Opossums are the only marsupials that are native to the United States.  They are transient creatures that usually only stay in one area for a period of 2 to 3 days, unless a mother has a litter of babies to take care of.  They are commonly found in agricultural areas, woodlands, and neighborhoods with suitable living environments and food sources.  They are usually attracted to neighborhoods by pet food that is left outdoors, over-ripe fruit that has dropped from trees, and dense shrubbery that they can hide under.

Like other rodents, opossums carry a variety of different vector pests which are dangerous to humans.  Fleas, which transmit Typhus and ticks, which transmit Lyme disease should be of particular concern to homeowners as these diseases can cause lifelong illnesses.

Having opossums around outdoors is not always a bad thing as they are scavengers that feed off of a variety of things.  Being scavengers, their natural diet includes eating plant matter, rotting fruit, insects, snails, slugs, and rodents and other small vertebrate animals, as well as dead animals.  They will not hesitate to invade trash cans and pet food bowls for a tasty meal.

Opossums are very adaptable to the environment surrounding them.  When looking for a suitable nesting site, it is not uncommon for a resourceful opossum to climb a tree or bush that is touching a roof to gain access to a home’s attic space.  Attics provide ample space and shelter from the elements for opossums.  Not being good house guests, these creatures will use the attic as their own personal toilet causing extensive damage to insulation and wood sources.

Stern Environmental Group will be able to humanely remove any opossum that has taken up residence in your NY or NJ home.  Call us today to learn about our opossum removal and exclusion services.

Many New Jersey residents have found that do-it-yourself methods that attempt to keep squirrels out of their home was completely futile.  Adding additional boarding to locations where squirrels have already gained entry will not keep squirrels out.  Their strong teeth and nimble climbing ability allows them to be able to slip in and out of any type of location with the greatest of ease.

You don’t need to worry about squirrels that are rambling through your yard, but you do need to take notice of aggressive “marking” signs that occur on or near your home.  These signs are an indication that a squirrel will soon be calling your home…theirs!  Here’s what to look for…

• On the roof…look for roof shingles that are stained with urine.

• In trees near the home…Look for chew marks left on trees.

• Anywhere on the interior or exterior of the home:  Look for chew marks on electrical wiring.  This can be a very dangerous situation due to potential fire risks!

Like many other types of rodents, squirrels are always working to keep their front incisors in tip-top shape so they will not hesitate to chew on any substance to sharpen their ever- growing teeth.

A New Jersey pest control professional will be able to find the best solution to rid your home of pesky squirrels.  Call Stern Environmental Group for expert services in New Jersey and New York.  We specialize in humane squirrel removal services.

Squirrels are well-known for their ability to gain access to attic areas of homes.  Because of their small size, ability to climb with ease, and graceful agility, squirrels are a difficult pest to keep outdoors.  Despite their fear of humans and pets, squirrels are perfectly happy living in the attic of your home!  Attics provide the perfect shelter area for squirrels and plenty of space for a female squirrel that is looking for a place to raise a young family.

Squirrels often gain access to the attic via the roof.  Depending on the type of roof you have, squirrels may chew or claw their way into the attic area.  Squirrels are excellent jumpers.  You can help prevent squirrels from gaining access to the roof by keeping tree branches trimmed back at least eight feet from the roof.  Squirrels also gain access to the attic via the attic venting units.  To keep squirrels out, it is important to cover any attic holes with heavy gage wire screen.  Be sure to attach the screening on all corners as well as in the middle section so that squirrels cannot shimmy their way in between.

Squirrels that have made an attic their home will cause serious and costly damage to New Jersey homeowners report NJ pest control experts.  Squirrel feces and urine carry bacteria that are dangerous to humans, so it must be carefully removed from the premises.  Squirrel fecal matter is an open invitation to other squirrels to enter the attic as well.  Like other rodents, squirrels constantly gnaw on a variety of substances to ground down their oversized teeth.  This constant gnawing has resulted in electrical wires being chewed and exposed, and at times, serious fires have erupted.

A New Jersey pest control professional can help get rid of all types of unwanted rodents and wildlife that have invaded your home.  Call Stern Environmental Group for expert services.

