Who do you want solving your urban wildlife problems?

In late August, a distressed resident reported a Burmese python laying in front of his house. All Star Pest Management personnel rose to the challenge and captured the snake. Ihab and Ryan to the rescue! All Star Pest Management in Maryland was founded by wildlife biologist and NWCO Abdou El Hani.

Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs) have a unique skill set. They deal with wildlife management within an extraordinary environment… urban and suburban areas. Traditional wildlife agency managers visit these same areas to deal with the occasional trespassing of deer, cougars, and beavers, or to give presentations at the local library or school. But they will give a pass to calls about squirrels and raccoons in the attic or chimney, bats indoors, snakes in the woodpile, woodpeckers hammering on the gutters, or moles in the lawn. Often, they will refer a concerned or panicked homeowner to a “pest control” company. Those calls often trickle down to a company with specialized training in urban wildlife management.

The urban environment is very different from a rural landscape. First, there are people.  Everywhere. And as you know, people are not of one mind when it comes to the management of urban wildlife. That’s why one person pays a NWCO to set a trap, while another person would rather disable or destroy the trap. That’s why a local government might want NWCO services in dealing with urban coyotes, but others are out there with signs and slogans to protect those same coyotes. That’s why NWCOs work outside of normal business hours to capture birds inside a grocery store, and why they contact local law enforcement to let officers know what they are doing and why.

It's not just attitudes and values. The presence of people means there are cell phones recording NWCO activities, bloggers taking note, and perhaps journalists being notified. Usually, NWCOs do their work in anonymity or semi-anonymity. But not always. Now, there are smart doorknobs and security cameras. Images of a NWCO truck or NWCO work are posted to social media. The work is being done at someone’s request, but others may see something nefarious, and call police.

And children! Rural wildlife managers don’t really have to deal with children. Kids are interested in everything. “Do you see it?” Where is it?” “Is there anything in it?” In recognition of the curious child, EPA has mandated the use of tamper-resistant bait boxes for rodent control in outdoor areas near buildings to prevent children from accessing the poison bait, when similar poisons can be used without bait stations in agricultural settings. If NWCOs work in an urban setting, they expect to child-proof their work.

Dogs and cats also are an urban and suburban concern. NWCOs are careful to set cage traps where squirrels, raccoons, and skunks can have access, but dogs and cats cannot. They’ll use lures and trap placement strategies specially designed to attract the target animals. They may tell the homeowner to cal immediately if an animal is in the trap, or ask neighbors to keep their pets indoors for a day or two. But, of course, there are those unowned “community cats” and free-roaming dogs. They do their best to keep cats and dogs from being trapped. The local animal shelter and veterinarian is probably on their speed dial.

The behavior of animals is different. In the wild, a raccoon is probably living in a hollowed tree, or another natural cavity. But in an urban or suburban area? That raccoon may be raising her young on the smoke shelf or damper of a chimney. She may have chewed through the soffit or a vent and made a nice nest in the attic. She may have died under the deck… this is an unpleasant but necessary part of the NWCO business. Our homes are wonderful places for urban wildlife… warm, dry, free of predators, and near food. Animals are adaptable. Why stay in a tent when you’ve got the Hilton?

Then there are all the other activities that don’t involve animal handling. Having to send bats in for rabies testing. Clearing out decades worth of bat guano. Repairing the hole in the wall made to pull out a trapped animal. Telling a homeowner that the squirrel problem will be a “forever” problem because of the mature oak trees in the neighborhood. Sympathizing with a senior on a fixed income regarding a nuisance wildlife issue that he or she can’t afford and helping anyway. Contacting the USFWS, or the state wildlife agency, about getting a permit to remove geese, bats, woodpeckers, or foxes.

Finally, the NWCO gets go home. Now there’s billing, equipment cleaning and repair, and laundry. Clients expect a professional looking truck and a professional looking NWCO. The NWCO's family always hopes for a safe return, after a day of driving, ladder use, and crawling under homes (I've lost friends due to ladder falls). Your NWCO plays a game of Monopoly with the kids, then it’s off to bed, because it will probably be an early day tomorrow. They've got to check those traps before it gets hot.

It’s hard work. NWCOs have adapted to working in that urban and suburban environment. But as I always say, society needs professionals to solve their wildlife-related problems. That’s your professional NWCO.