Homes here in Florida are now constructed to withstand a hurricane but unfortunately few if any are built to keep,rats, mice, birds, bats, raccoons, opossums, squirrels and other critters or unwanted wildlife pests out of your home.

It is very common though few want to admit it that these pests or wild animals may and often do enter homes. Some of threse can be prevented by simply being proactive in the maintenance of your home.

Trees and branches are a big reason and anytime a branch or tree allows access to your soffits or roof it eventually leads to unwanted animal in your home. Please keep them trimmed far away from your home.

If you have soffit or fascia damaged or missing it needs to be repaired before the animals arrive. They do and will arrive if left unattended long enough. Some of the critters crawl in other like birds and flying squirrels simply fly in and gain access.

For those of you who erect privacy fences that abut next to your home these fences also also allow squirrels, rats, opossum and raccoons access into your home. During a recent raccoon problem inspection the reason was you guessed it a privacy fence. A young mother looking for safety for her soon to be arriving den of raccoon kits chose to walk the privacy fence , punch out the soffit and gained simple access to the home. Until I arrived and set traps the occupants listened to the young mother leave and access their home every time.

Most homes have vent covers that have screening that eventually rust out or was never welded in properly in the first place. rats, and squirrels find these access points and quickly make safe refuge of your attic free of predators and make a den and start raising their young in your home. many times once they claim an attic they never leave and eventually will chew up expensive wiring and can cause house fires if left to remain.

I offer thorough inspections, and find small nooks and crannies lefct by the intial builders of yoru homes and something as small as a 3/8 inch access point can lead to thousands of dollars of repairs or cleanup after a home is soiled by bats or birds.

Any animal entering your home can cause disease rt your family or pests. Disease like histoplasmosis are caused by a fungus that when the fecal material dries and eventually becomes airborne and once it enters thelungs can cause flu like symptoms for several months or even death. Most of us first about histoplasmosis after simple cures for the flu fail and visit the local health professional for a cure. The problem is few expect birds,bats or animals to be the culprit in your home and are often misdiagnosed.

If I can help you with your animal,bird or bat concerns please feel to call me for consultation or a inspection of your home. I have been providing a wide variety of pest removal services here in Florida since 1998 and have the solution for any animal,wildlife,bird or bat problem .

You can reach me at 386-454-7474 and I service all of North Central Florida.You can reach wildlife professionals all over North America through our web site at http://findthewildlifepro.com

On Saturday, March 14th,2009 I got a phone call from my son Wayne’s best friend’s mom and she told me her husband found a raccoon down the street three days earlier that had also bit him. She was crying  over the phone and was then on her way to pick up her husband who was at work and needing to come home because he became very sick and that since he was bit he refused to get medical help and she asked me to step in and try to help her through the situation.

Robb Russell, Fort White, Florida Using A Control Pole To Handle the Rabies Suspect Raccoon

Read The Article

If it were not for the squirrel a very important segment of my industry would be lacking.

Me & Two Nuisance Captive Squirrels

I have a lot to thank squirrels for being one of the biggest pest many in North America experience in their homes is the Gray Squirrel as they invade homes, chew wires and wake up potential customers taking residence above in their attics. Thanks to the squirrel many NWCO’s nationwide stay busy trying to stay one step ahead of them.

To read the rest of the story –>  Click here

Anytime Animal Control offers me great support  to offer everyone in North Central Florida  and especially the Greater Gainesville Area quick and responsive services. No matter what the situation Anytime Animal Control is trained and equipped to handle any of your wildlife concerns

Did I mention we trap Coyotes, feral and stray cats, foxes and other predators!

Three squirrel species occur in North Central Florida - gray squirrel, southern flying squirrel and fox squirrel. Gray and flying squirrels are the most abundant and cause homeowners the most problems. The Pine and Red Squirrel have been reported but not considered native to this part of Florida.

Gray Squirrel:

The gray squirrel is one of the most common of all animals found in Florida. Under natural conditions, gray squirrels prefer hardwood or mixed hardwood and pine forests but these squirrels easily adapt to urban and residential areas. Oaks are the favorite trees of the gray squirrel, which will also eat well from bird feeders and gardens.Gray Squirrels raid fruit and nut trees, and occasionally vegetable gardens. They find flower gardens very attractive, and they eat both flower bulbs and buds. Tree leaves and twigs may be trimmed from trees for nest building, and bark gnawed away for reasons unknown.

