Nuisance Wildlife

Natural Resources & Environment>Nuisance Wildlife

Nuisance Wildlife

Colorado is known for its abundance and variety of wildlife. People come from all over the world to enjoy the wildlife, from the prairie chicken of the plains to the bighorn sheep of the Rockies. To the surprise of some people, wildlife can even be found in and around the urban areas of Colorado's fast-growing Front Range.

The presence of wildlife in the cities is usually a delight to Colorado residents. The close proximity, however, of wildlife sometimes causes problems. Most people agree that a porcupine in an apple tree, a family of skunks under the front porch or a squirrel in the fireplace can be unsettling. Many people encounter these situations; yet few know what to do about them.

Courtesy of CDOW [Click here to view full size picture]

Badgers
Bats
Coyotes
Flickers
Porcupines
Raccoons
Red Fox
Skunks
An Ounce of Prevention

Badgers

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Description:With their flattened, oval shape, abundant grizzled brownish fur, distinctive white strip on the forehead (sometimes continuing down the back) and powerful build, badgers are easily identified. They are the "bulldozer" of the weasel family. Large front claws suggest a capable burrower. The face is black with pale marks, the feet are black and the belly is pale. Total length is 28-32 inches, the short tail is only 4-6 inches long. Weights range from 11-22 pounds.
Habitat:Badgers are animals of the open country. Their oval burrows (to 10 inches across and 4-6 inches high) are familiar features of grasslands, on sandy or loamy soils on the eastern plains or in shrub country in the mountain parks or western valleys. Occasionally badgers live above timberline.
Diet:Badgers eat mostly burrowing rodents, suchas ground squirrels and pocket gophers, which they dig up during evening or early morning. They also eat nestling birds and rabbits, as well as insects. When frozen ground protects burrowing rodents from attack, badgers turn to mice. In especially cold weather they may simply retreat to their burrow to sleep.
Reproduction:Badgers mate in late summer. Embryo implantation is delayed until February. One to four young are born in early spring. They grow quickly and leave their mothers during their first autumn.
Nuisance Problems:The main problem with badgers is that they dig in pursuit of their prey. Open burrows create a hazard to livestock and horseback riders. Badgers digging can also damage crop fields and machinery. Badgers will occasionally prey on livestock or poultry, gaining access by digging under fences or through the floor of a poultry house.
Nuisance Prevention:There are several ways to prevent badgers from becoming a nuisance. Controlling the nearby rodent population may make the habitat less suitable for a badger. Having a light in the yard may also deter a badger from invading, because they do not like bright lights. Of course, hunting and trapping will also get rid of nuisance badgers, if it is legal.

Related Links:
Colorado Division of Wildlife

Bats

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Description:Colorado is home to at least 18 species of bats. Bats are the only mammals that fly. Many species of bats are difficult to distinguish from one another, however, most Coloradoan bats are brownish, but the western pipistrelle is ashy gray. The spotted bat is black with three large white spots, the hoary bat is frosted white on brown, the silver-haired bat is black with silver-tipped hairs on its back and the red bat is reddish. Ears vary from the small, rounded ears of the hoary and red bats to prominant black ears of modest size in several species. The magnificent ears of the spotted and western big-eared bats are so large the animals roll them up when they sleep. Our smallest bat, the western pipistrelle, is just 3 inches long and weighs only one-tenth of an ounce. The hoary bat is 5 1/2 inches long and weighs seven-eighths of an ounce.Bats also have distinctive calls, although most of them are too high pitched for humans to hear and must be altered electronically to be recognized. Bats are not blind, but have tiny eyes. Colorado bats depend upon their hearing to avoid obstacles and to find prey.
Habitat:Many species live in caves, crevices, mines, and tunnels. The big and little brown bats frequently roost in houses. Silver-haired bats roost behind loose tree bark. Because their insect prey is a seasonal resource, Coloradoan bats either hibernate or migrate when cold weather comes. Seven species of bats are known to hibernate in Colorado, and five are known to migrate.
Diet:Bats search for food at night, mostly after dark. All Colorado bats eat insects, and nearly all of them eat insects only. The pallid bat may forage on the ground and eat scorpions, centipedes, and non-flying insects, however, the hoary bat eats smaller bats when opportunity allows. Some bats will eat almost any insect, but others are specialists. The western big-eared bat and the long-eared myotis hover to capture single insects from leaves. Several species eat moths.
Reproduction:Most bats have a single young each year after a gestation period of about two months. Young develop quickly and learn to fly at about 1 month of age. Maximum longevity in bats is remarkably long for a small mammal. The little brown bat can live over 30 years.
Nuisance Problems:Bats can squeeze through cracks as narrow as an inch wide. Some of their preferred entrances are in older frame structures where boards are loose or have shrunk. They may also enter houses through loose vents, eaves, spaces around water pipes, electrical outlets, corrugated roofing, doors or windows. Never handle a bat that appears sick or wounded.
Nuisance Prevention:Exclusion is the best policy in preventing bats from gaining entrance into buildings. It isn't always easy, though, because of their size. Caulking cracks is most effective if applied during dry weather when cracks are the widest. Weatherstripping -- which seals spaces around doors and windows -- is also effective in repairing cracks.

