Avoid using wood preser-vatives that are metal-salt solutions. Must-Know! In the winter, for example, North American porcupines primarily eat the inner bark from trees and evergreen needles. Once the porcupine has been acquired, it will be relocated into an area away from humans. The main ingredient that gives spearmint its minty flavor is menthol and carvone. Probably the easiest and simplest way to deter porcupines from visiting your estate is to establish a fence around it. They scuttle about in the night, making noises in the basement or attic, and when, Read More 15 Scents That Rats Hate (and How to Use Them)Continue, There are almost 50,000 species of spiders on the planet. Weve all heard about the amazing mosquito repellent called citronella. Stretch this mesh wire over posts that have been set at least 6 to 9 inches apart. Their appearance can also attract predators like mountain lions and bears. So, in setting up a fence, make sure that the clearance is no more than 50 cm per wire from the ground. Information about how to catch a porcupine - remove one stuck in the house. Just steer clear. Since harming a Porcupine is discouraged, controlling an invading Porcupine will involve either live trapping with Solutions Humane Live Trap or deterring the rodent from your property with a repellent such as Critter Ridder. Mix both petroleum jelly and cayenne pepper together so that you can spread it on the wooden areas of your home and dcor. Complete Guide. The best way to prevent Porcupine intruders is to modify your property to make it unappealing to Porcupines. If you have a pesky porcupine that you cant seem to get rid of, consider reaching out to a wildlife professional near you using ournationwide pest control finder. Luckily for me, Vito isnt the biggest pest in my life. Fencing is a basic way to protect your property. Affiliate Disclosure. Interestingly, porcupines subsist almost entirely on bark and twigs throughout the winter, a diet offering about as much nutritional value as plywood, which I find fascinating because almost every northern woodland resident knows porcupines LOVE eating plywood! Wait for some time and monitor the trap for the next few days. What If My Garbage Disposal Smells Like Dead Animal? For Porcupines, we suggest using a piece of wood (preferably a branch from willow, cottonwood, or aspen), or a piece of cloth that has been soaked in a water-salt solution. Porcupines love salt and will be inclined to enter the trap as long as it is on a flat surface and doesn't wobble. One confusing aspect of porcupine behavior is their wide array of vocalizations. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Porcupines are strong climbers, spending much of their time in trees either sleeping, resting, or eating. Like putrescent eggs, spearmint can overpower a porcupines sense of smell, making them fearful of the smell. Impact of feeding Damage by the porcupine on western hemlock Sitka spruce forests of north-coastal British Columbia: 15-year results. These strange-looking animals can significantly damage trees, gardens, and buildings if left unchecked. Porcupines also have rather poor eyes sight, but their sense of smell and hearing ability more than make up for it. repel porcupines. Log in, BAIT, GRANULE AND LIQUID STATIONS (EMPTY STATIONS), INSECTICIDES:BACTERIA BASED (BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS), INSECTICIDES:SCALP (FOR USE ON PEOPLE), POLES, SNAKE TONGS, GRABBERS AND OTHER MISC, SOLAR POWERED GROUND STAKE REPELLER REBOOT, TREE BORERS HOW TO IDENTIFY THEIR DAMAGE. Not only is a muzzle full of quills painful, it is often expensive to treat at the veterinary office. Here are some identifying traits so you know what Porcupines look like for proper identification: Use the image and description above to properly identify a Porcupine on your property. Mighty Mints 16oz Peppermint Oil Rodent Repellent Spraymakes life easy. Set the trap by the den of porcupines or around the damages caused by them. 2. They can be found in forests, grasslands or meadows and on occasion, dry desert areas. Captured porcupines are easily relocated into state forest. Their winter food supply is of little nutritional value, however, and while they might eat a pound of food every day all winter, porcupines lose almost a third of their weight by spring. Indeed, many people who have never seen a live porcupine are accustomed to seeing their carcasses along roads. Critter Ridder is an organic repellent that works for a number of animals, including Porcupines. Some of the things that porcupines find extra scary include: Okay, that last one was a bit strange jars full of water? Here is what he said: Porcupines chew on all