WCS Multi-Catch Rodent Trap

WCS has just introduced their NEW Multi-Catch Rodent trap to the wildlife/pest control markets. There isn't any other trap on the market which provides multi-catch capabilities for chipmunks, rats, and flying squirrels. The WCS Multi-Catch Rodent trap measures 20"L x 12"W x 6"H, and is constructed of 1" x .5" rust resistant, galvanized wire mesh which will render years of service.

The trap features two (2) counter-balanced entry doors, one on each end of the trap which can easily be adjusted for sensitivity by adding or deleting weight on the triggering rods. There is a centrally located bait chamber in the center of the trap, which is equipped with a removable bait basket for ease of baiting or cleaning. There is a latch secured door over the top of the bait chamber and on one end of the trap for easy removal of captured animals.

Animals enter the trap in an attempt to access the bait in the center of the trap, their body weight depresses the inclined door which entices them to enter the interior of the trap (like a see-saw). Once the rodent steps off the opened door the counter-balancing weights close the door behind them. It's that simple !

For baiting you simply remove the bait basket, fill with your favorite rodent bait, i.e. sunflower seed, oatmeal drizzled with pancake syrup, bird seed, bacon grease, etc. Secure the bait in the interior bait chamber and the trap is ready to be placed into position. For chipmunks that may be along a foundation, a stone wall, underneath a bird feeder , etc. For rats, since they are neophobic, you need to be patient, however along a wall or right in the rats pathway. It will take several days for the rats to acclimate to the trap. Flying squirrels are commonly identified as a nuisance in attic spaces, the trap is perfectly sized to be placed there, or in crawlspaces, etc.
I would recommend placing apple slices in the interior of the trap (outside of the bait chamber) if it will be checked on an extended basis.

Snakeguard Snake Traps

There are basically two commercially available snake traps on the market today. They both operate on the same principle, that is to place the snake trap in such a manner as to force the snake to enter the snake trap, whereby it is captured on a glue strip or glueboard. A snake when encountering the glue surface inside the confines of a trap cannot merely turn its' head and leave the trap without being captured. A snake must draw its' entire body into the trap, in an attempt to reverse direction and thereby is captured in the glue along its' entire bodylength.

The formulation of glue used in both of the snake traps is such that it can be neutralized if the desire is to capture a snake and then relocate it. Neutralization of the glue is accomplished by pouring regular vegetable oil (or spraying a vegetable oil such as PAM) on the captured snake along its' entire length. It typically will take from between a half and a full cup of vegetable oil to release a snake unharmed. This process will take several minutes, so you need to be patient.

The Snakeguard Snake Trap which was the first to hit the commercial market has enjoyed widespread acceptance among professional operators and homeowners for capturing and removing snakes. This snake trap, constructed of corrugated cardboard has a glue "pattern" built into the inside of the trap. The glue pattern is in the shape of a "V", where the point of the "V" touches the extreme outside edge of the snake trap on its' inside. This requires that the snake fully enter the snake trap before its' head initially encounters the glue. When the snake attempts to leave by drawing its' body in behind itself its' body is "stuck" to the outwardly positioned legs of the "V" glue pattern. The Snakeguard snake trap is an excellent tool for indoor applications such as a sunroom, porch, garage, basement area, etc. Due to its' construction material it is not so well suited for outdoor areas.

Setting the Snakeguard Snake Trap: The Snakeguard snake traps initially come completely flat for ease of shipping. Remove the outer plastic covering that it comes shipped in and open the snake trap at its' midpoint to expose the "V" pattern of glue which has two protective strips covering it. While holding the box open, firmly grasp one end of one of the protective strips and peel off, exposing the underlying glue. Do the same for the remaining side. While continuing to hold the box open, bend the corrugated cardboard along the pre-defined lines, such that it forms a rectangular box. There are two tabs located on one side of the outside edge of the rectangle. These are placed through their corresponding slots in the roof of the snake trap so the box holds its' shape. You should now have a rectangular box with the Snakeguard logo on top, with the glue exposed on the inside. The only thing left to do is to place the snake trap along a wall, foundation or similar which will guide the snake into the trap. It sometimes helps to place a piece of duct-tape from the inside edge of the snake trap to the wall it is placed against so the snake cannot attempt to "squeeze" between the box and the wall without entering the trap.

The Snakeguard snake trap is able to capture some of the largest nuisance snakes as we have personally seen it capture black snakes in the 5.5 ft. range. These traps are available at
www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com

Bat Cone improves bat exclusions

The BATCONE is a new time-saving bat exclusion device, invented by Jim Dreisacher who owns and operates Westchester Wildlife. The BAT CONE basically is a humane, one-way door for bats to leave the structure and NOT return.

The BATCONE is currently produced in two models; 1. the Standard Bat Cone, which is one-piece and is made of lightweight, yet durable plastic. As the name implies it is a cone or tapered funnel 5.75 inches long, with a 1.5 inch opening at the end. At the opposite end, or the end you would attach to the structure there is a rigid plastic flange which is 6 inches by 6 inches. As with both of the Bat Cone models the flange can be cut or bent to the angle of the structure for anchoring. The bat cone can be anchored using deck screws (wood) , stapled or even taped over a bats entry/exit point. The optimal position of the BAT CONE once it is installed is for it to have a slight downward slope. Bats cannot grip the inside of the bat cone, once they exit through the cone, they cannot re-enter.

As you can see in the photo, it is sometimes necessary to add some copper mesh underneath the BAT CONE to take up the space between the bat cone and the structure. The only opening you want for the bats to exit is through the BATCONE. To limit the exit point for the bats you may also need to apply a closed cell foam such as Todal foam, or caulk on each side of the opening.