Gray squirrel’s have three different color phases which are white or albino, black and red-brown phases.

Southern Flying Squirrels:

Southern flying squirrels do live in Florida. They are likely to be more common in northern Florida, where there is more habitat for them than in central and southern Florida. Actual encounters with humans are rare because flying squirrels are exclusively nocturnal in their activity. They live in woods with nut or acorn-bearing trees, a water supply, scattered dead trees and snags. They sometimes nest in attics. Autumn nights are best for observing flying squirrels because they are busy gathering food for winter. Flying squirrels are less active during cold winter weather.

Fox Squirrels:

Fox squirrels are most common in the Panhandle and northern Florida, but they are protected from hunting throughout the state.

Fox squirrels spend more time on the ground than gray squirrels and are slower moving. They forage for acorns, nuts, fruits, insects, mushrooms, buds and tubers, so they require habitats with an open understory. These include open pine flatwoods, sandhills, mixed pine-hardwood areas and  land interspersed with trees. Like the gray squirrel, fox squirrels prefer to nest in hollows in trees, but will also construct bulky nests of twigs and leaves in treetops. Young are usually born in late winter/early spring and in the summer.

Some Facts For Home Owners To Consider About Squirrels:

The squirrel’s most damaging habit is gnawing entrances into attics. Once inside, they often use insulation or other materials found in the attic for nest building. Occasionally, they chew electrical wiring and cause short circuits and sometimes fires. Less frequently, squirrels mistakenly end up in the living area of a house. They find their way in through an open damper in a chimney or travel through the walls to the basement. Squirrels can also become trapped in chimneys. Nesting in houses is usually the only problem that flying squirrels cause.

Squirrel populations often build up to high numbers in older residential areas which have lots of mature trees, particularly oaks. Because their reproductive rate is so high, live trapping is not usually effective. A homeowner’s best bet is to protect his house by screening openings and removing access to food sources, such as bird feeders.

Attic louvers, vents, and fan openings should be screened with one-quarter inch mesh hardware cloth. Window screening is not sturdy enough to prevent their entering. Eaves should be closed up tightly and rotten boards replaced. Chimneys should be capped.

Hiring a professional to inspect your home, and begin excluding these lovely creatures many times can be done by the installation of one way doors allowing them to leave and no longer re-enter.In addition to installing one way excluders we will close off all access points and identify how to keep your home wildlife free.

If you have any wildlife , animal or bird concerns please give me a call . I promise to find the solution to eliminating your wildlife problems.

Robb Russell

1-800-714-8727

We Service Most Of North central Florida: Lake City, Gainesville, Cross City, Madison , Jasper, Live Oak, Orange Park, Interlachen, Lake Butler, Ft White, Branford, ,Ellisville, Archer, Jonesville, Mayo,White Springs, High Springs, Alachua, Newberry, Trenton, Chiefland, Starke, Waldo and surrounding communities.

I handle most animal, bird ,reptile, wildlife concerns you the North Florida residents may encounter bats, raccoons, squirrels,moles, pocket gophers, snakes, lizards, sparrows, pigeons, nutria, beaver. Some of these may require a permit from the Florida Wildlife Fish & Game Commission.

http://www.gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
http://www.anytimeanimalcontrol.com

Robb Russell, The Wildlife Pro
Robb@wildlifepro.net
Serving All North Central Florida
Founder, The Wildlife Pro Network Read My Blog , Listen To My Podcasts
If You Are A Professional Join my entire network

 The Armadillo is known to destroy lawns and dig up under structures and have been know to cause damage to wiring, plumbing and other structural and landscaping concerns around your home or business. Many times it is necessary to have the armadillo removed in order to stop the damage.

Should you require affordable removal services please contact us through our call center at 1-800-714-8727

I prepared this lecture and video on the removal of the armadillo for my fellow wildlife control professionals operating nationally. The armadillo believe it or not is quite a powerful animal and can destroy the average trap purchased from a local hardware store. if you want to give it a try listen to me and the advice Andy Wiilliams and I give in this video.

