Man, it just doesn’t get much worse than this. Four skunks dug their winter burrow under Karen McCullough’s house in Sheffield Lake, Ohio. Last November, McCullough and her family started hearing scratching noises under the kitchen and living room floors. The scratching set off the family’s dogs and cats that would bark and hiss and paw the carpeting. The skunks responded in the manner of their tribe — they sprayed, and sprayed, and sprayed.

The over-powering stench caused the McCulloughs to spend most of the freezing winter with their windows wide open. Their clothing, couch, chairs — everything! — still smell of skunk half a year later. McCullough said it’s been embarrassing to have to apologize to friends for the way she smells. “I’ve cried a few times. Inside, I’m having a nervous breakdown,” she confided.

Trappers finally lured the skunks from their den and the family is now living in a cramped hotel room while workers replace all their flooring. They’re also pouring a concrete slab to replace the original crawl space under their home. McCullough isn’t taking any chances on a repeat.

Skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, mice and possums can create some serious problems for homeowners. Particularly in newly developed areas, loss of habitat can force these wild animals to seek a substitute in your warm, cozy home. These animals can bring rabies, mites, ticks and fleas with them. For your safety, trapping and removal should only be performed by experienced wildlife control professionals.

For decades the people of New York City have claimed that rats live in the municipality. However nobody has actually seen one. Well, since it has been estimated that more than 60 million rats live in the city perhaps a few have been seen. The most conservative estimate claims that more than 250,000 share the city with other creatures and humans.

Some citizens claim they have seen rats the size of bull dogs. The scary hippopotamus size rat left years ago to live in Paris.

One exterminator claims Manhattan rats have the appearance of cats while Brooklyn rats actually look like rats. I don’t know if his Manhattan comment was dripping with silliness.

Years ago Joseph Mitchell wrote about the rats of New York city and boasted that the brown Norwegian rat is the most numerous, the dirtiest, the largest and the most fierce of the rat species. Your sweater wearing pet tiger may want to avoid them.

Thousands of licensed pest control professionals utilizing gas masks search for them on a nightly basis, clogging holes , putting out traps and fumigating. If the rat control specialists decided to move to Florida perhaps the city would have a few billion rats. Be nice to the rat exterminators. 

Be honest, have you vaccinated your ferret? Don’t try and pass him off as a weasel or European Polecat or even a Steppe Polecat.  New York State law requires people to have all dogs, cats and domesticated ferrets immunized for rabies beginning at four months of age.

Just because your ferret destroyed the inside of your home doesn’t give you the right to claim he has no manners and therefore is similar to your husband; not domesticated. Pets that received their first vaccination have to be re-vaccinated within one year in order to qualify for a three year coverage. By the way historians claim that ferrets have been domesticated for about 2,500 years. Husbands? More research is required.

It’s rare for humans to get rabies but for people who have not been vaccinated, rabies can be deadly after neurological systems occur, but quick use of a post rabies exposure vaccination may stop the virus from further progression.

Since the 1970’s the northeast and mid-Atlantic portions of the country have occasionally been dealing with raccoons infested with rabies. Apparently the rabid raccoons had been transported from the southeast portion of the nation by hunters who desired to increase the raccoon population of the northeast. If you need wildlife control call a professional.

Recently a woman died and a man is seriously ill due to receiving kidney transplants from a donor who carried the LCMV virus. The virus was responsible for the death of three other kidney transplant patients on the east coast in 2005.

The donor was a homeless man. Experts suggest he received the virus from rodents, pets or wild animal droppings. Typically the virus causes symptoms similar to the flu. 

The virus is not easily passed from human to human. The only known way the virus is acquired from another human is from mother to fetus.

Due to the small supply of available organs, recipients will often take an organ from someone at high risk of disease and health problems. 

It does not seem to be a major problem with pregnant women, but avoiding animal droppings is another issue that pregnant women need to be concerned about more than most people.

Throughout history rodents have always been a problem or a nuisance for people all over the world. Professional rodent control services in New York City and New Jersey can be quite helpful if you have not been able to get rid of rats and other unwanted critters. Be sure to avoid their droppings.

How do you know when to hire a pest control company? Some pests can present a health threat or property damage risk that demands the immediate attention of a pest control professional. It helps if you can identify the cause of the problem.

If you hear scurrying across the ceiling at night or hear scratching or high pitched cries coming from the attic, chances are squirrels or a raccoon have moved into your attic. Little black pellets on the floor or shelves of your garage or basement are likely to be mouse or rat droppings. The sight of a trail of ants across the kitchen floor, a cockroach scurrying under the stove, a beetle or two on the carpet are all signs of a potential infestation.

Sometimes a problem is first noticed by the effects the insect’s presence. If you wake up with itchy welts on your body, bed bugs could be the culprit. If you discover round holes in the fascia of your house, be on the lookout for carpenter bees. If you find dirt tunnels on the side of your home, it’s time for a termite inspection. The discovery of mounds of sawdust along your foundation could indicate carpenter ants.

If you see signs of a pest problem, contact a pest control professional. He can tell you what your treatment options are and take care of the problem before more damage occurs.

People all over the country have to deal with pesky raccoons, even city dwellers. Raccoons enjoy residing in the underground sewer system and other locations. Unfortunately, raccoons sometimes have rabies. Rabid raccoons tend to initiate brawls with other animals. If you see one attacking a stout Grizzly bear he may have rabies or he may just have a massive ego.

