All wildlife can be dangerous to humans no matter how cute, how badly injured
or how much we might wish otherwise. Trapping plays an important role in controlling and
monitoring wild animal pathogens (diseases). Common sense also plays an
equally important role in minimizing potentially dangerous contact with wild
animals and the pathogens they carry. Simply stated, you and your 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, coyotes 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. So, 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 keep
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 keep
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.
Always consult with a licensed and trained trapper or your local
department of wildlife management when it is necessary to lethally remove
pest and nuisance animals or predatory (dangerous) wildlife.
What should you do if
you find a dead animal?
If you find a dead animal, spray it and any nesting materials with
disinfectant before moving it. This reduces the risk of exposure to deadly
viruses.
Use protective measures when moving the carcass and dispose of the animal
according to 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
mosquitos.
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.
