by Leggetts
NUISANCE WILDLIFE CONTROL SPECIALISTS
Read below to learn facts about Snakes, Raccoons, Skunks, Bats, Fox, Coyote
Over 30 years of experience in controlling all types of wildlife. We take pride in being the only nuisance wildlife agent you will ever need. We do a complete and thorough inspection to find out where your problem animal is entering and leaving, and the damage it has caused.
Estimates on cost of repair are free at time of inspection.
We are licensed and insured in the state of Maryland.
We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergencies.
Simply call 301-432-8480.
We accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit cards.
Home location of business is Boonsboro, Maryland.
Here we have Pete and Ron showing a skunk, 2 groundhogs, and a black snake taken from one residence the same day.
SKUNKS
Skunks begin breeding in February. Their young are born in the first part of May. They have one litter a year consisting of 4 to 6 young, normally, but may have as many as 16. The average life span is 3 years, but can, potentially, live for 10 years. Home range is from one-half to two miles in diameter. Skunks are dormant for about a month during the coldest part of the winter. They are nocturnal in habit, slow moving, and defend themselves against other intruders. Skunks eat plants and domestic animal foods. They also eat grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, which is their preferred diet. They also eat rats, mice, and small cottontail rabbits. Skunks become a nuisance when burrowing and feeding habits conflict with humans. They burrow under porches and buildings, and dig small holes in lawns, golf courses, and gardens in search of insect grubs. Garbage left outdoors, bird feeders, and bee hives may cause skunks to begin feeding around your residence. If you encounter a skunk, do not disturb it, or go near it, they may spray you with an offensive odor, or they may attack you if infected by the rabies virus. Skunks are one of the primary carriers of the rabies virus. Removal is, normally, done with humane cage traps.
RACCOONS
Raccoons weigh 10 to 30 pounds, and can, rarely, weigh as much as 40 to 50 pounds. They breed in February, and have their young in April and May. They have one litter per year, consisting of 3 to 5 young. Raccoons cover a range of 3 to 20 miles. They do not truly hibernate, they just hide in dens and are inactive during severe winter weather. Raccoons are omnivorous, eating both, plant and animal foods. Fruits, berries, nuts, corn, and other types of grains are some of their plant foods. Animal foods include crayfish, frogs, insects, turtles, eggs, mice, rabbits, muskrats, birds, and water fowl. They can cause considerable damage to garden crops, in particular, sweetcorn. Raccoons also often seek den sites in chimneys, attics, or basements, whichever they can gain access to. Sometimes, in extreme cases, they may tear the shingles off a portion of the roof in order to gain access to your house. It is not normal to see raccoons during the daylight hours. If encountered during daylight hours, they are, normally, infected by some disease. Stay as far away from the animal as you can and seek shelter for you and your pets. Raccoons carry rabies and distemper. Removal is normally done with humane cage traps.
GREY FOX
This grey fox was caught beside the playground of an elementary school.Removal was necessary due to the possible conflict between the children and the fox.
Grey fox weigh between 7 and 13 pounds. They are, often times, mistaken for a red fox due to the red outline on the chest and belly. The breeding season for the grey fox is from January to mid-April, with the young being born between March and June. Their litters consist of 3 to 7 pups. Grey fox cover a range of up to 10 miles in diameter. They like to eat berries, mice, grapes, rabbits, squirrels, grasshoppers, most any source of meat or protein, and other insects accessible. They are notorious for eating domestic fowl or peafowl. Sometimes grey fox will dig dens around residential areas, they may also dig holes, much like a dog, under fencing or buildings to gain entry. Control is, normally, done by foothold traps or snares. They are very nocturnal. If seen during daylight hours, do not approach and keep pets and children inside until control agent arrives. Grey fox are very susceptible to rabies and distemper.
RED FOX
The red fox is more like the domestic dog family than the grey fox. Red fox are adaptable to most habitats but prefer open range with moderate cover, where grey fox prefer more dense cover. They mate in February to early March and bear their young 51 to 53 days later. They generally produce 4 to 9 pups.
COYOTE
This problem coyote was captured where he was killing newborn calves. The raccoon, in the background, was released from a foothold trap unharmed.
The coyote, once found only west of the Mississippi river, is now found in every county in Maryland and all states east of the Mississippi. They have become so numerous in Virginia that they now have hired trappers to control their numbers due to the damage they are causing to domestic livestock. They are often seen, but viewed as a German Shepherd dog by the uneducated. It's population hasn't increased enough to cause tremendous problems here in Maryland like our neighboring states. It is just a matter of time until the farmers will be complaining more about their calves, sheep, and goats disappearing. The urban areas will be missing cats and dogs because they use domestic animals as well as numerous wildlife species as part of their diet. Control is best done with foothold traps and snares. Their litter size is from 5 to 7 pups, and, on occasion, up to 13, and they breed in February and March. They carry their young for 9 weeks, giving birth in April or May. The average weight for a coyote in Maryland is around 35 pounds, varying from 25 to 45 pounds. Coyotes have a very large range, they may only visit your place every 1 to 2 weeks, which makes them hard to control. It is legal to remove problem coyote year around.
To Order Lures and Instructional Information
BATS
Bats are a protected specie and are very beneficial to the environment by controlling insects. One bat will consume 1/10 ounce of insects per night. That doesn't sound like much, but it takes a lot of insects to make 1/10 of an ounce. Bats like to dwell in your attic or under your shutters. They will enter the house through the chimney or through an opening 1/4 X 1 1/2 inch. After entering, they roost on your rafters during the day and leave at night to feed. They will bear their young in your attic and will desposit their guana (droppings) on the attic floor, causing possible airborne disease, such as histoplasmosis, to travel through your home. Bat colonies can only be removed from September through April. A complete inspection is necessary. Out of the 40 different species of bats, 2 are mainly found on the east coast - brown and big brown. Litter size is one to two. There may be as many as a hundred in a colony. The little brown bats leave your home in the fall to hibernate, then return in the spring to raise their young. Big browns may hibernate in the walls of your home throughout the winter.
Remember, in situations in which a bat is physically present and you cannot reasonably rule out having been bitten, safely capture the bat for rabies testing and seek medical attention immediately.
SNAKES
Snakes - Garder, Black, Milk, Rattle, Copperhead, and Corn snakes have always been a problem. Most of it is a natural fear of their looks. Actually, snakes are a good control for rodents around your home. It is when you find them in your bedroom or kitchen that makes it frightening. Our intention on our visit to your home is to secure your living quarters. We remove all that we find, set traps to capture the remaining ones and give you a warranty based on the condition of the exterior of your home. All snakes are protected in the state of Maryland and removal is as humane as possible. Maryland boasts 27 species and subspecies of snakes, only 2 of which are poisonous. These are timber rattlesnakes and copperhead. Comparatively, 115 snake species occur in North America while about 2100 species occur worldwide. Our inspection includes estimate for minor repairs, when necessary.
Non-poisonous snakes have two rows of scales between the vent and the tip of the tail while Poisonous snakes have only one row. Non-poisonous have a round pupil while poisonous snakes have an elliptical pupil.
To learn more about snakes in Maryland, click here.
If you have questions, email us at leggetts@erols.com.