Backyard Critters

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.
$5k seems crazy high for bat mitigation. Unless it's like a colony or something. We had one (or maybe a few) in our old house and they put a one-way valve on the entry point and that was that. Pretty sure it was under $500.

 
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We used to have several fox dens on our farm. They kept the rabbits under control.
What were you even raising on the farm then? Can't imagine having unchecked fox dens unless you don't raise chickens or other bird
 
$5k seems crazy high for bat mitigation. Unless it's like a colony or something. We had one (or maybe a few) in our old house and they put a one-way valve on the entry point and that was that. Pretty sure it was under $500.

The 5k is for the process of getting them out PLUS “airtighting” the home. They go around and find every little nook, cranny and crevice and fill it or cover it and then if something does come in by chance they come out and handle it.
 
$5k seems crazy high for bat mitigation. Unless it's like a colony or something. We had one (or maybe a few) in our old house and they put a one-way valve on the entry point and that was that. Pretty sure it was under $500.

A reason people say bat sheet crazy. Know a guy who was hired to wash and paint a house had one of those clay tile roofs. Someone counted like 80 bats flying out one night. The guy who painted the house nearly died and they linked it back to bat sheet from that job. He stirred up enough bat crap dust while doing it and breathed it in.
 
What were you even raising on the farm then? Can't imagine having unchecked fox dens unless you don't raise chickens or other bird
We had a fox den in our culvert under our driveway- my wife thought they were too cute and she didn't want me to dispose of them-

about 3 months later we come home from the state fair and we have 13 dead chickens. In the next few weeks we had 3 more disappear.

Blamed it all on her.

ended up catching 2 foxes but it took a while to get them.
 
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We had a fox den in our culvert under our driveway- my wife thought they were too cute and she didn't want me to dispose of them-

about 3 months later we come home from the state fair and we have 13 dead chickens. In the next few weeks we had 3 more disappear.

Blamed it all on her.

ended up catching 2 foxes but it took a while to get them.
Yeah, even 1 den should be checked if you have chickens/turkey at your farm. I'd say even if you have small pets at your farm like cats you should always control and check if you get foxes on your land(coyotes kinda more prone to hunt home pets comparatively, but still know some folks(one of em sells me my range gear) who had lost their cat to foxes for example).
I blame media 'cause it painted foxes in a good light in a whole bunch of movies/cartoons, so now people think those are adorable and harmless
Best way to catch em is just to put go around looking for dens, pref with a dog. Then you just seal all of those shut or otherwise put some cameras and check which ones are occupied at night. Still takes so long, especially if you got several dens
 
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Yeah, even 1 den should be checked if you have chickens/turkey at your farm. I'd say even if you have small pets at your farm like cats you should always control and check if you get foxes on your land(coyotes kinda more prone to hunt home pets comparatively, but still know some folks who had lost their cat to foxes for example).
I blame media 'cause it painted foxes in a good light in a whole bunch of movies/cartoons, so now people think those are adorable and harmless
Best way to catch em is just to put go around looking for dens, pref with a dog. Then you just seal all of those shut or otherwise put some cameras and check which ones are occupied at night. Still takes so long, especially if you got several dens
I put out a couple of trail cameras back by the chicken den.

The other issue is our place is surrounded by crop ground and last year was corn so those bastards had a place to hide and could strike when no one was around. I even sat out there myself a few times early in the AM and waited for them.
 
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I put out a couple of trail cameras back by the chicken den.

The other issue is our place is surrounded by crop ground and last year was corn so those bastards had a place to hide and could strike when no one was around. I even sat out there myself a few times early in the AM and waited for them.
Yep, they are quite smart, I think out of like 5 traps I've put 2 years ago I've only caught one in actual trap. Rest had to hunt with a dog pretty much. Thankfully we only get a few in our parts 'cause coyotes hunt 'em down pretty well... But then you gotta deal with coyotes in return...
 
I put out a couple of trail cameras back by the chicken den.

The other issue is our place is surrounded by crop ground and last year was corn so those bastards had a place to hide and could strike when no one was around. I even sat out there myself a few times early in the AM and waited for them.
Like for sneaky teenagers?
 
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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
All these years on our acreage, the only baby critter we haven't seen is possum babies. I've always wanted to spot a momma wandering around with her kids clinging to her back, but nope...not yet.
 
A reason people say bat sheet crazy. Know a guy who was hired to wash and paint a house had one of those clay tile roofs. Someone counted like 80 bats flying out one night. The guy who painted the house nearly died and they linked it back to bat sheet from that job. He stirred up enough bat crap dust while doing it and breathed it in.
It's a source for the histoplasmosis fungus as well (the fungal infection that one of Pollard's sons got...Thomas, I think?).
 
It's a source for the histoplasmosis fungus as well (the fungal infection that one of Pollard's sons got...Thomas, I think?).
That's the word. Was going to reply and couldn't remember it. My dad had been working in an old house they bought and started feeling ill and losing weight. Eventually went to the then-new infectious diseases (I think) doctor at McFarland. Turns out it was something completely different, but opened my eyes to the histo- stuff.
 
That's the word. Was going to reply and couldn't remember it. My dad had been working in an old house they bought and started feeling ill and losing weight. Eventually went to the then-new infectious diseases (I think) doctor at McFarland. Turns out it was something completely different, but opened my eyes to the histo- stuff.
Dr. Fulton. He's a really great guy. We spent 18 months visiting him when Lew got Histo.
 
Leave possums alone. Now if you get these critters, then run far away.
 
Hate it when urban people trap and then release animals in the country. How would you like it if we live trap all the meth heads or other goobers and released them in the city?;) Foxes and coyotes eat farm pets and game birds. Raccoons are just useless.
 
The Eleven, as I have been calling the eleven turkeys I've been seeing all summer and fall have grown to 14. Still going to call them The Eleven.

Several were up in neighbors larch tree eating cone seeds.

turkey in larch cf edit.jpg
 
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Hate it when urban people trap and then release animals in the country. How would you like it if we live trap all the meth heads or other goobers and released them in the city?;) Foxes and coyotes eat farm pets and game birds. Raccoons are just useless.
I hate it more when they dump their "used" pets. It's why we now have seven cats (I'm soft-hearted), and have TNR'd a number of them on our own dime to prevent having even MORE cats.
 

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