Are you hosting a wild party at your house?
Animals are always looking for a place to crash, where the food and drinks are free and there is a place to sleep nearby. Wildlife can be attracted to serval types of resources in your yard, food, and shelter. Prey animals such as rabbits, rats, mice, gophers and squirrels in your yard can be an attractant for predator animals such as bobcats, raccoons, snakes and coyotes. Pet food, unsecured trash, fruit from trees and even bird feeders are also food resources that will attract coyotes and raccoons. Thick shrubs, access under decks, unsecured attics, tree cavities, eves and crawl spaces allow wildlife a place to hide in your yard and can be a safe place to raise young, providing protection and cover in urban neighborhoods. If you find animals living in your attic, crawl space, etc. before you seal the area up make sure the animal and possible young are out.
Take Action
Rookie Changes
- Do not purposely feed animals
- Clean up of unintentional food resources – pet food, fallen fruits, secure trash, secure compost piles and secure outdoor animal enclosures for pet rabbits and poultry.
- Install motion activated lighting
- Install motion activated sprinklers
- Keep pets indoors at night
Rock Star Changes
- Secure fencing around your yard
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- Jumping animal’s – fence height should be 6-8ft high. You can add a roller that spins on top of the fence that can make it more difficult for animals to get over it.
- Digging animals – (this includes coyotes) bury fencing 16 inches below ground or bury L shaped footer 1 foot down with 1-2 foot out to side at 90 degree angle.
- Snakes and rabbits can go under or through fencing. If fence is chain-link or wrought iron extend ¼ x ¼ inch wire 2 feet up and bury 16 inches underground.
- Remove trees or branches that animals can climb adjacent to fences and house
- Regularly check fence line to make sure it’s secure, specifically along the ground
- Close up holes into attics, walls, sheds, under decks and under houses
- Remove animal hiding places in your yard: thick vegetation and ivy, trim bottom of bushes 2 feet off the ground so you can see underneath, keep grass mowed, remove wood, brush debris and junk piles from yard
Volunteer
National Park Service
Track LA Wildlife Sightings
Links
Keep Me Wild
The Humane Society
Living With Wildlife