Live Trapping The Armadillo - The best home videos are hereRobb RussellThe Wildlife Pro, Anytime Animal Control

The Following is from San Francisico State Unversity

The Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

by Raquel Avila, Geography 316 Fall 1999

Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum: Chordata
      Class: Mammalia
         Family: Dasypodidae
            SubFamily: Dasypodinae
               Genus: Dasypus
                  Species: Dasypus novemcinctus
Introduction
There is a Mayan legend that describes an event where two rebellious gods were taught a lesson. The legend says that the Mayan Sun God sat the two unruly gods down on a bench before all the other gods. The bench was suddenly altered into a pair of armadillos, which immediately jumped up in the air–tumbling the two disobedient gods onto their backsides in disgrace (Gilbert, 1995). I’m not familiar with Mayan legends, but I do know that armadillos are known for jumping vertically into the air. Armadillos are also known to be unique mammals because they have managed to migrate within a remarkable range.
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is an unevenly distributed mammal ranging from northern Argentina to the southern United States. The nine-banded armadillo is the only species out of 20, today, that inhabits the southern portion of the United States. The armadillo, which is considered to be an ancient and primitive species, is one of the only living remnants of the order Xenarthra.

This paper will discuss the natural history, distribution, and evolution of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), as well as other interesting facts. This paper will also discuss, briefly, the ancient disease of leprosy and its affiliation with the nine-banded armadillo

Description of Species:
The physical characteristics of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) are pretty unique and primitive looking. The name Dasypus is derived from the Greek word for “rabbit” (Smith, 1984). Combining novem, “nine” with cinctus, “band” you have a “nine-banded rabbit” (Smith, 1984). Literature has stated that the nine-banded armadillo without its shell or carapace resembles a rabbit.
The nine-banded armadillo is a medium sized animal, with a length of about 2.5 feet and weighing around 14 pounds – the male being slightly larger. (Smith, 11). It is covered with an armor like shell from head to toe, except for underneath the belly, which is basically a thick skin covered with coarse hair. (Storrs, 1982). The carapace is divided into three sections – a scapular shield, a pelvic shield, and a series of bands around the mid-section. (Fox, 1996). Even though it is called a nine-banded armadillo, some tend to have between 7 and 11 bands, depending on the range of their location.  Most nine-banded armadillos are brown and gray in color (Myers, 1999) and have hairs that are yellowish white (Texas Parks & Wildlife, 1997).
The postcranial skeleton of the nine-banded armadillo is made for digging and to accommodate the shell (Myers, 1999). Also the skull of these creatures are flattened with a long lower jaw (Myers, 1999). The nine-banded armadillo has around 30 peg-like teeth (Texas Parks & Wildlife, 1997), even though they belong to an ancient order of animals, the Edentata, which means “toothless”.
Natural History:

Photo by Jeff Foott

The first nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) to be seen in the United States was in 1849 (Taulman, 1996). Prior to that, the nine-banded armadillo had been recorded to be seen as far back as the 4th and 14th centuries by native hunters in Mexico (Taulman, 1996). The Spanish name armadillo, which means “little armored one”, originated from the Spanish conquistadores (Nixon, 1995), who encountered these beasts in the New World. The nine banded armadillo resides in the areas of northern Argentina through the South American continent east of the Andes, northward into Central America, and is widely spread throughout southern and central Mexico (Smith, 1984).
It is thought by scientists and researchers that the nine-banded armadillo could have evolved or replaced the extinct species Dasypus bellus, which resembles the Dasypus novemcinctus, but bigger in size. After the Panamanian strip of land submerged from the sea, two and a half million years ago, it is thought to have been the corridor for these prehistoric armadillos to migrate as far north as Florida (Storrs, 1982). Unfortunately these ancient armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) became extinct for reasons, to this day, are unknown. The nine- banded armadillos that remain today are thought to be descendents of a pair that escaped from a small zoo about fifty years ago in Cocoa, Florida (Storrs, 1982 & Watson, 1989). But there is an event recorded of a nine-banded armadillo being introduced to Florida prior to the two that had escaped.
Evolution:
There isn’t much information on the evolution of the nine-banded armadillo. It’s known that the closest relatives of the armadillo are sloths and anteaters, who also belong to the order Xenarthra. The order first evolved around fifty million years ago, in what we now know as South America (Nixon, 1995). The armadillos that once roamed in South America, more than 10,000 years ago, were much bigger in size.
It is said by researchers that once the corridor between North and South America emerged, large canine and feline predators migrated south and began to prey upon these giant armadillos (Stuart, 1986). This in turn contributed to the extinction and the migration of the giant armadillo (Dasypus bellus) out of South America towards North America. Migrating northward as far as the Ohio river valley, the armadillo survived for up to 10,000 years (Nixon, 1995). Sooner or later, for unknown reasons, the armadillo became extinct in North America. Remarkably, a smaller version of the armadillo re-established themselves north of the Rio Grande.