2. Pro-Cone is the latest bat cone model that has been developed. The ProCone is a two-piece bat cone, with the flexible vinyl flange being separate from the tapered plastic cone. The ProCone measures approximately 6" in length with a 1.5" opening on one end. The vinyl flange measures 7 inches by 7 inches, making it versatile for mounting to structures, including dissimilar surfaces, i.e. stone chimney up against clapboard siding. While both models of bat cone are reusable , the ProCone lends itself especially well being to being reusable as the vinyl flange material can be purchased separately.

Pro-Cone can be screwed, stapled or taped into position over a bats entry/exit point. With the optimal positioning being a slight downward slope to the tapered cone.

Once a BATCONE is mounted over a bats entry/exit point in a structure it should be left in place a reasonable amount of time to allow the bats to exit the structure. This time period will vary, however 5 - 7 days is typically sufficient according to Bat Conservation International. Leaving a bat cone in place for longer periods is not detrimental. Please Note: It may be necessary to use more than one Bat Cone to exclude bats from a structure. All entry/exit points on a structure must be identified and a bat cone installed to successfully exclude the bats. Failure to follow this procedure may result in merely moving the bats to another part of the building.

Once it has been determined that the bats have been successfully excluded from a structure it is then necessary to remove each of the installed bat cones and permanently seal the exit point openings using hardware cloth or copper mesh inseted into the hole and then completely sealed with closed cell foam or a quality silicone caulking.

The BATCONE or Pro-Cone are both time-saving devices for excluding bats from structures and eliminate the need to fabricate something onsite. The bat cone looks professional when mounted and will leave your customer with an impression of confidence in your ability to solve their bat problem.

Vanish Raccoon Eviction Paste

VANISH raccoon eviction paste causes a biological instinctual reaction in female raccoon to flee an area where she is denning, many times taking her young with her. VANISH is a naturally occurring glandular based product, and it is no more a repellent (nor should it be classed as such) than coyote urine to a coyote !

VANISH has the consistency of a thick paste, making it easier to handle and apply than a liquid. It is especially well suited for evicting denning raccoons from inaccessible areas such as attic recesses, or down chimneys. Simply apply a "smear" of VANISH (approach. 1/2 oz.) to a rag or to a tennis ball and toss as close to the area where she is denning as possible. In the case of a chimney, it is a simple matter to just drop the VANISH laden tennis ball down the flue where the raccoon is dwelling. The ball can then be retrieved for disposal or re-use through the opened damper, once the raccoon and her young have vacated. Place the ball or rag in a plastic ziplock bag and tightly seal it to maintain its' freshness.

If there is a distinct entry/exit hole on the outside of a structure which the raccoon is using for access to an attic area, smear some VANISH on the upper lip of the hole so that the female may get some on her back fur while crawling through the hole. This will add to the effectiveness of the VANISH application.

While no claim is made that VANISH is 100% effective at evicting denning raccoons, since its' introduction to the marketplace in 2003 it has proven 95+ % successful. Remember, you're still dealing with a wild animal and its' reaction to VANISH depends on the individual characteristics of each animal encountered.

PLEASE NOTE: To place or apply VANISH where it will have the greatest chance of success many times involves working on ladders, rooftops, over or under chimney flues, and in confined spaces, i.e. attics. If you are uncomfortable or unsure of yourself in these unsafe situations you should considering hiring a professional wildlife control operator.

NY Wildlife Mgmt. Assoc. Show

Carol & I are just back from the NYWDMA seminar held in Owego, NY and I have to tell you we had a wonderful time !! This is perhaps the 5th NY show we've attended and I've got to tell you these guys work hard all year long to put on a quality seminar. This year was a couple of "firsts" for them.

1. They changed locations this year, for the past several years it had been held up at Carrier Circle near Syracuse. This year, in an attempt to attract some more "downstate" folks they moved the venue to Owego, NY, which is about 10 miles west of Binghamton. The location was right on the Susquehanna River, held at a Treadway Inn, the accomodations and hospitality were wonderful.
2. They changed their seminar format to a 2 day conference and were able to offer to full days of course instruction, after-hours roundtable, and plenty of time for the attendees to visit the vendor displays.

The NYWDMA is run by top-notch professionals and they work hard to put on a high quality conference. If you haven't had the chance to attend this show in the past you should give it serious consideration for the future. The information exchanged both formally and informally after-hours is most certainly going to improved even the most seasoned professionals business.

Carol & I are hoping they hold the '07 conference in Owego, great location & accomodations, lots of great people, and a quality course offering are certain to attract a great crowd !! Hope to see you there !!

Skype

Skype has been around for awhile, I even downloaded it sometime ago but never really explored its' features or the convenience of it. Recently, I received a new invitation to join the Skype community and I have to tell you it is one of those "killer applications" you should have on your PC.

In a nutshell, Skype is a voice application which I can liken to instant messaging. People who are in your contacts list can see when your on your computer, you see them, and you can talk over the internet. O.K., heres the best part..........it's FREE !! Anywhere in the world. The sound quality is wonderful, and you basically can hold a hands-free conversation, even while doing other things. If you're one of those folks that has a webcam, you can even turn on the cam and see each other while talking.

Now think of it, how much time do you spend in front of your computer ? I know I spend an "inordinate" amount of time in front of the tube and this is a great way of staying in touch with folks.

Now I know some of you are saying "Yeah,but I don want to be bother with a voice call" while on
my computer. No problem......you can just set yourself as unavailable. For those of you that don't like to type, Skype is the answer, now you can talk to your circle of friends and associates.

WCS is using Skype, and you should consider taking advantage of it too !!