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Humans
and their pets need to avoid contact with rodents and other wild animals
because they can carry some very deadly diseases.
For example:
-
Rodents
can transmit hantavirus and plague.
-
Ticks
can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.
-
Mammals
such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes can transmit rabies.
In fact, bats cause most of the human rabies cases in the
United States.
When are most wild
animals active?
Most wild animals come out at night and are afraid of people.
If you see a wild animal during the day you should avoid having
contact with it and notify animal control authorities because it may
have rabies.
How can you discourage
animals from nesting in your house?
- Keep
your home clean.
- At
night when insects, rodents and other animals search for food, keep
tight-fitting lids on food containers and on the garbage
containers.
- Discard
any excess food and take up pet water bowls when not in use.
How can you discourage
animals from entering your house?
- The
closer wild animals live to your house, the more likely they are to
find a way inside.
- Eliminate
any possible nesting sites and items that provide a water source.
- Seal
entrances on the inside and the outside of your home because a mouse
can squeeze through an opening as small as a dime.
- One
pair of mice can produce over 15,000 offspring a year. You can keep
rodent populations low by continually setting traps inside and
outside your home.
- Keep
baits and traps out of reach of children and pets.
- Natural
predators also help control rodent populations in the wild.
What should you do if
you find a dead animal?
- If
you find a small dead animal, such as a common rodent, spray it and
any nesting materials with disinfectant before attempting removal.
This reduces the risk of exposure to deadly viruses.
- Should
you find a larger dead animal (such as a raccoon, deer or similar
species) do not risk exposure.
Contact a licensed wildlife damage control expert, local
public health authorities or your state department of wildlife.
- Use
protective measures when moving any wild animal carcass and dispose
of the animal in accordance with local regulations.
- Remember
to wash your hands afterwards.
- If
your home is infested with rodents, contact animal control
authorities.
What precautions
should you take against ticks and mosquitos?
- In
wooded areas and high grass, take extra precautions against ticks
and mosquitoes.
- It
helps to wear light-colored clothing that covers as much exposed
skin as possible. Use
an insect repellent containing DEET.
- Carefully
check yourself and your family for ticks.
Use tweezers to remove them.
What should you do if
you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal?
Apply first aid treatment as
quickly as possible and immediately notify your health care provider.
Wild animals can carry fatal diseases and we have to keep them out of
our homes. But we also need to take certain precautions with those
endearing pets that we enjoy close at hand. |