Distribution
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) has become an unevenly distributed creature along the southeastern portion of the U.S. This uneven distribution of the nine-banded armadillo is thought to be due to the lack or abundance of vegetation, climatic factors, as well as human intervention. Climatic factors, such as precipitation levels and weather, tend to be the main cause of where the nine-banded armadillo resides. It is thought that the armadillos westward migration will come to a stop where precipitation levels drop below 38 cm (15 inches) due to the need of moisture in the soil, where the armadillos main food source (invertebrates) thrive in (Wilson, 1997). Freezing winters could be a problem for the nine-banded armadillo as well. The maximum amount of “freeze days” that the nine-banded armadillo is limited to is fewer than 9, which need to be spread out over several winter months (Taulman, 1996). The nine-banded armadillo does not hibernate and needs to eat on a daily basis (Wilson, 1997). It has been recorded that armadillos cannot survive in areas where it snows due to their feeding habits (Wilson, 1997). Their type of habitat tends to be temperate forests as well as a wide variety of tropical and subtropical habitats (Taulman, 1996), which means if the nine-banded armadillo is introduced to California it will be able to survive.
The nine banded armadillo at this moment inhabits eight states in the U.S. – Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Georgia (Smith, 1984). Under good conditions, the nine-banded armadillo may increase its range by a few hundred square miles in one year (Smith, 1984). It is known that the colonization of the nine-banded armadillo was a slow and natural process in Louisiana, Southern Arkansas, and eastern Oklahoma as opposed to a human dispersal and/or escaping from captivity in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama (Smith, 1984).
The first recorded nine-banded armadillo seen in the U.S was in Texas by two men, Audubon & Bachman, in 1849. However, there is the possibility that these armadillos were introduced prior to that due to reports in the 1830’s and 1840’s sighting nine-banded armadillos east of the Rio Grande (Smith, 1984). The entry zone of the nine-banded armadillo into Texas is considered to be between Brownsville and Rio Grande City (Smith, 1984), which led the armadillo to move northward and extend southeast into favorable conditions. By the 1880’s, nine-banded armadillos were extending their habitats into the western portion of Texas and by the mid-1900’s these creatures had occupied two-thirds of Texas (Smith, 1984)
By the 1930’s, the nine-banded armadillo had spread to Mississippi, Louisiana (1916/1917), Arkansas (1921), and in Oklahoma (1936), which have similar climatic and topographic features and helped the nine-banded armadillo to thrive (Smith, 1984). By  1970, the population of nine-banded armadillos had increased dramatically, occupying most of southern Arkansas and two-thirds of Oklahoma, except for in the arid portions of these states (Smith, 1984).
As mentioned before, the introduction of the nine-banded armadillo east of the Mississippi River, was contributed through human intervention. In most of the literature I obtained it was mentioned that the introduction of these armadillos was due to a pair that had escaped a zoo in Florida. But it has been recorded that in 1922, a boy caught a nine-banded armadillo near Miami (Smith, 1984). An investigation led to a Marine in Texas who was stationed in Hialeah during World War I, where he admitted to bringing a pair of armadillos and releasing them after the war was over (Smith, 1984). Today, it is estimated that the current population of Dasypus novemcinctus is between 30-50 million (Gilbert, 1995), and found as far north as Nebraska (Myers, 1999).
Map of Distribution:

Other interesting issues:

Food Habits

Photo by Jeff Foott

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), is generally considered an insectivore, in most cases about 75% of their total diet consists of insects (Redford, 1985), like ants, beetles, wasps, caterpillars, roaches, termites, and larvae. Even though the nine-banded armadillo is considered to be an insectivore, it will eat other organisms out of that category, like small reptiles, amphibians, and even dead birds (when held in captivity) (Smith, 1984). There was a study done in 1954, where the stomach contents of 232 Dasypus novemcinctus were looked at. Researchers were able to identify 488 different food items in these nine-banded armadillos from Texas. By volume, 93% of food was of animal origin—78% was insect material, 7% was plant matter, 6% were other anthropods, and 2% were other vertebrates (Redford, 1985).
The nine-banded armadillo has been accused for many years on damaging crops by damaging the roots of plants, which has its benefits and disadvantages. The damages are weighed against the benefits of soil aeration and pest control (Storrs, 1982). Another accusation, which has little evidence, is that the nine-banded armadillo feeds on the eggs of ground-nesting birds. A study was done in 1943, where 400 “dummy” quail nests containing half of quail eggs and the other half containing hen eggs were planted and observed by researchers, (Talmage, 1954) as well as a few natural nests. It was found that only a little more than 5% of all nests were evidently destroyed by the nine-banded armadillo (Talmage, 1954). An examination, after this study, was done in 281 stomachs of these nine-banded armadillos. It was found that out of these 281 nine-banded armadillos, only 5 contained bird eggs (Talmage, 1954). It has been noted in most of my research that the possibility of an armadillo to break an egg is slight since this is a learned trait rather than instinctive.
Reproduction
Reproduction has only been studied closely in the Dasypus novemcinctus. The nine-banded armadillo is a successful reproducer. The nine-banded armadillo mates missionary style (Schueler, 1988) as early as July and as late as December and gives birth during the months oMarch and April (Smith, 1984), when not stressed or when climate conditions are at there best. The nine-banded armadillo with a few close cousins are the only known creatures to give birth to same gender quadruplets (never more or less) from the same embryo. Even though the nine-banded armadillo produces one ovum per year, the development of polyembryony contributes to their massive reproduction rate (Watson, 1989). Implantation of the fertilized egg may be delayed for up to fourteen weeks after conception (Smith, 1984) and the gestation period is known to be 150 days or longer (Smith, 1984). The delay of the of the implantation of the embryo in the uterine wall is thought to be caused by stress (Watson, 1989).
Armadillos are born with their eyes open and begin to move around within a few hours (Smith, 1984). The young armadillos tend to stay with their mother during the spring and summer months, and then move on their own by the following year (Smith, 1984). The armadillo’s life span can range from four to seven years, but it has been known to survive up to ten in captivity.
Behavior
Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are nocturnal creatures. Temperature is definitely a critical factor when it comes to being active in the wild, since armadillos tend to be sensitive to cold environments and are not able to adjust well to
desert conditions (Smith, 1984). The nine-banded armadillos have poor eyesight but have a keen sense of smell. Its sense of smell helps it find food underneath the forest litter as well as in the soil, since it finds food with its snout close to the ground.
The nine-banded armadillo is also known for digging sizable burrows close to the trunks of trees (Storrs, 1982), as well as in the banks of streams or in limestone cliffs near surface water supplies. (Smith, 1984). These burrows are anywhere from four to twelve feet long and tend to join (if there’s more than one) at a central den. Armadillos tend to have more than one burrow, some being active and others are forgotten.
Another behavior that has been a fatal one for the nine-banded armadillo is the ability to jump 3-4 feet vertically into the air when it is startled (Wilson, 1997). In the southeastern portion of the U.S., automobiles are constantly killing nine-banded armadillos. At first it was thought that the tires or the front of the car was impacting these armadillos, which do not look both ways before they cross a road. Later it was observed that when an automobile drove over an armadillo, it would be startled and would end up jumping vertically against the car (Storrs, 1982).
One behavior that is thought to have helped the armadillo to reach the southern part of the United States is the ability to cross bodies of water. It is thought that the nine-banded armadillo arrived in Texas by crossing the Rio Grande in the mid-19th century (Schueler, 1988). The nine-banded armadillo has been observed to get across a body of water by two methods. The first method is the ability to float across by gulping air into their stomachs and intestines (Watson, 1989), and secondly if the body of water is shallow enough, the nine-banded armadillo is able to walk across the bottom by holding its breath for up to five minutes (Watson, 1989).
Leprosy and the Nine-Banded Armadillo

