Ohio Groundhog Removal

The largest ground squirrel commonly known as a woodchuck is a common nuisance in backyards everywhere. Also called groundhogs for their habits and appearance, especially in late summer when they've been packing on the pounds in preparation for a long cold winter. When startled or alarmed they can emit a shrill warning whistle, inspiring the nickname whistle pig. It has short legs, strong claws, and a stubby tail.

Groundhogs are covered with two coats of fur. The outside fur keeps water out and the inside fur keeps in body heat. Groundhogs weigh between 4 and 14 pounds, and live most of their lives underground. The fox, wildcats, coyotes and hawks are their main natural enemies.

Because of their ease of adaptation to human environments, our home becomes their home. Backyard landscapes provide attractive goods, such as vibrant flower garden, lush grass with delicious clover, vegetable gardens, and fruits from trees that groundhogs favor. Once a groundhog has found ample food source, it will look for a den site that is close by. Your home is the den site due to increased land development in groundhog inhabited areas, and the overpopulation of groundhogs does not help. Loose vents, storage sheds, low decks and porches are the most common den locations.

Groundhog control is not something for the do-it-yourselfer. By knowing the biology, habits and patterns of a skunk, Wildlife Professionals are better prepared and trained to remove the animal for you.

This is not just a job for the Wildlife Professional; it is a passion to help the person who has the wildlife conflict and the wildlife too.

Your experts in the Marietta, Cambridge, Zanesville and all of Southeast Ohio is A All Animal Control .

Call the Marietta, Cambridge, Zanesville and all of Southeast Ohio experts today at (740) 732-1080.

Cambridge and Zanesville OH Skunk Control and Removal

It's that time of year, again. Babies, babies, babies.

Baby skunks can spray the day they are born. But now is that time that have found the full power of the spray; 2 months old. Baby skunks will spray for no reason at all, but to test their glands and get used to the muscle action from the glands.

Baby skunk control and removal is one of our specialties at A All Animal Control. You have been living with this skunk long enough and need a professional to quickly and effectively remove it!

Skunk control is not something for the do-it-yourselfer. By knowing the biology, habits and patterns of a skunk, Wildlife Professionals are better prepared and trained to remove the animal for you.

If you have skunk problems or getting rid of skunk creatures is a problem then you've come to the right place. Removing skunks can be difficult so leave it up to the experts. We offer a quality skunk removal service.

This is not just a job for the Wildlife Professional; it is a passion to help the person who has the wildlife conflict and the wildlife too.

Your experts in the Marietta, Cambridge, Zanesville and all of Southeast Ohio is A All Animal Control .

Let us help you restore your home, business or property to its original former peaceful existence as well as your sanity!

Call the Marietta, Cambridge, Zanesville and all of Southeast Ohio experts today at (740) 732-1080.

Could a Child or Pet Tell the Difference

One of these will kill a mole while the other is a harmless candy.
In fact, if your child or pet ingests the wrong one, they would be ingesting Bromethalin which is a highly potent rodenticide that provides a lethal dose to rodents in a single feeding. Simply handling this “bait” will require you to wash your hands immediately with plenty of soap and water. Sublethal symptoms if present in humans or pets could include swelling of the brain (Cerebral Edema). The person or pet ingesting this rodenticide is recommended to undergo a stomach pump (gastric lavage) or vomiting (emesis). The label also states that this product is toxic to fish, birds and other wildlife!

Trapping moles is a better solution for you and your family. The professionals at A All Animal Control of SE Ohio LLC will rid the moles from your property and use the safest methods available in their control programs. We do not use any poison to control moles. When we capture the mole, it is removed from the property and not left for pets or children to dig up and consume.

If you want to protect your family and pets, have the professionals at A All Animal Control of SE Ohio LLC begin a trapping program at your property today! Call us now at 740-260-3274.

Moles Are Frustrating!!

Moles Are Frustrating!

Moles can drive you crazy! If you're like most homeowners, you're probably confused by all of the so called "advice" on mole control. You’ve tried every rumor, home remedy, or control method, that well-meaning people have advised. In fact, chemicals, and home remedies, (including castor oil derivatives, and grub controls) are not only ineffective when dealing with moles, they allow the animals the time needed to establish themselves, and become real problems. The longer they have been in residence, the higher the population will be, and the more embedded they will be.

Mole Facts

Moles evolved as woodland animals in nature. They can however, quickly colonize and spread through adjacent residential properties, due to the abundant food source. Since moles need a well-established tunnel network to survive, the longer they're allowed to tunnel, the more habituated they become, and thus, more difficult to control. Trapping is the only effective method of control. It is literally a war of attrition.

