Do you have a raccoon in your chimney? A skunk under your deck? Critters munching the garden?

Humane Solutions to wildlife conflicts are based on respect and understanding of our urban wildlife. Permanent and effective solutions are possible without resorting to lethal control methods or trapping and relocating. Conflicts are not permanently resolved by removing the animal.

Larimer Humane Society does not trap and relocate nuisance wildlife, but we do offer a number of humane solutions for dealing with nuisance wildlife problems.

Larimer Humane Society discourages the use of live traps to relocate problem animals, and we may need to receive approval from the Colorado Division of Wildlife to do so. Relocating individual animals away from their home range, without altering the habitat, is merely a short-term solution. Relocating animals will cause more long-term problems for the homeowner by actually increasing the local population. By removing existing animals you invite others to come in and compete for the new resources created by the available territory, resulting in more animals than you had before in a relatively short period of time. Due to increased resources, litter size tends to increase as well. If an animal is removed from a habitat, other types of animals requiring the same resources may move into the area to take advantage of the increased food/resource availability.

Often times, the best to avoid conflict with wildlife is through prevention.  All wild animals depend on three things to survive: shelter, food and water. When these three items are eliminated, the animal will move elsewhere to meet these needs.

To avoid wildlife from making a home on your property, consider the following tips:

Shelter

• Cap off your chimney to keep wild animals from using your chimney as a nesting site or from getting stuck in your fireplace.
• Seal off decks and porches with wire mesh or lattice to prevent wild animals from using the area as a den.
• Secure outdoor animal pens (such as rabbit hutches and chicken coops) to keep wildlife away from your pets.
• Eliminate hiding areas for wildlife by clearing away debris, wood and rock piles. Trim under bushes and maintain grassy areas.
• Keep all windows and doors to basement, garage, sheds and storm cellars closed when not in use. Repair any broken windows or doors.
• Repair any holes in your roof or in eves that provide access to the attic.
• Keep your lawn well maintained.
• Scare off birds that are making nests. It may take a few times to scare them off, but once they lay eggs, the birds are federally protected; it's illegal to tamper with bird eggs and babies.

Food

• Place bird seed in a feeder.
• Seal off access to all pet food and livestock feed.
• Regularly clean BBQ grills.
• Put fencing around compost bins.
• Keep all garbage secure and out of wild animals' reach.
• Fence off fish ponds.
• Maintain fruit & nut bearing trees.
• Fence off gardens.

This homemade recipe is easy and inexpensive to make. It is very effective when used to protect plants, gardens, and surfaces from damage.

Mix the following:

• 1 bottle hot pepper sauce (small) or can cayenne pepper (small)
• 1 gallon of water
• 1 tsp. mild dishwashing detergent

Spray this repellent on plants or anything you would like protected from chewing.

Must be reapplied after heavy rain or watering. Fruits and vegetables should be washed before human consumption