If you're certain the noises in your attic are being made by bats, wait for them to leave, then seal the entrances before they return. Unfortunately, you'll need to do the work at night when bats depart for their nightly feeding forays. It's also wise to do this in the fall after the young have learned to fly. Or, wait until winter when many bats have migrated south. Bats can be helpful in your neighborhood because they consume a lot of insects and usually do not pose a health threat to humans.

Coyotes

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Description:Coyotes are members of the dog family, Canidae. They share dog-like characteristics-long muzzles with sensitive noses, sharp canine teeth, padded paws with four toes (and a dewclaw on the front feet), pointed ears, fur coat and bushy tail.Coyotes range in color from near black to off-white. Coyotes in the southwest deserts are the smallest and the lightest in color, whereas those in the northern forests are the largest and darkest. Colorado coyotes are usually rust colored with white or gray throat and belly.Like other predators, coyotes vary in size. The males are larger than the females. The average size of a coyote is 37 inches long and 18 inches high. Their weight varies from 20 to 50 pounds.
Habitat:The coyote's natural habitat is open grassland, but it will move to wherever the food is available. A coyote will usually occupy a range of no more than 10-12 square miles. In mountainous areas they probably have both a summer and winter range.
Diet:Coyotes hunt day and night. The typical diet of a coyote will consist of small mammals, insects, reptiles, fruit, and carrion. What they eat will depend on the area which they live. Coyotes have been observed killing sheep, poultry, and other livestock, but they do not subsist on domestic animals.
Reproduction:Mating season will begin in January. Several lone male coyotes may gather around a female to court her, but she will form a relationship with only one of them. Coyotes typically pair for life. If one dies, the other will look for another mate.They are capable and will breed with domestic dogs.The female will give birth to 3 to 9 puppies a year, usually in April or May when food is abundant. The gestation period is around 60-65 days. In order to provide shelter for their pups, coyotes den in a wide variety of places, including brush-covered slopes, steep banks, rock ledges, thickets and hollow logs. They will also dig their own burrows, or use other animal dens. Within a year the pups will go their own way, staking out their own territory, marked with the scent of urine.
Nuisance Problems:Coyotes can cause several problems. Coyotes� behavior varies depending upon its environment. In the wild where they are actively hunted and trapped, coyotes are generally elusive. Near cities or in areas where hunting and trapping is not allowed, coyotes may be aggressive. In urban settings, they can lose their fear of people and may threaten domestic pets. Although attacks on humans are extremely rare, there have been cases where coyotes have attacked young children. The biggest problem a coyote can cause is the killing of livestock and family pets.
Nuisance Prevention:If you live in areas where coyotes have been seen, PROTECT YOUR PETS! Coyotes will attack and kill cats and dogs. Do not allow your pets to roam, especially at night. Make sure your yard is appropriately fenced. We suggest at least a six-foot fence or better yet, keep your dog in a completely enclosed kennel.

Do not allow dogs to run with coyotes. Although it appears they are "playing " coyotes can turn on dogs to defend their territory.

Don�t leave pet food outside. This invites wildlife into your yard and problems may result.
Protect livestock, especially chickens, young calves and sheep. Contact your local extension office for appropriate methods to prevent depredation.

Keep your garbage in a storage facility or in a tightly sealed container. Clean garbage cans regularly to reduce residual odors by using hot water and chlorine bleach.

Flickers

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Description:Flickers are 7 to 15 inches long, have short legs, sharp-clawed toes and stiff tails. the northern flicker, responsible for the most woodpecker damage to Colorado homes, is identified in flight by a yellow or salmon tint under the wings and tail feathers. Flickers have black spots on a tannish-white breast and belly. Males have a black or red mustache extending from the gape of the beak to below the eyes.
Habitat:
Diet:Most flickers feed on wood-boring insects, insects on trees and the ground, vegetable matter, berries, or tree sap.
Reproduction:
Nuisance Problems:In Colorado, the common flicker is the most abundant woodpecker species. It can be found drumming on wood siding, eaves and shingles of homes. These birds are territorial; drumming marks their territories and attracts mates. Woodpeckers also drill holes for nesting and roosting. These birds are protected by law.
Nuisance Prevention: There are a number of different techniques you can use to discourage their activities.