Moles are insectivores (they only eat insects). They are not rodents. They also are not herbivores, (meaning they do not eat any roots, plants, or vegetative matter). The mole’s diet is restricted to ground invertebrates such as grubs, millipedes, ants, etc.. However, nearly 100% of the mole's diet, is the earthworm. Thus trying to control white grubs and lawn insects is no protection from mole activity.
Moles are territorial and normally avoid each other. The exception to this is during their breeding season. A mole can dig up to 18 ft. of new tunnels per hour. This can result in a lot of lawn damage. Also, during early spring, moles are searching for an ever dwindling food source as earthworms, and most other insects are not pro-creating during winter months. Mole tunneling at this time can be excessive as they search for this diminishing food supply. Because of these facts, the homeowner often is led to overestimate the number of moles invading their lawn, due to the massive damage.

There is no accurate way to determine the number of moles infesting a lawn until they have all been trapped and the damage ceases. Generally, the longer the problem has persisted, the higher the number of moles there will be.

Why Did The Remedies I Tried Seem To Work For Awhile?
The activity in certain lawns can simply come and go throughout the year. On large properties the activity may gypsy from one part of the lawn to another. This movement, or migrating, is controlled by climate conditions, ground moisture, and food supply. During long periods of no rain, the moles will either migrate to an area with more moisture, or merely burrow deeper. The moles are merely following the earthworms, which are themselves following the moisture. Moles do not hibernate, so when activity stops during spells of frozen ground, the moles have again followed the earthworms who have burrowed deeper into the ground to get below the frost depth.
Also, moles often may leave an area if disturbed. This can be due to the introduction of sonic devices or other noise producing devices. After a short period of time, the moles become accustomed to the noise and ignore it. Even without disturbance mole activity may last only a week or two in a particular area as they pursue their food source. There are also many poisons on the market that must be consumed by the mole to work. Many are pellets or granules. These poisons have zero chance of working as they in no way resemble or taste like any insect, which is all a mole has evolved to consume. Even the poisons resembling their food source have little chance of being successful. Poisons also have the danger of being found by children or pets.
This here-now gone-tomorrow behavior is probably the root of most of the subjective misconceptions that make home remedies, including mole poisons, appear to work. Subjective misconceptions are also the root of such remedies as lye, Drano, pickle juice, broken glass, red pepper, razor blades, bleach, moth balls, rose branches, human hair balls, vibrators, ultrasonic contraptions, bubble gum, castor bean derivatives, gasoline and explosives.

Moles Are Problems On Residential Properties Because:

1 - Restrictions on, or loss of, natural habitat: This can be due to new construction (excavation) nearby, drainage changes, or depletion of their food source. Moles are normally woodland animals. Suburban construction eradicates, or modifies hillsides, woodlands, and pasturelands, pushing moles into surrounding lawns.
2 - Artificial environments: This is created and maintained, through most current landscaping practices. Most landscaping depends on artificial means of maintaining lawns and flower beds. These soils are kept rich with chemical nutrients, as well as heavy applications of organic materials, such as mulch and top soils. Watering or irrigation is common. This type of landscaping provides a perfect environment for the moles food source (earthworms and insects).
3 - Unreliable methods of control: The mole has a low birth rate that is uncommon for a small mammal. Litter sizes are only three to four pups once a year. Natural survival rate is usually less than half in the wild, and yet we still have a problem with moles? Why?
Simply put, since there are no viable chemical solutions (including home remedies) to a mole problem, and trapping is a difficult skill to master for the homeowner, moles are able to flourish.

Not All Roof Vents Are Raccoon Proof!

By Steven Shaffer, President of A All Animal Control of South East Ohio

Here’s a picture showing part of the roof and roof vent from a client’s home. This client had a raccoon raising pups in the attic and called A All Animal Control of South East Ohio to remove the animal. It’s very common for raccoon to access attics through these vents. The client in this case had dealt with this problem several years ago by installing heavy screen to the metal shaft that housed the fan in these two vents. The screen the client had installed extended all the way to the vent cover. It was undisturbed on both vents and provided no access.

After the female raccoon and her young were removed, it was time to find the animal's access point. During inspection, I tried to locate the access point. I spent about 35 minutes and frustratingly, could not locate her access point. All of the attic roof vent screening the homeowner had installed, the soffits, connecting rooflines, the chimney cap, attic vent screens, etc..., were all solid and raccoon-proof.
Finally, I began looking for hair as I could find no tracks or other signs of raccoon. Again, I had no success. As a last resort, I looked again at the roof vents. It’s difficult to get your head under these to see well, as the gap is very small. I finally did notice the screen installed by the client on the vent located in the left side of the roof had a few raccoon hairs on it.
I attempted to squeeze my head in far enough to allow me a better look and here’s what I found! The raccoon had learned to push up the plastic cover, in which a connecting rivet for the plastic cover, had failed. This failed rivet allowed her to push up the cover and enter the attic. Kind of like a trap door!! When she entered it shut behind her. When she left it shut behind her. No obvious outside sign! The client had told me that he had searched everywhere as well and could not find how she was getting in. I nearly missed it myself. I quickly permanently raccoon-proofed both vents. Raccoon amaze me!! For all of your wildlife problems call A All Animal Control of South East Ohio at (740) 732-1080 or (740) 260-3274. Email us at seohio@aallanimalcontrol.com

