
Egg addling is birth control for geese. 
After the Goose Roundup described later, egg addling is the second best method of limiting the number of geese on your property. 
The permits issued to Predator Impact by the state and federal government allow us to destroy a prescribed number of eggs and nests. However, this isn't our preferred method of reducing the number of goslings that are hatched. If we destroy a nest, the geese will just re-nest close by. If we do it too many times, they will hide the nest and they can be very difficult to find. 
A much better approach is egg addling. 
This is a PETA approved method whereby we treat the eggs with a special  food grade oil to deactivate them and return them to the nest. The pair will continue to incubate the deactivated eggs for the rest of the summer. When their hormones signal the end of the nesting season, they will walk away having not hatched or raised any goslings for that year. 

Aggressive Individual Removal
Every year, dozens of people in Oklahoma are knocked down, injured, and even hospitalized due to aggressive male geese that believe they are protecting their nests. Canes and walkers seem to trigger the worst attacks making nesting geese particularly dangerous for the elderly When there is a danger from an aggressive gander, Predator Impact can capture that individual and relocate him to our wildlife preserve in rural Nowata County. The individual's wings are clipped, or otherwise treated to keep him from returning. He will quickly assimilate into the flock that lives there and will find a new mate. Once the aggressive male is removed, the female becomes very calm and continues to incubate her eggs. This is often combined with egg addling to eliminate the aggressive individual and to reduce the population growth. 

Operant Conditioning 
In an urban setting such as a hospital, park, or industrial area, geese quickly lose their fear of people. When people run from them, or show signs of being frightened by them, the geese are further emboldened. The geese will often attack even if there isn't a nest in he immediate area. Predator Impact has a number of tools to re-instill a healthy fear of people that will reduce, if not eliminate, any aggressive behavior in the geese. 
By judicious use of trained dogs, trained birds of prey, RC vehicles, lasers, and paintball guns, the geese learn to once again fear the approach people rather than attacking them. 

Goose Roundup

By far the most powerful tool in Predator Impact's arsenal for Canada goose management is the Goose Roundup. 
All birds drop all of their feathers every year and grow new ones. Most birds such as songbirds, raptors, etc. drop one flight feather on each wing so that the stay balanced and can still fly. Once that pair of feathers are mostly regrown, they will lose the next matched pair, etc. until they have all been replaced. 

Geese take a different approach. Beginning in mid-June, they drop all of their flight feathers at once. For a 4-5 week period, they can walk, they can run, they can swim, but they cannot fly. During this time, we bring in kayakers, portable corrals, and specially designed trailers and round them up like cattle. 
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They are taken to a distant lake that is at least 100 miles (usually much more) that is specified by the State Wildlife Dept. There they are individually inspected to record any bands, make sure they are healthy and any with fully developed flight feathers are trimmed or removed to keep them grounded until after the next molt. They will stay at the new location while re-growing their flight feathers and by the time they can fly again, they are fully acclimated to their new home and they will not return to your property. 

While the geese we relocate will not come back, the same features that made your property attractive to geese in the first place, may encourage more. Think of the round up as a "reset button" on your population to keep working their numbers down. 

Through a consistent annual program of egg addling and goose roundups, most of our customers see a steady reduction year over year of the goose population on their property. 

If you have a problem with the Canada geese on your property, contact Predator Impact for a free, no obligation review. We will discuss your situation and make some recommendations. 
Predator Impact, LLC
Mark Runnels
​(918) 397-4091 

I am old enough (62) to remember when a #1 Prime Oklahoma beaver pelt brought $60-75 each. Today. a fur trapper would be lucky to sell them for $8 each. Why is this important to a modern suburban homeowner? Because a crash in the price of beaver pelts means that virtually no one traps them for their fur anymore which has led to an explosion in the beaver population. 

A typical beaver colony consists of one pair of adults; 2-4 of this year's babies, and 2-4 of last year's babies. As the female prepares to give birth to new young, she will run off the two year olds, and they will move into a nearby body of water than doesn't currently have beavers. Every colony evicts 2-4 beavers a year and the number of beaver colonies doubles or more each year. 

With an exploding population, and less and less wild area for them to expand into, the natural choice for the beavers to set up housekeeping is suburban waterways, decorative ponds, and golf course water traps. 
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No animal, other than man, modifies its environment as much as beavers. They cut down trees to eat the layer under the bark, and to provide sticks and logs to build dams. They will cut trees all fall and jam the sticks in the mud underwater to keep them fresh for winter feed.
They dam up creeks and drainage ditches, flooding homes and crop land. They can do thousands of dollars in damage to ornamental trees and landscaping in just a few days. 
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In the northern states, beavers build the classic beaver lodge out in the water. 
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but I have only encountered this type of lodge twice in Oklahoma. Far more common is the highly destructive bank den. With a bank den, the beavers burrow into a high bank, or most usually, the dam of a pond. Here they can build an elaborate series of chambers and tunnels. Too often the tunnels collapse, or blow out the back of the pond dam dropping the water level and necessitating thousands of dollars in repairs to the dam. Cattle, horses, and people have been known to break through the surface over the top of a tunnel only to fall in and break their leg.

Here are a couple of pictures showing the den entrance after the dam had been breached by the beavers and the water drained.  

With no natural predators, it is essential that humans control the beaver population. 
In rural areas, lethal traps are the rule, but in urban and suburban areas where children and pets are ubiquitous, lethal traps are out of the question. Any trap that will instantly kill, or drown. a 70 lb beaver cannot be used anywhere that children or pets might encounter them. 