photo by Larry Aiuppy

The nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States (15 million worldwide). Armadillos do not develop human type leprosy; the disease among the nine-banded armadillo is usually severe and fatal (Storrs, 1982). The time between infection and development of symptoms in nine-banded armadillos is between six months to four years, as opposed to three to six years in humans (Storrs, 1982). For reasons unknown, the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. It is thought that leprosy attacks the armadillo because of its low body temperature of 92-95 degrees Fahrenheit (28-33 degrees Celsius), which in turn affects the brain, spinal cord and lungs – which is not affected in humans (Storrs, 1982).
The concern of being infected from armadillos to humans did not arise until the mid-1980’s (Wilson, 1997). At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997). Today, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the study of Hansen’s disease.
Conclusion
The nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the research of Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, which effects 4,000 individuals in the United States (15 million worldwide). Armadillos do not develop human type leprosy; the disease among the nine-banded armadillo is usually severe and fatal (Storrs, 1982). The time between infection and development of symptoms in nine-banded armadillos is between six months to four years, as opposed to three to six years in humans (Storrs, 1982). For reasons unknown, the nine-banded armadillo is known to carry the disease. It is thought that leprosy attacks the armadillo because of its low body temperature of 92-95 degrees Fahrenheit (28-33 degrees Celsius), which in turn affects the brain, spinal cord and lungs – which is not affected in humans (Storrs, 1982).
The concern of being infected from armadillos to humans did not arise until the mid-1980’s (Wilson, 1997). At first it was thought that nine-banded armadillos weren’t able to procure leprosy due to their location. Eventually, people in Texas and in Louisiana were infected with the disease, which was later discovered that it was due to the extensive handling of nine-banded armadillos – racing armadillos, extracting meat, and making souvenirs from their shells (Wilson, 1997). Today, the nine-banded armadillo has become an important animal in the study of Hansen’s disease.

Bibliography

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 Southeastern United States.” Journal of Mammalogy. Vol. 58, No. 3: 411-413

Fox, David L.  1996 January 18. “Dasypus novemcinctus: Nine-Banded Armadillo.”
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Gilbert, Bill. 1995. “The ‘little armored thing’ doesn’t get by on looks alone.”
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Humphrey, Stephen R.  1974. “Zoogeography of the Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus
 novemcinctus) in the United States.” Bioscience. Vol. 24, No. 8: 457-462.

Layne, James N. and Debbie Glover.  1977.  “Home Range of the Armadillo in Florida.”
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Myers, Philip. 1999 June 12. “Dasypus: armadillo.” [Yahoo].
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Newman, H.H.  1913. “The Natural History of the Nine-Banded Armadillo.”
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Nixon, Joshua P.  1995 October. “The History of the Armadillo: where did armadillos
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Redford, Kent H.  1985. “Food Habits of Armadillos (Xenarthra Dasypodidae).” The
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Smith, Larry L. and Robin W. Doughty. 1984. The Amazing Armadillo: Geography of a
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Storrs, Eleanor E.  1982. “The Astonishing Armadillo.” National Geographic.
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Stuart, Anthony. 1986. “Who (or what) killed the giant armadillo?” New Scientist. 17: 29-31.

Talmage, R.V. and G.D. Buchanan. 1954. “The armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus): A
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Texas Parks & Wildlife. 1995 September. “Nine-Banded Armadillo: Dasypus
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Texas Parks & Wildlife. 1997 December 24. “Nine-Banded Armadillo.” [Yahoo].
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Watson, Jim. 1989. “Rising Star.” Natural Wildlife. Vol. 27, No. 6: 46-49.

Wilson, Suzanne J.  1997 March 3. “Armadillos.” [Yahoo].
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Photo Credit, Anytime Animal Control Our Parent Company.

