Some people think that opossums are interesting creatures, some think they are frightening horrible looking rat-like creatures.  Most people do classify opossums as pests regardless if they are walking through their backyard or inhabiting their attic.

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.

The winter months are fast approach on the east coast and humans are not the only ones that are gearing up for the cold months ahead.  New York City and New Jersey pest control professionals report that many other creatures that spend the warmer months outdoors are now looking for a warm spot to hunker down in to escape the upcoming blast of Old Man Winter.

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.

Raccoons look adorable when they are frolicking outdoors, but you never want to have a raccoon invasion inside your home or business.  Soffits, attic vents and even roofing materials are not always enough to keep New York City raccoons from coming in from the cold, warn NYC pest control experts.  As the winter chill continues to rage on throughout the east coast, creatures big and small are seeking warmer shelter.  Raccoons are cleaver and strong creatures.  Once they gain access to your home, it’s difficult to get rid of them.

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.

An interesting story just emerged from England about a wild pack of criminals that have been running through a town cutting a huge amount of expensive telephone lines and an extraordinary amount of anti-lock braking system cables on cars.  Who could be committing such a heinous crime?  Why would someone want to cause such trouble and risk injuring so many people?  The mystery has been solved!  The answer finally came after “high visibility police patrols were carried out.”  It was discovered that these crimes were not that of some knife wielding vandal seeking revenge against society; but instead wild squirrels have gone nuts!  They were the culprits in the crimes!  Squirrels can be very destructive pests indeed.

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.

The New York Post recently ran an article about the growing opossum population that has now joined the forces of other unwanted furry creatures in Brooklyn, New York.  These marsupials are wandering the streets in high numbers, reportedly because the City Council decided to introduce them into the borough as a means of controlling the ever growing rat population.

The opossums were apparently set free at various parks and underneath the Coney Island boardwalk two years ago.  It was assumed that once the rat population had diminished, the opossum populations would as well because of the lack of food that would be available.  The problem is that these cleaver pointy nosed creatures have been able to thrive alongside other problem pests in Brooklyn with great ease.

Many area homeowners are crying foul as they wonder why the City Council would release another type of problem pest into the area.  But, perhaps the opossums are not as problematic as you might think.  According to The National Opossum Society, opossums are a beneficial animal for many different reasons.

Contrary to what some people believe, opossums do hunt, kill, and consume a large number of rats and mice.  Being nature’s ultimate scavengers, they will consume all types of dead animals (carrion) that they encounter.  They also eat many types of bothersome insects like crickets, beetles, snails, slugs, and cockroaches too.  Fallen fruit in neighborhood yards is a particular treat to a roaming possum.  Opossums do tend to carry fleas like other wild animals; but they seem to have a high immunity to most diseases, especially rabies!

Now if we could just train them to hunt and eat NYC bed bugs, perhaps they would be the perfect pet!

Opossums can be trouble when they rummage through trash cans and pet food left outdoors.  Like any other wild animal, they will bite if they are grabbed too.  If they happen to enter your home or attic though, you should never try to remove them yourself.  Wildlife removal is best left to professional pest control experts like the ones you will find at Stern Environmental Group instead!