Recently we at Loomacres Wildlife Management have been flooded with all sorts of calls and online requests for wildlife removal help. In Phoenix, AZ for example we have been at war with pigeons taking over people’s attics, their roof tops, and decimating yards and sidewalks with feces. In New Jersey and New York, we have had several nuisance geese issues on golf courses, town parks, and of course residential areas. The list keeps going and going but we do not mind as long as its what we do which is Wildlife Removal not Pest Control. Though they are similar in many ways there is a few big differences you should know before you reach out to a pest control company or a Wildlife Removal or Wildlife Management company like Loomacres.

Pest control is defined by the process of preventing or managing any unwanted animal from invading your home or place of business. Pest Control typically uses spray techniques and chemical repellents or deterrents to keep pest or unwanted creatures away. Many pest control cases include dealing with insects, mice, rats, roaches, bats in the attic, etc. from taking residence in your home. So, if you are having trouble with bees, ants, or small rodents give your local pest control guy a call.

Wildlife Removal or Wildlife Management is simply using techniques and equipment like trapping or depredation to remove an animal that has become a nuisance by either causing a threat to humans, pets, agriculture, or livestock. Most cases when dealing with a nuisance animal a depredation or removal permit is needed in which we will obtain from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

These nuisance animals typically are causing damage to crop fields or gardens, property structures like barns and sheds, or other animals. An example of this would be if you had a nuisance fox, coyote, raccoon, bear, mountain lion etc. that was eating your chickens, or your cattle and needed to be removed. Nuisance Geese that are over grazing in your yard or in your local park. We have worked with multiple municipalities when a deer herd is out of control and causing vehicle accidents and damage to residential property. One very popular service lately is crow management or crow hazing which for some cities in the U.S. is out of control (Click Here For Full Story)

​I am sure you can see the difference now. Wildlife Removal is a growing need especially in growing cities and suburbs. As we continue to develop land and continue to minimize wildlife habitat, more and more cases of nuisance wildlife will occur. If you are currently having issues with Nuisance Wildlife that needs to be removed or managed please CLICK HERE and fill out our contact form and someone will reach out to you shortly. 

Over the last two years with Covid 19 pandemic changing the way people conduct business by streamlining workflows, virtual meetings, at home offices, reduced travel, etc. the Wildlife Management industry is no different. Conferences where Airport Wildlife Biologist meet and share information as well as vendors demonstrate new products and techniques have been either cancelled or held on Zoom.  The FAA even granted us special privileges to conduct their required 8-hour Wildlife Hazard Management and Wildlife Identification training course online to help keep Airport Wildlife personnel in compliance and up to speed.

But one of the biggest changes in the Wildlife Management world is the new E-Permit site launched by the USFWS (Unites States Fish and Wildlife Service) designed to be more efficient and simplify anyone applying for a permit to help balance any species or plants that might be getting out of hand or in the wrong place of residency. I mean it all sounds good, especially in todays tech world where everything can be bought or applied for online, but how is their process?

We at Loomacres Wildlife Management did a little experiment with one of our employees to see how easy and efficient it is to apply for a simple depredation permit. What we found was creating an account was time consuming and over complicated, navigating the site however was easy because its super basic, but the most glaring issue was the lack of information on what permits you need to solve your problem. Applying for a permit through the USFWS site you better know your stuff before hand because there is not a lot or any guidance. Oh, and if you have a question, yes you are contacting the Federal Government.

For someone new or not used to applying for a permit, good luck! You are better off reaching out to a professional and letting them handle everything for you so you stay in compliance with federal and state laws and obtain the correct permit. For more information or for assistance in applying for your wildlife permits please CLICK HERE and fill out the contact form and one of Wildlife Biologists will be in touch shortly.

Seems like every week something new is being released to the public replacing the way we used to do things. In this ever so demanding world for new technology nearly every industry or profession has gone through an upgrade in recent years. Airport wildlife control is no different. Lately we have been utilizing new methods and new equipment to not only better serve our clients but also become more efficient in the field. Let us look at a few tools we have implemented that have really improved our ability to manage wildlife on airports.

Infrared Cameras and Scopes – A lot of wildlife activity occurs during the night. The use of infrared equipment allows our Airport Wildlife Biologists as well as tower personnel to scan the airfield before the arrival or departure of planes. This also is a huge aid when doing surveys required for Wildlife Hazard Assessments. The ability to see the animal’s activity on or near the airfield at night is a game changer.

Cellular Game Cameras – Game cameras or trail cameras have been around for years! They keep evolving and now most cameras can send pictures directly to your phone in real time. Knowing when and what species of wildlife is entering the airfield and tracking their activity in real time allows our staff to react and execute mitigation strategies more thoroughly.

Drones – Using drones in the field is both fun and efficient. Drones used to be a complete headache and nuisance to some airports but now they serve a purpose in wildlife control. We use drones to harass wildlife like deer, coyotes, geese, and foxes. Being able to chase after them with a drone from anywhere on the airfield makes it faster and more efficient. Its also great for hazing raptors and other birds that pose as a hazard. Drones also are a huge advantage for arial surveys of potential habitat attractants outside of the airfield which allows our staff to make real time changes to potential hazards.

Avian Radar Systems – This technology that is used by the USAF, NASA and airports worldwide to detect and monitor hazardous bird activity on and around airfields for bird-aircraft strike hazard management. This is extremely useful during waterfowl migration season especially at night or at dawn and dusk when visibility is low. By seeing flocks of birds on the radar system before they fly over or near the airfield this reduces the risk of a bird strike immensely.

Its crazy to compare technology from ten to twenty years ago and the use of it in our daily tasks. For more information or if you have an interesting technique for managing wildlife, please CLICK HERE and contact us and we would be glad to share notes.