Tricky Ohio Raccoons

By Steven Shaffer, President of A All Animal Control of South East Ohio

The most unique raccoon situation I’ve dealt with was for a homeowner who owned several cats. The home had a large enclosed porch that was set up as a playroom for the cats. There were two cat doors installed to allow the cats to come and go. One allowed access to the enclosed porch/playroom area. The other allowed access to the interior of the home. The homeowner only fed the cats in her kitchen area and never in the cat playroom. Though the homeowner had many cats, she had been noticing that they had been consuming a very large amount of cat food. This had continued for over 1 year.
Finally, the homeowner went on vacation, asking a friend to feed her cats and watch her home. The friend filled the food bowls daily. One day the friend found a huge mess in the kitchen. Drawers and cupboard doors had been torn open, and food items scattered across the floor. She cleaned up the mess and filled the bowls. This continued daily until the homeowner returned. The homeowner then contacted A All Animal Control of South East Ohio to find the culprit.
From the sign, I determined that raccoon had learned to access the home through the exterior cat door, cross the playroom, enter the second cat door and stroll down the hall to the kitchen's smorgasbord of food.
I set a trap in the playroom to catch the raccoon entering through the cat door . In three consecutive nights I caught three adult male raccoon.
To prevent this from reoccurring, the homeowner installed an electronic cat door. This new cat door required a device that had to be attached to the cat’s collar. As the cat approached the door, this device would unlock the door. The door’s manufacturer guaranteed that no animal could ever enter if it was not wearing this device.
Several years went by before I received another call from this client, experiencing the same issues with a raccoon repeatedly entering her home through the new animal proof electronic cat door. She had come downstairs one morning and caught the raccoon feeding at the cat bowls. The raccoon calmly walked down the hall and exited through the cat door into the playroom. It then exited to the outside through the electronic door. These electronic doors are only to prevent animal entry and not access, so it was easy for the raccoon to exit.
I once again setup, and immediately caught another large male raccoon.
With the supposedly animal-proof cat door, what exactly was happening?
This raccoon had figured out how to unhook the two electronically controlled latches, one located in each bottom corner of the cat door. It did this by inserting a single claw, one from each front foot, into the crack of the door, and depressing both latches simultaneously to enter. I am still amazed this raccoon figured this out. For all of your Animal Control needs contact A All Animal Control of South East Ohio at (740) 732-1080 or by sending an email to seohio@aallanimalcontrol.com

A All Animal Control of South Eastern Ohio Offers Complete Wildlife Control

No matter what the wildlife control problem, A All Animal Control of South Eastern Ohio has the knowledge of over twenty years of experience and tools to get the job done. “I will control virtually any mammal, bird or reptile, in all situations. Bats and ground moles are my specialties.”, states Steve Shaffer, President of A All Animal Control of South Eastern Ohio.
“I began trapping when I was 9 years old. Then in the late 1990’s, I began to get calls from individuals that were having difficulties with animals causing damage to homes and properties. These calls were often for animals that were out of season, in cities and towns where normal trapping is not allowed, or were for animals that were not furbearers, squirrels, bats, snakes, etcetera,” he said.
It was then that the opportunity arose to turn a talent into a full time business. “Because of these calls, I obtained an Ohio Nuisance Wild Animal Trapping Permit and started a business under the name of Steve’s Wildlife Removal. In January of 2008 I joined a National Team of Wildlife Experts to further my knowledge and training. At that time I also changed the business name to A All Animal Control of SE Ohio LLC,” Shaffer added.
Shaffer uses only humane methods of removal and exclusion. “Virtually all my methods involve the use of live traps, scare tactics and exclusions. Exclusion is the process of animal proofing the structure and either installing mechanisms to allow the animals to leave and not return or to prevent their entry in the first place,” Shaffer said. He continued, “I have a vast amount of experience in removing nuisance animals and permanently solving human/wildlife conflicts. I will solve the problem in the most humane way possible or there is no charge. I guarantee all my exclusion work and that no job is too large or small means to offer most complete wildlife service.
No matter how docile or harmless an animal might seem, there are many reasons to have an animal removed as there is no limit to damage wildlife can cause. “The reasons are many. First is the risk of contracting diseases. An animal can be infected with rabies and not show symptoms. There is also the risk of being bitten. Often homeowners will catch a non-target animal and are at a loss as to what to do with it. Each year I get calls from people catching skunks when after raccoon. In the case of squirrels for instance, ladders and other required equipment, make the job expensive and dangerous. Finally, Ohio law states you cannot just release animals into the country,” stated Shaffer.
Want to learn more? For more information visit Shaffer’s website www.aallanimalcontrol.com/animal_control_southeast_ohio.cfm or email seohio@aallanimalcontrol.com or phone 740-732-1080 or 740-260-3274. Look for featured articles in Cambridge, Ohio's The Daily Jeffersonian and Zanesville, Ohio's Time's Recorder.