WHERE DO I START?

You have a problem animal.

Something is digging in your yard. Your garden is being eaten. Your garbage is being scattered. Something is chewing your trees. Maybe chickens are disappearing, or you're finding tracks, droppings or other signs around your property.

The answer is simple:

Before choosing a bait, trap, repellent or other control method, take the time to understand what animal you're dealing with and why it is using your property.

STEP 1 — IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

Start by describing exactly what is happening.

Is something:

• Eating your garden?
• Digging holes?
• Getting into your garbage?
• Chewing your trees?
• Destroying your lawn?
• Getting into your attic, shed or crawlspace?
• Damaging your landscaping?
• Eating birdseed?
• Getting into your chicken coop?
• Digging underneath a deck or shed?

Don't simply say "I have a wildlife problem." Define the problem.

STEP 2 — LOOK FOR THE SIGNS

Wildlife leaves evidence everywhere.

Look for:

TRACKS
Footprints can help identify the animal and show where it is traveling.

SCAT
Droppings can provide clues about the animal and sometimes what it has been eating.

DAMAGE
Chewed plants, damaged trees, digging, torn garbage bags and other destruction can help identify the culprit.

HOLES
Burrows and digging can reveal where an animal is living, feeding or traveling.

FEATHERS, HAIR OR FOOD REMAINS
These can help establish what happened and what animals may be involved.

ENTRY POINTS
A hole under a fence, damaged vent or opening beneath a shed can tell you how the animal is accessing the property.

STEP 3 — UNDERSTAND THE ANIMAL

Once you've narrowed down the possibilities, learn about the animal's habits.

Daytime? Nighttime? Dawn? Dusk?

What does it eat?

Plants? Fruits? Insects? Eggs? Meat? Garbage? Birdseed?

Where does it live?

A burrow? Tree? Attic? Crawlspace? Brush pile? Under a deck?

How does it travel?

Along fences? Through woods? Across the lawn? Along a creek?

What is attracting it to your property?

Food, water, shelter, security or habitat?

Understanding these behaviors can help you stop looking at the animal as a mystery and start seeing a pattern.

STEP 4 — FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM

Finding the animal is important.

Finding why it keeps coming back is even more important.

Walk your property and look for potential attractants:

• Unsecured garbage
• Pet food
• Bird feeders
• Fallen fruit
• Compost
• Gardens
• Livestock feed
• Chicken feed
• Water sources
• Brush piles
• Dense vegetation
• Open sheds
• Crawlspaces
• Gaps beneath decks
• Burrows

Sometimes the problem isn't where the animal is.

The problem is why your property is worth visiting.

STEP 5 — PREVENTION FIRST

Before attempting control, determine whether you can eliminate or reduce the attraction.

Secure the garbage.

Clean up spilled feed.

Remove fallen fruit.

Protect vulnerable gardens.

Repair openings.

Secure poultry.

Reduce unnecessary food and shelter sources.

Prevention won't solve every wildlife problem, but it can make your property less attractive and can help prevent the same problem from returning.

STEP 6 — CHOOSE YOUR CONTROL METHOD

Only after you've identified the animal and understood the problem should you decide how to address it.

Different situations require different approaches.

Depending on the species, location, laws and circumstances, control may involve:

• Exclusion
• Habitat modification
• Removing attractants
• Live trapping
• Lethal trapping where legal and appropriate
• Other legally permitted wildlife-control methods
• Professional wildlife control

There is no single method that works for every animal or every situation.

Always check your state and local regulations before trapping, relocating or otherwise controlling wildlife.

STEP 7 — CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKYARD BAITS® ATTRACTANT

Once you know the animal you're dealing with, then an attractant may become part of your control strategy.

Backyard Baits® is designed around the natural feeding habits and food preferences of different animals.

That's why there isn't simply one "wildlife bait."

Different animals respond to different food sources and odors.

Identify the animal first.

Then select an attractant designed around that animal's behavior.

STEP 8 — SET UP THE CONTROL LOCATION

Where you place your control equipment can be just as important as what you put inside it.

Look for places where the animal is already traveling.

• Established trails
• Fence lines
• Entry points
• Burrow entrances
• Garden edges
• Travel corridors
• Areas of repeated activity
• Places where the animal naturally feels comfortable

Don't make the animal completely change its behavior to find your control location.

Whenever possible, work with the animal's existing habits.

STEP 9 — MONITOR WHAT HAPPENS

Wildlife control shouldn't be a set-it-and-forget-it process.

Check your equipment regularly and safely. Look for new tracks, fresh damage and changes in animal activity.

Ask:

Is the animal still present?

Is it using the same route?

Has the damage stopped?

Is another animal now using the area?

Has the attractant been removed?

Monitoring tells you whether your approach is addressing the actual problem.

THE BACKYARD BAITS® APPROACH

Backyard Baits® was created by people who have spent years studying wildlife, observing animal behavior and working with problem animals.

That experience led to a simple philosophy:

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM

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RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS

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UNDERSTAND THE ANIMAL

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FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM

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PREVENTION FIRST

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CHOOSE YOUR CONTROL METHOD

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CHOOSE THE RIGHT BACKYARD BAITS® ATTRACTANT

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SET UP THE CONTROL LOCATION

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MONITOR THE RESULTS

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SOLVE THE PROBLEM

That's the foundation of the Backyard Baits® Homeowner Wildlife Control Guide.

You don't have to be a professional trapper to learn how to recognize the signs of wildlife activity around your property.

Look. Learn. Identify. Understand. Then take action.

Built by people who understand animals and designed to help homeowners understand them, too.