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Climbing Vines and Chimneys: A Potentially Expensive Combination

What are your thoughts about ivy and climbing vines on the exteriors of houses and chimneys? While many homeowners are ambivalent about this particular aesthetic, others absolutely adore it. For some folks, there’s just something about a home covered in greenery that says “classic,” “antique,” and maybe even “storybook-esque.” […]

By |July 20th, 2017|Chimney, Wildlife|Comments Off on Climbing Vines and Chimneys: A Potentially Expensive Combination

Identifying Pest Animals by their Tracks (Volume 2)

Back in March, readers of this blog received a very brief lesson in identifying pest animals by their tracks. Raccoons, opossums, and squirrels were covered in that post, but those three obviously aren’t the only animals that can cause problems when they decide to take up residence in your home or yard. So, let’s take a few minutes to learn about tracks belonging to another set of critters! […]

By |July 10th, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on Identifying Pest Animals by their Tracks (Volume 2)

Ways to Help Stray Cats in Your Neighborhood

If you’re a person who genuinely likes cats, then you might find it extremely difficult to ignore any cat who happens to cross your path. And if the cat in question isn’t wearing a collar, looks disheveled, or seems to actively be seeking your attention and assistance, you may find yourself worrying about their safety. Today’s topic is helping stray cats in your neighborhood, so “dog people” might want to sit this one out. If you’re a fan of felines, though, then read on!

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By |July 6th, 2017|Uncategorized, Wildlife|Comments Off on Ways to Help Stray Cats in Your Neighborhood

Why Do Bats Sleep Upside-Down? Questions and Answers about Unique Wildlife Behavior

As much as humans enjoy watching wildlife, we often find ourselves completely baffled by the things that animals do. Activities and habits that are “business as usual” for certain critters can seem bizarre or nonsensical to us—even irritating, depending upon the situation. Interestingly enough, though, many of these actions really do have completely rational explanations. For example: […]

By |June 20th, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on Why Do Bats Sleep Upside-Down? Questions and Answers about Unique Wildlife Behavior

How to Keep Wildlife out of your Garbage Can

Picture this:

You are walking home one evening, and you haven’t eaten all day. Your belly is growling, you are hungry, and you don’t know whether or not there is anything in your cupboards or fridge at home. But as you walk past a neighbor’s house…you see that they’ve left a huge box of non-perishable snacks out on their front lawn. Even if you knew that taking some of your neighbor’s food would be stealing, wouldn’t you at least be tempted to pocket a granola bar or two? […]

By |June 13th, 2017|Chimney, Wildlife|Comments Off on How to Keep Wildlife out of your Garbage Can

Lyme Disease 101

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that humans can fall victim to after being bitten by a blacklegged tick (aka a deer tick).

Lyme is very prominent in the northeastern and midwestern areas of the United States, but cases do pop up in Texas from time to time. Spring and summer are “tick season,” so let’s take a few moments to discuss this debilitating illness. […]

By |May 31st, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on Lyme Disease 101

Why You Shouldn’t Attempt to Domesticate Wild Animals

Regular readers of this blog may recall that, a few weeks ago, we discussed what you should do if you find a nest of baby rabbits somewhere on your property. And in that post, we mentioned that you absolutely should not try to keep the rabbits as pets, even if you feel tempted to do so. […]

By |April 11th, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on Why You Shouldn’t Attempt to Domesticate Wild Animals

Your kids or dog found a nest of baby bunnies. Now what?

A shallow hole in the ground. A covering made from loose grass and soft fur. And a handful of baby rabbits with closed eyes, wiggly noses, and delicate little bodies. […]

By |March 28th, 2017|Chimney, Wildlife|Comments Off on Your kids or dog found a nest of baby bunnies. Now what?

Is that a Bee, a Wasp or a Yellow Jacket?

When humans see some kind of stinging insect in their home or on their property, their first instinct might be to grab a weapon (like a can of bug spray or a rolled-up magazine) and charge into battle.  And while that’s not a completely unreasonable response—especially if you have small children, pets, or people with allergies in the house—it’s not always necessary.  The sad truth is that, in our war against aggressive pests like wasps and yellow jackets, innocent and eco-friendly bees get caught in the crossfire far too often. […]

By |March 21st, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on Is that a Bee, a Wasp or a Yellow Jacket?

What To Do if You or a Family Member Gets Sprayed By a Skunk

With their unique markings and funny way of waddling, skunks can be an interesting sight for humans and pets alike.  But there’s no rose without a thorn, and anyone who bothers a skunk may learn first-hand why even bears tend to leave these  critters alone!  In a perfect world, only other wild animals would ever get sprayed by skunks.  But since we don’t live in a perfect world, let’s take a moment to talk about responding to skunk stink bombs. […]

By |March 16th, 2017|Wildlife|Comments Off on What To Do if You or a Family Member Gets Sprayed By a Skunk