Recently I was asked to gather a few facts about snakes  for a upcoming website, http://www.snakeremovals.com and I thought it would be nice to also share them in my blog here.

Snakes belong to the order reptilia-the reptiles and belong to the suborder Serpentes or Ophidia and worldwide number in about 27,000 species. Unlike other parts of the world here in North America few of our species are venomous as compared to Asia and Australia which feature some of the most deadliest snakes in the world.

All snakes have a scaly, shiny skin which helps them from drying out or desiccating in dry environments. This is an advantage that has allowed the species to evolve on dry land and breaking their ancestral ties to water like their earlier ancestors.

There are many different kinds of snakes common to all of North America. Very few of them are poisonous or venomous but many of us let our human nature get to us and fail to see the actual beauty in these slithering creatures.

Unfortunately for snakes they are often loathed and rarely appreciated. The sudden appearance of a snake  in someone’s backyard or in a garage , car or even there home often causes immediate alarm.

Snakes attack or kill for only two reasons one is for food and the other is out of fear. Many who lack experience with snakes will quickly find they have the ability to make your own heart beat faster out of fear even though the target snake may be a defenseless, scared snake as well.

If you ever visit a reptile House in a zoo, You will quickly realize that the lizards are prettier, frogs more active and the turtles more amusing but the snake is always draws the largest crowds. Snakes can simply  just sit there and do very little to draw amusement and this is done by a animal with out legs and just sticks out its flickering tongue.  Whatever the reason for attraction snakes are the most hated, misunderstood mysteries of our animal world.

We do snake control all  over North Central Florida just drop me a line through our call center at 1-800-714-8727. You can also reach me through my website http://gainesvillewildliferemoval.com .

But when these squirrels suddenly take up residence in my home or yours it is important to have them excluded from your home. Squirrels like other wildlife and rodent in particular are responsible for the spread of diseases like <a href=”http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/histoplasmosis_gi.html”>Histoplasmosis</a> and other diseases. When they make a home out of your attic or homes walls they urinate and defecate all over the place.

Hiring a professional to inspect your home, and begin excluding these lovely creatures many times can be done by the installation of one way doors allowing them to leave and no longer re-enter.In addition to installing one way excluders we will close off all access points and identify how to keep your home wildlife free.

If you have any wildlife , animal or bird concerns please give me a call . I promise to find the solution to eliminating your wildlife problems.

Robb Russell

1-800-714-8727

Servicing Most of North Central Florida, including the communities surrounding Gainesville, Ocala, Alachua, Newberry, Trenton, Branford, Ft White, Lake City, Live Oak,Lake Butler, Worthington Springs, High Springs,& the western parts of Jacksonville.

I handle most animal, bird ,reptile, wildlife concerns you the North Florida residents may encounter bats, raccoons, squirrels,moles, pocket gophers, snakes, lizards, sparrows, pigeons, nutria, beaver. Some of these may require  by permit from the Florida Wildlife Fish & Game Commission.

http://www.gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
http://www.anytimeanimalcontrol.com
Robb@wildlifepro.net
Serving All North Central Florida
Founder, The Wildlife Pro Network Read My Blog , Listen To My Podcasts
If You Are A Professional Join my entire network

Recently while driving down US 27 near my home my truck air conditioning suddenly flushed my vehicle with the scent of a dead skunk somewhere out of my sight but clearly within range of my smell buds. The song, Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road by Loudon Wainright III which was a big hit in 1972 quickly came to mind.

Click Below to listen to the song performed by the original artist performing in Germany .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqTSev-_lQ

Skunks (sometimes referred to as polecats or a striped weasel) are mammals best known for their ability to excrete a strong, foul-smelling odor.Did you know  a skunk can spray with high accuracy as far away as 7 to 15 feet ! Skunks have a pair of anal scent glands that they use as a defensive arsenal. The odor is the result of a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals created within a beast often described as a combination of rotten eggs, garlic, burnt rubber and a pair of nasy dirty socks.

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diet as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, small rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles, and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi, and nuts.

In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengerrs, eating birdand rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms.

Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this to their young. I also perform live bee removals and am equipped to help any beekeeper on getting rid of skunks and saving their bee hives.