Predator Impact has developed a protocol for trapping beavers in urban and suburban areas using several different types of live traps. These traps are designed to simply contain the beaver unharmed and should a child or a pet get into the trap, there would be minimal or no damage. 

The first type of live trap that we will discuss is the Koro, or Hancock style trap. This trap is ideal anywhere there is a sloping bank into the water.
​The Koro Trap is placed half in and half out of the water. 
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​The trap is baited with freshly cut sticks, the beaver's favorite treat. When the beaver climbs up on the trap to get the sticks, the trap is triggered and he is caught. 
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The second trap option in Predator Impact's tool kit is the Comstock Cage trap. The Comstock is ideal for den entrances, runways, or anywhere else that beaver will be passing through. They can also be drawn into the trap using food or scent lure. 

The Comstock Beaver trap is a very well made trap with powerful springs on the door and positive locking mechanisms that assure that the beaver will not escape. 

The third live trap option is the Bailey Beaver trap. The Bailey is a true suitcase type trap and is ideal for shallow water with flat bottoms. Both sides and the trigger mechanism are all under water. When the beaver triggers the trap, both sides swing up enclosing the beaver harmlessly between them. 

Regardless of the situation, Predator Impact has the right tools to solve your beaver problem safely and effectively. 

Contact Predator Impact to discuss your beaver issue. Consultations are always free and there is no obligation. 

Predator Impact. LLC
​(918) 397-4091

Bees are undeniably the most beneficial insect in North America, if not the world. Predator Impact is committed to preserving them whenever possible.  

Every spring, the old queen lays eggs that will hatch into several new queens. Just before they hatch, the old queen will take approximately half the hive and will leave the colony. the first strong queen to hatch will kill her sisters and take over as the new queen of the hive. 
Meanwhile, the old queen and her posse (now called a swarm) will pick a convenient limb, eave of a house, or other location to ball up and wait while scouts look for a new permanent home. 
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At this time, the bees in the swarm do not have a home to defend and are calm and gentle. There is very little risk of being stung by bees in a swarm. 

The scouts travel 1-2 miles in search of a hollow tree, cavity in some rocks, or another suitable home. Unfortunately, their choice of a new home is all too often a crack or crevice in someone's home. That is the subject of today's post. 

A homeowner called Predator Impact for help with a honeybee colony in a wall in a garage. The customer's father had passed away recently and left the house to his daughter. The father had known that the bee colony was in the wall, but wasn't concerned about it. It had been there for many years, but needed to be removed so that the house could be sold. 

Honeybees have to generate heat to keep themselves warm, and especially if there are babies. They do this by rapidly beating their wings and the muscle exertion creates heat. We can use an infrared camera to detect the exact position and size of the colony based on the temperature difference. 

Based on the IR image, it was clear that it was a good size hive located between the second and third stud. The outside of the house was rock, and there is usually a large hollow area between the rock wall and the inner wall that makes a perfect area for the bees to set up housekeeping. 
We cut open the wall and the black fiber board between it and the rock.
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The honey bee colony completely filled the space and extended into the adjoining space on either side. The dark color of the honeycomb is typical of very old colonies. 
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We vacuumed up all the bees with a special, low suction bee vacuum, removed the honeycomb and washed out the cavity to remove any honey residue. 
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​Reinstalled the fiberboard and cut new plywood to replace the old printed wallboard. (The printed gypsum wallboard isn't made any more, so plywood painted to match was close enough.) 

The customer was happy with the final result. 
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If I had drawn some vertical lines on it with magic marker, it would have been even closer! :-)

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Once a honeybee colony has decided that you are roommates, there are two options for removing them. One is fast, but expensive; the other takes longer but requires minimal if any reconstruction cost.

#1 Cutout
The process described above is a cutout. It is fast (usually 1-2 days) but the reconstruction cost can drive the cost up. In a cutout, the wall is physically opened, the hive manually removed, the cavity cleaned, and the wall is reconstructed. In the case above, we were fortunate that the colony was at ground level, and we could access it without removing the rock. If the colony is more than one story off the ground and/or requires substantial de-construction such as a rock wall or chimney, the cost can easily reach into the thousands of dollars! 

#2 Trapout
Trapout is a process with an undeserved bad reputation. Too often it is tried by people who don't know what they are doing, or don't have the patience to do it right. Predator Impact has perfected the trapout. 

• It begins by placing a one way door over the entrance of the hive. 
• As the bees leave, they cannot return to the hive. 
• A new hive is placed outside with baby bees in it. When the bees can't get back to their own hive, they instinctively move into the new hive and start taking care of the baby bees. 
• After a week or so, the queen realizes that there is no water coming into the hive and she gathers the remainder of the bees and leaves, usually right into the new hive. She can store food (honey) but needs water constantly. 
• We will wait another 2-3 weeks. As the young hatch, they make a flight out of the old colony and wind up right in the new colony. 
• Once all the bees are relocated into the new hive, we move the hive to the bee yard and bring in a completely different hive of bees. We remove the one way door and it takes them just a day or so to find the unguarded honey. They will lick up every drop and move it to their hive. 
• When it is all said and done, the entrance is sealed, and the wall is clean except for the wax honeycomb. 

Done properly, a trap out is often the best option for removing a colony from as wall. 

If you have a situation involving an unwanted colony of bees, call Predator Impact, LLC for a no cost, no obligation consultation. We'll review your unique situation and make recommendations for resolution.

Mark Runnels
Predator Impact, LLC
​(918) 397-4091