CONTROL GUIDE
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
Before taking action, determine exactly what is causing the damage or nuisance. Holes, digging, damaged gardens, overturned garbage, droppings, tracks, gnaw marks, scratching, and nighttime activity can all provide clues. Correct identification is the first step toward choosing the appropriate control method and Backyard Baits® attractant.
RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS
Wildlife often leaves behind evidence long before the animal is actually seen. Look for tracks, scat, burrows, digging, feeding damage, nesting material, hair, feathers, rub marks, disturbed soil, and entry points around buildings. Learning to recognize these signs can help determine not only what animal is present, but what it is doing and where it is active.
UNDERSTAND THE ANIMAL
Every species behaves differently. Some animals are primarily nocturnal, while others are most active during daylight. Some travel along edges, trails, fences, and waterways, while others stay close to cover or return repeatedly to a food source. Understanding an animal's habits, food preferences, travel patterns, and seasonal behavior helps you place your control efforts where they are most likely to be effective.
FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM
Don't just treat the damage—find out why the animal is there. A food source, shelter, den, water source, garden, garbage, pet food, bird feeder, compost pile, or opening beneath a structure may be attracting wildlife to your property. Finding the source can help you determine where to concentrate your control efforts and what changes may prevent the problem from continuing.
PREVENTION FIRST
The best wildlife problem is often the one that never develops. Remove or secure attractants, protect gardens and vulnerable areas, eliminate unnecessary food sources, secure garbage, and close appropriate entry points after animals have been safely removed. Prevention should be part of every animal-control plan—not simply something done after the problem gets worse.
CHOOSE YOUR CONTROL METHOD
Once the animal and problem have been identified, select a control method appropriate for the species, situation, property, and applicable laws. Depending on the circumstance, this may include exclusion, habitat modification, live trapping, foothold trapping, body-grip trapping, or other legal wildlife-management techniques. Always follow your state and local regulations and use equipment responsibly.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKYARD BAITS® ATTRACTANT
Backyard Baits® was developed to give homeowners and animal-control professionals species-specific attractant options for common nuisance wildlife. Select an attractant based on the animal you are trying to control and the situation you are dealing with. Our goal is simple: provide practical, easy-to-use attractants that can be incorporated into a properly planned and legally permitted trapping or control program.
SET UP THE CONTROL LOCATION
Placement can make a tremendous difference. Instead of simply putting a trap where the damage occurred, look for natural travel routes, funnels, trails, burrows, fence lines, property edges, feeding areas, and other locations where the animal is already moving. Place your control equipment carefully and use the appropriate Backyard Baits® attractant to help make the location more appealing to the target animal.
MONITOR & ADJUST
Animal control is not always a one-and-done process. Monitor the area for fresh tracks, new digging, bait activity, trap activity, and changes in animal movement. If there is no response, reassess the situation rather than simply adding more bait. The animal may be using another travel route, the species may have been misidentified, or another attractant or control location may be more appropriate.
AFTER CONTROL
Once the animal has been successfully controlled or removed, the job isn't necessarily finished. Inspect the area for additional animals, young, dens, entry points, food sources, and conditions that could attract wildlife again. Clean up attractants, repair damage, reinforce vulnerable areas, and make appropriate exclusion or prevention improvements. The goal isn't just to solve today's problem—it's to reduce the chance of tomorrow's problem.