Many of us don’t give much thoughts to skunks until our dog comes home stinking or a skunk and its family moves in under the family porch. However, once  their is initial contact with a skunk most folks don’t mess round and find a professional to help them remove it and save their homes from unleashing an unforgettable odor.

If you have any concerns related to skunks or other  wildlife , animal or bird concerns please give me a call . I promise to find the solution to eliminating your wildlife problems.

Robb Russell

1-800-714-8727

Servicing Most of North Central Florida, including the communities surrounding Gainesville, Ocala, Alachua, Newberry, Trenton, Branford, Ft White, Lake City, Live Oak,Lake Butler, Worthington Springs, High Springs,& the western parts of Jacksonville. I handle most animal, bird ,reptile, wildlife concerns you the North Florida residents may encounter bats, raccoons, squirrels,moles, pocket gophers, snakes, lizards, sparrows, pigeons, nutria, beaver and or skunks. Many of these may require apermit from the Florida Wildlife Fish & Game Commission.

http://www.gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
http://www.anytimeanimalcontrol.com
Robb@wildlifepro.net
Serving All North Central Florida
Founder, The Wildlife Pro NetworkRead My Blog , Listen To My Podcasts
If You Are A Professional Join My entire Network

So You Are Hearing Noises in the Attic??

Urbanized animals have learned to live and adapt extremely well living amongst us. Today a new variety of raccoon, squirrel and other animals now live amongst us. The urbanized animal is now very much unlike his cousins that live deep in the woods and have never had contact with our urbanized environments of today. That deep woods “species” is becoming rarer and rarer , and most animals we encounter today are the urbanized variety.

The urbanized animal may not even make it in the wild , sad but true. Generations of animals have been born in our empty sheds, barns and yes even our attics. The attic is one of the most common places “critter mommas” choose to bear and raise their children. You may ask why because her mother did and her grand mother and her great grandmother did. The attic was discovered years back and is the safest place to raise young and keep out of harms way from predators. Fact is few of us even go in our attics and when we do it is for a few minutes if at all and these animals know it and capitalize on it.

These urbanized animals live off our table scraps, your food you set out for the neighbors cat or even your dog, Those bird feeders eventually become a outdoor cafe for all the animals living under yours or a neighbors roof. Keep your garbage under lid and sealed and keep the family Bar BQ clean after each use. If you have fruit bearing trees and have no plans to eat the food remove it and send it off your property. If not you become part of the problem in your neighborhood.

Just because you see a raccoon on your roof and have noises in your attic is not a guarantee you even have raccoons in your attic. However the longer animals spend time on your roof may be an opportunity for them to break into your home and create new passageways.You may actually have squirrels and a raccoon is looking for a squirrel nest for its next meal. Sometimes several species of animal like raccoon, possum and rats and squirrels may each be occupying your homes attic.

All of these animals have chose an attic over a tree hollow for their homes. Many of them will use your home as a toilet and create a health hazard by contamination of your home with several harmful and contagious diseases like raccoon roundworm and histoplasmosis.

In summary if you hear noises in the attic you may have more then one species living under your roof , or not even the animal you observe near or on your home occupying your attic. Have your home inspected, hire a professional to remove the offending animal(s) and get it cleaned up before they have a direct effect on your families health.

If you have any wildlife , animal or bird concerns please give me a call . I promise to find the solution to eliminating your wildlife problems.

Robb Russell

1-800-714-8727

Servicing Most of North Central Florida, including the communities surrounding Gainesville, Ocala, Alachua, Newberry, Trenton, Branford, Ft White, Lake City, Live Oak,Lake Butler, Worthington Springs, High Springs,& the western parts of JacksonvilleI handle most animal, bird ,reptile, wildlife concerns you the North Florida residents may encounter bats, raccoons, squirrels,moles, pocket gophers, snakes, lizards, sparrows, pigeons, nutria, beaver. Some of thesemay require  by permit from the Florida Wildlife Fish & Game Commission.

http://www.gainesvillewildliferemoval.com
http://www.anytimeanimalcontrol.com
Robb@wildlifepro.net
Serving All North Central Florida
Founder, The Wildlife Pro Network Read My Blog , Listen To My Podcasts
If You Are A Professional Join my entire network