Backyard Critters

[MuskieCy]

On April 19, just recuperating from tax season ending, I walk out to my car in the driveway, and this racoon crawls out from under my car, twitching and shaking its head. It just lays down and shakes.


It was obviously rabid and its brain had been eaten away. I called animal control. A young woman came, took about 5 seconds to look at it and went back to her vehicle. She came back with a .22 rifle. Buh-bye.

 

[chuckd4735]

Had an opossum that lived in the neighbor's backyard when I was in Ankeny. Didn't bother me at all, until the one night it was in my garage when I closed the garage. That little f***** wreaked some serious havoc in my garage overnight.

 

[3TrueFans]

On April 19, just recuperating from tax season ending, I walk out to my car in the driveway, and this racoon crawls out from under my car, twitching and shaking its head. It just lays down and shakes.
View attachment 113226

It was obviously rabid and its brain had been eaten away. I called animal control. A young woman came, took about 5 seconds to look at it and went back to her vehicle. She came back with a .22 rifle. Buh-bye.
View attachment 113227

Is he ok though?

 

[JP4CY]

On April 19, just recuperating from tax season ending, I walk out to my car in the driveway, and this racoon crawls out from under my car, twitching and shaking its head. It just lays down and shakes.
View attachment 113226

It was obviously rabid and its brain had been eaten away. I called animal control. A young woman came, took about 5 seconds to look at it and went back to her vehicle. She came back with a .22 rifle. Buh-bye.
View attachment 113227

 

[Pat]

A few years ago we had one learn that playing dead didn’t prevent a lab from treating it like a chew toy and shaking it violently. We got the dog to come in, closed the dog door, and the ‘dead’ possum quickly disappeared, never to return. The dog was very pleased with herself.

My wife sent this photo 90 minutes after I posted. Serves me right. Anyone looking to adopt a friendly baby tick-eater?

 

[2020cy]

Oh ya that’s the other thing. They have babies. Had a family under our porch for a few weeks. Very cute.

 

[mkadl]

One of my favorite sayings is "they was smiling like a possum eatin sh*t."

 

[JP4CY]

My wife sent this photo 90 minutes after I posted. Serves me right. Anyone looking to adopt a friendly baby tick-eater?

View attachment 113229

Bring them inside!

 

[nfrine]

One of my favorite sayings is "they was smiling like a possum eatin sh*t."

"Grinning like a skunk eating bumblebees".

 

[dafarmer]

I guess I should live trap ALL the possums and raccoons around my farm house and release them back in the cities.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Currently battling bats in the attic. Trying to be humane. Putting up a couple bat houses and an ultrasonic repeller (I don’t think they work but gonna give it a go for $25) and peppermint/spearmint packets and spray.

Any recos on where to put the bat houses? Deep in the timber? Edge of timber by the yard? Should I bait it?

 

[carvers4math]

Currently battling bats in the attic. Trying to be humane. Putting up a couple bat houses and an ultrasonic repeller (I don’t think they work but gonna give it a go for $25) and peppermint/spearmint packets and spray.

Any recos on where to put the bat houses? Deep in the timber? Edge of timber by the yard? Should I bait it?

Good luck. I think they will just be back in your attic.

 

[somecyguy]

Currently battling bats in the attic. Trying to be humane. Putting up a couple bat houses and an ultrasonic repeller (I don’t think they work but gonna give it a go for $25) and peppermint/spearmint packets and spray.

Any recos on where to put the bat houses? Deep in the timber? Edge of timber by the yard? Should I bait it?

Place it 15' or higher and somewhere that gets a lot of sun. Avoid dark colored/stained boxes because they can overheat bats. Many people suggest a visible pole rather than on a tree.

But like carver said, they will likely keep coming back to your attic until all the bat crap is cleaned and they don't recognize the smell any longer. I don't envy the difficulty you've got.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Currently battling bats in the attic. Trying to be humane. Putting up a couple bat houses and an ultrasonic repeller (I don’t think they work but gonna give it a go for $25) and peppermint/spearmint packets and spray.

Any recos on where to put the bat houses? Deep in the timber? Edge of timber by the yard? Should I bait it?

They're supposed to go on teh edge of the trees. The bats like an open field to snack on, but don't want to live there.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

On April 19, just recuperating from tax season ending, I walk out to my car in the driveway, and this racoon crawls out from under my car, twitching and shaking its head. It just lays down and shakes.
View attachment 113226

It was obviously rabid and its brain had been eaten away. I called animal control. A young woman came, took about 5 seconds to look at it and went back to her vehicle. She came back with a .22 rifle. Buh-bye.
View attachment 113227

Thoughts and Prayers little buddy!

Much bigger coon smear when a 12 guage deer slug is used.

 

[Gunnerclone]

Place it 15' or higher and somewhere that gets a lot of sun. Avoid dark colored/stained boxes because they can overheat bats. Many people suggest a visible pole rather than on a tree.

But like carver said, they will likely keep coming back to your attic until all the bat crap is cleaned and they don't recognize the smell any longer. I don't envy the difficulty you've got.

Probably end up spending the $5k to do the whole home pest/critter removal/protection on the house, but just want to give it a go on my own for $250 or whatever first. I’m also interested in the bat houses for the mosquito protection no matter what happens. With water around and pretty dense timber we can use all the help we can get in that regard. Got a monster bite on my foot right now and it’s driving me crazy.

 

[CoachHines3]

I guess I should live trap ALL the possums and raccoons around my farm house and release them back in the cities.

im with ya we could really start something-

i've wrangled 10 skunks at my place in the year and a half ive been there

 

[JM4CY]

Is he ok though?

I laughed so much harder than I should have at this.

 

[ISUTex]

I was in the backyard with the kid and wife two nights ago. It was about 7:00. My wife grabs my arm and points to the gate between our yard and the neighbor's, which was open, and there was an opossum walking through the opening. I texted the neighbor and he came, and over a couple of High Life's he said he was aware of an opossum for some time but just forgot to tell me and it has been under my shed.

This is the first, that I am aware of, opossum I've had in the yard. Should I worry about it or just leave it alone? I am thinking of just leaving it alone and it will leave us alone. On the farm we would just kill it, but suburban Des Moines ain't the farm.

Anyone have experiences with an opossum? What should I do with it?

Don't kill them. They are pretty harmless.
They also eat a lot of ticks and don't carry diseases. Just pick it up by the tail and put it in a cage of some sort and relocate it out in the country somewhere.

 

[FDISU]

I’ve spotted several foxes in NE Ankeny this spring. They make me a bit nervous for my small elderly dog, but I think they would leave most canine alone. Don’t they typically eat rodents and rodent sized critters?

We used to have several fox dens on our farm. They kept the rabbits under control.