Provide an alternative drumming site.

Nail two boards together at just one end (producing resonation) and hang on a secure surface.

Place lightweight plastic mesh netting at least 3 inches from affected wood areas.

Nail plywood over the excavated area.

Hang aluminum foil strips, colored plastic streamers, hawk silhouettes or mirrors near the affected wood.

Treat wood with sticky/tacky repellent. However, be aware these repellents may stain house siding.

Use noise-making tactics, such as clapping your hands or banging garbage can lids together.

Spray the birds gently with water from a garden hose when they start to drill or drum.

Eliminate any ledges or cracks on which the woodpecker is able to stand while drumming.

Don't feed birds.

Porcupines

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Description:The porcupine is familiar to nearly everyone. Second in size only to the beaver among Colorado rodents, porcupines are 27 to 32 inches long (of which 10 inches is tail). Their long, yellowish guard hairs and dense coat of quills give them a waddling gait and make them look fatter than they really are. Weighing up to 33 pounds, these are large mammals.
Habitat:Porcupines occur throughout Colorado in wooded and brushy habitats, but probably are most common in forests of ponderosa or pinon pine. The animals may den in unimproved rock shelters, but often spend the night propped on their muscular tails in a crotch of a tree. Several evenings of eating bark can severely damage the tree. Diet:Their diet usually consist of bark from trees and herbs.
Reproduction:These are solitary animals, coming together only to breed, from November to December. Females usually produce a single young (rarely twins) after a gestation period of about seven months. That is very long for a mammal of this size. The newborn porcupine is well developed with eyes wide open and a full coat of quills, which harden when exposed to air
Nuisance Problems:Porcupines will gnaw on bark and cause trees, especially pine, to die. They can also be very harmful to a dog or other outdoor pets, because of their quills. If quills are not removed immediately, the injury could become fatal.
Nuisance Prevention:There are several ways to prevent porcupines from becoming a nuisance. The best way is exclusion, which can be done by putting up fences or tree trunk guards. Some wood preservatives may repel porcupines. Another way to stop a nuisance porcupine is to either hunt or trap them, if it is legal.

Related Links:
Colorado Division of Wildlife

Raccoons

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Description:With their ringed, bushy tail, yellowish brown fur (with a blackish wash) and black facemask, they are unmistakable. Only their slim, grayish-buff cousin, the ringtail, has a similar ringed tail. Adults are 2 to 3 feet long (of which one-third is tail) and weigh 8 to 22 pounds (heaviest in autumn). The animals walk flat on their feet, as humans do, and their familiar tracks include an elongated hind foot and a hand-like forepaw.
Habitat:Raccoons live in a wide variety of habitats, but they are mostly found where water is available, such as a pond, lake, stream, and etc. They live statewide and at moderate elevations.
Diet:Raccoons eat just about anything: fruits, carrion, nestling birds and eggs, rodents, roosting bats, insects, crayfish and mollusks. They may damage crops, especially corn and melons. They feed near water and rinse the food, perhaps as an aid to sensation rather than because they are fastidious
Reproduction:Females produce a single litter of three or four young after a gestation period of about nine weeks. Blind and nearly naked at birth, the cubs have pigmented skin where their facemasks and tail rings will be. Growth is rapid, and the young are weaned by four or five weeks of age. Large owls and other predators kill raccoons, but automobiles may be the greatest cause of death today. Maximum life span is over 10 years, but 2 or 3 years is average.
Nuisance Problems:If a raccoon gets into a house it could rip everything in its path to shreds - pillows, shoes, toys, and clothes. It could attack and bite the family dog or other pets, or even nearby children. Even though a little bite might seem like a minor injury, it is not, because these wild animals carry rabies and other diseases, and cannot be vaccinated.
Nuisance Prevention:Screen chimneys and repair attic holes to prevent entry.
Remove overhanging branches to cut off easy access. You can also place an 18-inch cylinder of sheet metal around the trunks at least 3 feet above the ground.
Make sure garbage and trash containers have tight-fitting lids and are clasped or tied to keep raccoons from tipping them over. Never feed raccoons.

