NWR Field Notes

Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. www.floridawildlifetrapper.com is proud to announce Nuisance News. A published newsletter is now available online at www.nuisancenews.com all articles will be archived and available anytime. Keep tuned because there will be several big announcements in the upcoming days.

Nuisance Wildlife Removal Inc. is proud to announce a new website called http://www.askatrapper.com This website will be there for you to ask a staff of trappers questions for wildlife control. The best thing is that it is free. Ask anything you like and remember “The only stupid question is the one you did not ask.”

If you are a Wildlife Control Professional and would like to be added to the staff Please just fill out the question form at www.askatrapper.com and include a contact number and a your qualifications.

Wow it has been a super long week here at Nuisance Wildlife Relocation. The West Palm Beach branch is offically open. Whew… I would like to take a moment to thank Mark Jones for joining our family here at NWR. I have known Mark for a good number of years and we worked together when I started the www.wcoradio.com radio show. So to say the least we have some history together.

So we are putting the final touches on advertising and such for that branch. With that we also brought two more trucks into the fleet making it a total of six. I will tell you it takes some time to get all the lettering on them and and all the racks built and all the shelves in them. But for now we are done with that task.

Next stop is Greensboro N.C. 

Greg Hancock will be our techinacian there so look for that office opening soon. 

OK so I’m new to Florida, I admit it.

Today I had something happen that really got me laughing. While i was out drumming up new leads, I left the dogs in the back yard. It’s fenced in so I was certine they could’nt get into any trouble. (how wrong I was.) When I stoped in for lunch one of the dogs had a land crab cornered in the yard. I’m fairly certine that the dog had never seen an animal like this and he was just curious about it. Well the dog got a little to close and the crab pinched the dogs upper lip with it’s big claw. The Dog reacted about how you expect, head shake, a little wine and general suprise. After all he had never had a crab grap his lip before. This all happed pretty quikly and the crab was only attached for a few seconds before i grabed it and pryed it’s claw open. I made sure that the Dog was ok and then checked on mr. grabby crab. It was ok too.   I have to admit I did chuckle a bit after the excitement was over. I think the dog leared a little lesson anout crabs and I took the crab with me back to work and released in in the dunes near the ocean.   I wish I had gotten a picture but thats the kinda thing thing that just does’nt happen every day… or does it?  

Woke up with the sun ready to learn how Nuisance Wildlife Relocation does things here.

The people I met were the nicest people you could ever meet.  Jeff sent me out with Randy, he and I talked about interesting jobs and and the types of animals i could expect to handle here in FL.  I talked to him about our flying squirrels up north.

I should mention that I’ve been doing wildlife control in the north east for over a decade and I’m tierd of the cold up there and ready for the exotic species and the new lattitude here in FL.

Randy showed me a couple of very exclusive gated comunities where he had some jobs. we checked traps and did an exclution job for rodents. We used aluminum roll flashing and screws to attach it to the house. I mentioned that the work was all very familiar to me and that I think that I’m really going to enjoy working here.

We it seems like we have a great start to the day. Our article on the python in the house was picked up by the Sarasota Herald Tribune and also the Tampa Tribune. Thanks to all the media for there support…

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080212/BREAKING02/727631363&SearchID=73308531367718

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/12/python-found-rented-home/

I received a call from the local police to night about a python in a house. After a 35 minute ride I arrived on scene with fellow wildlife control professional Matthew Hunt. We entered the home and was escorted to a rear bedroom where there was a 4′ python under the hot water heater. Matthew reached under and used every ounce of energy to pull the large snake from under the tank. Once out the snake was very calm and non-aggressive. Another great job completed by the Nuisance Wildlife Relocation Team.

A lady calls today and asks Christy to come and remove the neighbors cats as they are urinating and defecating in her yard. Christy advises her to call her local county animal control agency. The lady responds what’s the number Christy told her she did not have the number for the county she resides in. The lady on the phone says well look it up for me. Christy says that she is a private company and that she will have to look it up for herself and that she is not information. The lady relpies”F%$#@N C!@T” I could not believe it. What did she think when she called at 6:00 am this morning. We were sitting in a office with our feet up waiting for her to call and then search for a number on the other side of the state? READ THE WEBSITE! it tells you where we service. OMG I could not believe this…. Well I am very proud of Christy for not calling her back and giving her a piece of her mind… Or maybe she is waiting until 3:00 am

When Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida from Spain in 1513, he became famous for many things. He led the first voyage to Florida, and he was known for founding the legend of the Fountain of Youth. In addition to these, theories say that Florida’s feral hogs are descendants of the swine aboard Ponce de Leon’s ships.