It’s now mating season for raccoons, so they are quite active looking for a good spot to raise their kits.  Raccoons desire the same things that humans do…food, water, and shelter from the elements, so our human habitats provide the perfect nesting spot for a growing raccoon family.

Raccoons are extremely intelligent creatures.  Because of their strength, agility, and cleverness, it is very difficult to keep a raccoon out of your home once they have decided that it is a suitable place to live.  Raccoons can enter your home through tiny openings.  They have extremely strong almost human-like claws that enable them to grab onto material and tear their way through many types of material.  Raccoons are not afraid of other types of wildlife that they may encounter such as birds, squirrels, or opossums.

You don’t have to be living in out in the country or in the woods to have raccoon encounters.  They are typically nocturnal, and do indeed thrive in small and large cities just as well as they do in dense wilderness area.  There has been an ongoing raccoon problem in the New York City and surrounding areas for many years.

Raccoons living in your attic, walls, or crawl space should be considered a serious problem that warrants a call to a licensed NYC or NJ pest control professional.  Stern Environmental Group offers humane raccoon removal services, and nest and feces removal services in New York and New Jersey.

Preventing a squirrel invasion in our New Jersey home can be a difficult task.  Squirrels are cleaver critters that use low lying branches from trees to gain access to the roof.  Once on the roof, squirrels will often gain access to the attic by entering through a breach in the attic vent area.  They have even been known to use their strong claws or teeth to break attic vents to gain access.  Squirrels, being the nimble creatures that they are, can easily travel along the gutters and swing their body around under the eve of a home and slip inside under the soffits.  Once they have gained access to your home, that’s when the real trouble begins.

Squirrels choose human habitats for the same reasons that people do…food sources, water, and shelter from the weather.  Once they find a suitable location, they will not leave on their own accord.  In fact, squirrels will continue to return to their nesting location year after year once the nesting site has been established.

Evicting squirrels from your home is not an easy process.  Cornered wild animals feel threatened and will not hesitate to bite and scratch, putting homeowners at great risk.  Stern Environmental Group understands the importance of removing these nuisance pests from a home or business quickly so we offer 24 hour emergency squirrel removal services.

It may begin as an unexplained bang here or there, or maybe some strange scratching noises, or perhaps you’ll hear scampering in your attic, ceiling or wall voids.  The threat of rodents entering your attic is a problem says pest control experts.  Raccoons and squirrels are common rodents that invade homes as the winter months approach.  These pests often cause serious problems for residents in New York and New Jersey as they chew through electrical wiring causing electrical shorts and a fire hazard.  Once these pests arrive, they send pheromones out to others of their species inviting them to join them.

Raccoons are extremely agile creatures that will gain access to your home by tearing attic vents, soffits, and even shingles and roofing boards up.  Their paws are strong and resemble those of a human with long claws attached. Raccoons are curious creatures and scavengers that leave a trail of destruction in their wake.  Raccoons use attics at a nesting site to raise their young and reside as a family.  They defecate and urinate at will, causing serious damage and health threats to humans.

Squirrels may seem fun to watch as they frolic in the trees and garden, but once they gain access to your home, they are a menacing pest to encounter.  Squirrels can squeeze into small openings and gain access to an attic.  If they opportunity presents itself, squirrels won’t hesitate to venture into the main area of the house, helping themselves to food and causing enormous damage as well.

Raccoon and squirrels should not be poisoned to be eliminated and should instead be trapped by a licensed pest control professional with experience in rodent removal services.  For expert services in New York and New Jersey, contact Stern Environmental Group.

Left to their own devices, raccoons are known to chew through electrical wires; which has caused serious fires.  They ruin insulation, stored items, and attic wood by leaving feces and urine throughout.  Raccoons do not make good house guests and should be removed by a NYC pest control expert immediately upon discovery.

Some people report receiving conflicting information when they call for help with raccoon removal services.  As a general rule, in New York, people should call the Department of Public Health’s general sanitation unit for help with dead raccoon removal.

If a raccoon appears to be sick or injured, residents should call their local Department of Public Health so that the raccoon can be trapped and euthanized to see if it has the rabies virus.  Raccoons that appear to be acting confused or agitated, are stumbling or falling, are frothing at the mouth, or are acting aggressively without provocation are all exhibiting potential signs of carrying the rabies virus.