If you live in an area where raccoons wander around it’s a good idea to vaccinate your pets against the disease. Rabies can kill. The variety of rabies that inhabit raccoons is a serous public health problem since it can be passed on to other animals.

The virus is contained in the critters’ saliva and is passed to their victims by bites and scratches. If you live in a community that features raccoons you might want to check with the appropriate public officials and inquire if they are willing to use baits that include a vaccine that when consumed by raccoons  protects the varmints from rabies. The bait is being utilized in various parts of the country. If  your community selects the right type of bait it will not harm dogs if they happen to eat a few for a snack. If you notice a rabid animal, immediately contact your government officials. 

Twenty-six pounds of poop! That’s the amount of waste one pigeon produces in a year. Sounds about right. If Hector doesn’t clean up his act, I’m thinking of evicting him.

Hector spends his winters on a small ledge at the top of my porch pillar. He was one of a cadre of noisy pigeons born a few years back in the eave of my roof. I’ve since repaired the eave, but Hector believes in the old saying about pigeons coming home to roost. He’s returned to my porch every fall for the past three years, and every spring I find myself hosing and scrubbing.

Pigeon poop is like trying to scrape concrete off brick. When it dries and falls on the porch, it produces a fine, caustic dust that can aggravate allergies and asthma. Droppings can ruin buildings and automobiles. Pigeons carry more diseases that are harmful to humans than rats, including encephalitis, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis and toxoplasmosis. Add in fleas, ticks and mites and it’s time to roll up the welcome mat.

Unfortunately, once they pick your ledge, pigeons are hard to get rid of and the help of a wildlife control specialist may be necessary. Some cities are experimenting with a new product, Ovocontrol. It’s a birth control food pellet for birds designed to prevent egg fertilization. It doesn’t harm the birds, but it keeps them from multiplying. Since 5 pigeon pairs can produce up to 400 pigeons in just 2 years, that’s a good thing.

A lot of people use pesticides around their house for a variety of purposes.  Pesticides include products such as mold and mildew cleaners, weed killers and chemicals utilized for pools.  Sometimes serious blunders occur which have serious consequences.

A woman placed some grainy pesticides into some meat balls. Her goal was to entice the raccoons that were giving her problems to gobble up the chemicals. The suspicious raccoons refused to eat the treats. She placed the meat balls in the freezer and the unsuspecting husband  had them for a meal. Fortunately, the hospital staff was able to save him. Perhaps it’s best to let professionals handle raccoons in an appropriate manner.

A man placed bug bombs on top of his gas stove. The aerosol was ignited by the stove’s pilot light. The man was surprised when he noticed blown out windows , walls pushed out of position and serious roof damage. It’s very important  to turn off  all ignition sources before using bug bombs. 

According to my abacus the man would have be in a significantly better financial situation  if he had obtained the services of a professional exterminator. When his wife came home he sighed and  said to his wife “Oops, would you like a Pepsi?” Well, I’m joking. Be safe and consider using professionals.

Recently a motorist in my neighborhood saw a raccoon standing in the roadway, foaming at the mouth and growling at cars. Raccoons are know carriers of rabies so the man called police, who referred him to animal control, who passed him to public health, who sent him to natural resources, which told him, “Shoot it if it’s on your property.”

Seems like you’re on your own if you see a rabid raccoon in your neighborhood. Shooting a dangerous animal might make sense in the wilds of Wyoming, but in my crowded city neighborhood, it’s not smart, safe or legal. Police deal with wild people, not animals. Animal control focuses on cats and dogs and isn’t equipped to handle wildlife. Local wildlife centers will tell you how to capture a wounded animal so you can bring it in for treatment. This is great for baby birds, but I wouldn’t want to get that close to a sick raccoon.

Raccoons are known carriers of rabies and canine distemper. Rabies can be passed to humans and other animals. Distemper is not contagious to humans but can be transmitted to other animals.

If you come across a rabid, sick or wounded raccoon or other wild animal, it’s best to call an animal control company immediately. Wild animals are unpredictable and dangerous. Don’t put your family, children or pets at risk, call Stern Environmental.

A bit of warm weather and the squirrels are out of their nests and into the bird feeders. The ground squirrels are enough of a nuisance, but it’s the bat-like flying squirrel that can really destroy your attic. The small flyers are more like rodents than squirrels in their uncanny ability to squeeze through tiny holes and cracks to gain entry to your warm rafters and eaves.

Heights are no object for these nocturnal critters. They can “fly” — it’s actually a glide — great distances using the distinctive web of skin that connects their front and back legs. Called a patagium, the web is similar to the wing of a bat. These squirrels can glide more than 200 feet — right onto your roof — using their flat tails as a steering rudder. They can enter your attic from roof vents, improperly installed chimney caps and small construction gaps.

Flying squirrels live in large colonies — often 20 or more — which means there are 20 sets of razor-sharp teeth chewing away on your rafters and electrical wires and 20 nasty little bodies using your attic walls and insulation as a litter box. Of course, that’s not what will tip you off first. You’ll call Stern because of the incessant partying. These critters are nocturnal which means the party’s just getting started about the time you’re going to bed. Come 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning and your walls will be reverberating with their high-pitched cries and caterwauling. Don’t worry. Stern Environmental Group offers 24-hour emergency squirrel removal. Click here to find out more about squirrels and flying squirrels. Give us a call. You’ll sleep well when you get Stern with your pests.