Red Fox

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Description:The average weight of the red fox is between 8-10 pounds. Their color ranges from pale yellowish red to deep reddish brown on the upper parts and white or ashy on the underside. The lower part of the legs is usually black, and the tail usually has a white or black tip. The eyes of a mature fox is yellow. The nose is black or dark brown.
Habitat:Red foxes are found throughout almost all of the contiguous United States. They utilize a wide range of habitats, including forest, tundra, prairie, and farmland, although, they prefer habitats with a diversity of vegetation.
Diet:The red fox is an omnivore. It eats mostly rodents, insects, and fruit, but it will also eat carrion. They usually consume between 1 to 2 pounds a day.
Reproduction:The exact time of breeding will depend on the region where it lives. Breeding will usually occur between December to February. Their gestation period usually ranges from 51 to 53 days. The litters can vary between one to 13 pups, with an average of five.
Nuisance Problems:Red foxes can cause serious damage to poultry producers. They carry their prey away from the kill site, so it is often difficult to determine if a fox is doing the killing. Foxes may also attack young livestock. Red foxes may also be infected with rabies.
Nuisance Prevention:The best way to prevent a red fox from becoming a nuisance is putting up a wire or electrical fence. Lighting or livestock guarding dogs may be effective in some areas. Where it is legal, hunting and trapping is another way to prevent a nuisance red fox.

Related Links:
Colorado Division of Wildlife

Skunks

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Description:Four species of skunks are known in Colorado: striped, eastern and western spotted, and hog-nosed. All skunks have the familiar warning colors of white on black, except for the hog-nosed skunk, which has a broad white stripe on the back. The striped skunk (24 �32 inches long, weighing to 9 pounds) is the largest and most widespread, occurring statewide (photo pictured). The spotted skunks are the smallest (16 � 20 inches long), and the most weasel-like in movements.
Habitat:The spotted skunks are found in the rocky foothills, mesas, canyons and along major rivers of the High Plains. The hog-nosed skunk is nearly as large as the striped skunk and is known to have lived only in southeastern Colorado. No specimens have been reported in the past half-century, and the species may not live in Colorado now
Diet:Skunks are omnivorous, eating carrion, mice (especially nestlings), fruit, insects, larvae, birds and bird eggs. The spotted skunk is the most agile climber, best mouser and birder. Hog-nosed skunks seem to "root" for insect larvae more than the other species, but a shallow, snout-sized "test-hole" is a common sign of skunks in general.
Reproduction: Western spotted skunks delay embryo implantation. They mate in autumn and give birth to young in spring. Eastern spotted skunks and striped skunks have a simple nine-week gestation period, breeding in spring. Spotted skunks have four or five young, and striped skunks average seven.
Nuisance Problems:Nuisance skunks can get into house foundations and basements and cause many problems. It is very important that this is prevented from happening.
Nuisance Prevention:There are several methods of keeping sknunks out of your house and foundation.

Keep them out of house foundations and basements by burying wire mesh 18 inches underground around these structures or by using concrete or sheet metal to seal likely access points.

Sometimes you can drive skunks away by putting a nylon stocking full of mothballs or ammonia-soaked towels under the house (be sure to attach a long string so you can remove them later). Cover the ground at the entrance with soft soil or flour. When you see tracks leaving the entrance, close the entrance with hardware cloth (check after 10 p.m. or first thing in the morning). If no more tracks appear near the inside of the entrance, permanently seal the hole. Caution: Don't use this method if children are playing in the area.

If you decide to trap a skunk, you must destroy the animal because state health laws do not permit relocation of skunks.

An Ounce of Prevention

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The key to avoiding problem wildlife encounters is keeping unwanted wildlife out of homes, buildings and yards. Here are some tips:

DO NOT FEED WILDLIFE! Feeding songbirds is okay, but be aware it may attract other animals. Place bird feeders where they are not accessible to other wildlife species. Wild animals are capable of finding plenty of food on their own.

Cover window wells with commercially available grates or bubbles, or make a cover yourself using quarter-inch hardware cloth or chicken wire.

Close holes around and under the foundation of your home so that animals will not be tempted to homestead. Bury wire mesh 1 to 2 feet deep in places where animals might gain access.

Don't give wildlife the opportunity to get into your garbage. Store it in metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Keep the cans in a garage or shed, and put trash out only when it's scheduled to be picked up.

Keep pet food inside.

If birds are flying into windows, mark them with strips of white tape or with raptor silhouettes.

Fence gardens and cover fruit trees with commercially available netting to protect your harvest.

Screen fireplace chimneys and furnace, attic and dryer vents, and keep dampers closed to avoid "drop-in" guests. Chimney tops should be screened from February to September to prevent birds and animals from nesting inside. To prevent fire and safety hazards, check with a knowledgeable source before attempting this.

Seal all cracks and holes larger than a one-quarter inch in diameter to keep out rats, mice, bats and snakes.