Eileen Hagerman, who is the Executive Director of Volunteers for Wildlife, told the Times Beacon Record that “no member of the public should ever attempt to trap raccoons or any wildlife themselves” and “people should never approach or have any contact with the animals.” 

A raccoon’s behavior is naturally unpredictable and you never know if it may be carrying the deadly rabies virus.  If you have a raccoon in your attic, walls, or home, removing the raccoon should be left to a New York pest control expert.  Stern Environmental Group has trained technicians who can humanely remove raccoons from your home or business.  We offer professional raccoon removal services to Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions.

New Jersey squirrels are known for the funny backyard antics for certain.  They playfully romp to and fro and entertain us with their tree leaping agility.

The problem with NJ squirrels is that they have a propensity to gnaw on anything that they can sink their always growing teeth into.  Once a squirrel has entered a home, they can cause considerable damage as well.  In Illinois, a homeowner just returned home to find the interior of his home in shambles, and his television and water turned on when a way-ward squirrel found himself trapped inside his humble abode.

Squirrels can create serious problems for New Jersey homeowners when they decide to take up residence in the attic during the wintertime.  These cleaver creatures can easily chew through the strongest of roofing materials, or rip through soffits or vents to gain entry into NJ homes or businesses.  Once inside, they contaminate the insulation with their urine, feces, and parasite filled nesting materials.  New Jersey squirrels should also be a huge concern to residents because they are known for chewing through electrical wires and have caused fires in homes and businesses.  Additionally, NJ squirrels pose a problem for residents because they will bite when handled or cornered, and they can carry the rabies virus.

Squirrel removal should only be handled by a licensed NJ pest control professional that is trained in wildlife removal services.  Contact Stern Environmental Group for expert and humane squirrel removal services in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Greater New York City Metro and Connecticut Regions.

If the new legislation is signed into law, New York residents will be able to have raccoons removed just by asking.  If a raccoon is found to be scampering across someone’s backyard, but is causing no harm or annoyance, they can call for removal services.  If a raccoon happens to choose a tree hollow on a particular property to have its babies, and it is causing no trouble, it too can be evicted by the Health Department with a simple call from a borough resident.

Even though it is recommended that the Health Department humanely trap and release the raccoons that it captures, it only seems logical that if the Health Department were to trap an endless amount of raccoons for homeowners, not all would be able to be humanely released into the wild.  It stands to reason that some, if not all, would absolutely need to be euthanized.  Although raccoons can be a bothersome pest when they invade human spaces, plucking them out of their own natural environments just because they are a potential nuisance is not the right thing to do.

You can keep raccoons away from your home by keeping pet food indoors, making sure that they cannot gain entry into your attic, and covering your trash with tightly fitting lids.  New York City residents are encouraged to report any sick looking raccoons to the 311 number, the Health Department, or you can even call 911.  Additionally, sick or well, you should never approach a raccoon.  They may be cute and cuddly looking, but they have powerful bite and grasp and could potentially have rabies.  If you have raccoons in your yard…leave them be.  If you do happen to have a raccoon in your attic, wall, or crawl space that needs removed, contact Stern Environmental Group for humane raccoon removal services.

Raccoons thrive not only in the wilderness, but in cities as well.  People may find it hard to believe, but the densest population of New York raccoons is in New York City.  There have been dozens of raccoons in Central Park this year that have tested positive for rabies.  The city has been very aggressive in trapping and vaccinating raccoons at the park to help keep rabies from spreading.

Raccoons are causing New York City residents in some boroughs constant problems.  Because of complaints by some homeowners, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley introduced a new bill that would require that the city provide raccoon trapping services to residents in all five boroughs.  The bill would allow for residents to call the Department of Health and request that raccoons be removed from their property.  As it stands now, the  Department of Health will onlyremove raccoons that appear to be sick, ie…are showing signs of having rabies.  If New York City residents are having trouble with raccoons gaining access to their homes, scampering through their yard, tearing through their trash, knocking on their windows, etc, they are required to call a pest control specialist who is trained in wildlife removal services.

Please check back on Friday for the conclusion.