Now, over four centuries later, the descendants of those swine are one of the most prevalent creatures living in the wild here in Florida. A large boar hog can weigh over 250 pounds, though most hogs weigh in around 150 pounds. A boar is identified by two long tusks in his lower jaw. The sows (females) do not have the same long tusks. If hunted, the sow is often used for meat.Florida’s population of feral hogs is second only to the state of Texas. Last year over 500,000 hogs roamed the wild in Florida. They live in a variety of habitats from everglades to hills. Employees here at nuisance wildlife have even seen them rooting the grasses on the medians in Lakewood Ranch. There are numerous problems associated with the vast population of feral hogs. They are a nuisance to farm owners, rooting pastures, sod, and crops for food.

In addition, they carry over forty-five different diseases. Thirty-seven of these are parasites, seven are bacteria, and one is a virus. Eight of the parasites can infect humans, along with all four species of ticks that may live on a hog.

One uncommon but nonetheless important danger to consider concerning the population of hogs is the possibility of vehicle accidents. As previously stated, feral hogs have been seen in the medians of streets. According to the Herald Tribune, a man was killed in 2006 when a hog darted in front of his motorcycle and the man spun out of control. It is likely that this is not the first and will not be the last incident concerning feral hogs out of their natural habitats.

Nuisance Wildlife Relocation will relocate these hogs using a live box trap made of strong metal. Nuisance Wildlife Relocation uses traps made by local business R & N Welding. The dangers of feral hogs on commercial and residential properties are vast, and Nuisance Wildlife Relocation is trained and prepared to help.

Florida is home to at least thirteen residential species of bats. They are an amazing animal—the only mammals who can fly! Their wings are very similar to a human hand, with joints that can close and grip. They sleep upside down by wrapping their talons around a branch or other surface. They exert little to no effort doing this, because gravity keeps their talons closed.

They have many useful qualities that humans may overlook. A nocturnal animal, bats will eat hundreds of insects in one night. If bats are living on your property they could greatly reduce the amount of mosquitoes and other bothersome insects. The way that they find insects and other sources of food is quite unique. They use an intriguing navigational system called echolocation. When they make a noise, the sound wave goes out and bounces back from the first object it comes across. The direction of the returning sound wave indicates where an object (such as an insect) is and how big it is.

Another useful aspect of bats is their feces (called guano). Guano has an abundant amount of nitrogen, making it a wonderful fertilizer. Certain enzymes can be extracted from bat guano and used in laundry detergent and other cleaning products.

Bats contribute greatly to the environment, and it is important for them to have a place to live. They normally live in trees or caves, but sometimes they become comfortable under the eaves of a persons house, or even inside the house. It is dangerous for bats to live inside the house for a couple of important reasons.

The first reason is that bats can carry rabies. Though uncommon, it is a possibility, and if a rabid bat were to become frightened and bite someone, the person could contract rabies. A rabid bat is usually indicated by heightened aggression and daytime activity. If a bat is easily approachable, that is also an indicator of rabies. Bats should not be handled.

The second reason is that if bat guano collects in the house, a person could contract Histoplasmosis. Inhaling the spores of this fungus can cause serious respiratory problems that could be fatal. The best and most humane way to rid bats from your home and put them back into the wild is by exclusion. Nuisance Wildlife Relocation will do a thorough search of the home for any holes or openings where a bat could get through. A one-way bat door will be placed at every opening so that the bat can get out, but not back in. When dusk hits, the bats will fly outside to hunt, and be unable to return. Once all of the bats have left the structure, all openings will be permanently sealed to prevent any further entry.

This method is completely humane and no bats are ever harmed during this process. This company prides itself on treating animals with the respect they deserve. If a bat is found inside, Nuisance Wildlife Relocation is available to solve the problem.