kinds of things either to sharpen their teeth or because of some attraction in the glue, paint, sweat or whatever is on what they decide to chew on. Porcupines can be easily identified by the thick layer of brown/black fur and thousands of long spiky quills (or spines) all over their body. The have no reason to gnaw into the wood. Porcupines feed on foods that have a high source of nitrogen when possible. In most cases, the light does not hurt the creatures directly, but it does expose them. Just to add when you shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if you make a purchase. How do you keep porcupines from eating wood? Avoid wooden fences, as porcupines like to gnaw on wood. Whatever action you take, remember that solutions like vinegar, predator urine and citrus create a temporary barrier only. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. More in-detail how-to porcupine removal articles: North American porcupines, which are similar in size and shape to beavers, are quite common in the area and to see one climbing a tree is a much more plausible explanation to what my friend observed. Facts and Answers! A porcupines general demeanor is docile, but they have quills for a reason! Essential oils to the rescue! Apply the Critter Ridder repellent where you have noticed Porcupine damage especially around wooden structures that have been damaged, around trees, and where Porcupine activity has been most prevalent. The Easiest Methods. They range from the 12-inch giant huntsman spider to the tiny Patu digual spider thats, Read More 8 Things to Do If You See Spiders in Your HouseContinue, Have you ever seen a weasel? (Porcupines love salt!) The oil can be used to relieve headaches and help with colds. Porcupines that trespass into residential or commercial areas are known to create a lot of trouble and inflict significant property damage. The most effective form of prevention is achieved with electric fences. With over 5 years of experience in Furniture Industry and Home Decors, she has immense knowledge & Expertise. Porcupines may not be on the list of damaging pests, but they can cause aggravation when they target your yard trees or the siding of your home. If you didnt know these creatures were rodents, you probably didnt know they have over thirty thousand needles that cover their bodies, that their quills can be used for fishing, or that they are considered an edible animal. Porcupines need their sense of smell to find food, so anything too powerful will deter them. Proceedings of the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1998),23. The essential oil is better if youre targeting a specific area, such as a shed corner, tool handle, or young tree. To treat specific sites such as garbage bags, ornamental plants, trees or shrubs, spot treat ground around the area to be protected, or if possible apply granules to ground as a border around entire area to be protected. The first method is to drench your wooden furniture and structures with porcupine repellent. Drop by drop, the damage can accumulate over weeks into a problem that can cost thousands of dollars to fix. This causes porcupines to search elsewhere for food and leave your yard alone. Coyotes and wolves do occasionally kill a porcupine by seizing it by the nose and flipping it over and attacking its unprotected belly. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. To use, simply bait the trap with something to attract the Porcupine, place it in a stategic area where they have been active and then set the trap by pushing on the door lock and lifting the door plate then pulling the trigger arm forward until the trigger arm's hook catches the door. Use sealable containers that keep rodents out. Call us today! PORCUPINES WILL EAT ANYTHING MADE WITH WOOD, https://bugspray.com/repellents/liquid/ropel-liquid, https://www.bugspray.com/articles98/moles.html, BUGSPRAY NO PUMP 2.5 and 5 GALLON AIR PRESSURE SPRAYER, HOW TO STOP RODENTS CHEWING ENGINE WIRES | BUGSPRAY, Coyote Urine Repellent and Guards | BugSpray. Fig. Properly dispose of and store your garbage. Once the animal is caught, if you want to relocate it, it must be at least 40km away from your home. Strictly herbivorous, porcupines in the east are a northern species inhabiting a variety of forest ecosystems. Both spearmint and peppermint are part of the mint family. LOOKING TO HIRE AN EXTERMINATORCLICK HERE?. The most effective form of prevention is achieved with electric fences. Theyre these cute, ferret-like-looking animals that are closely related to the ferrets, ermines, polecats, and minks! Step 1 - Set up theSolutions Humane Live Animal Trap. provide tips for safe, effective, and responsible wildlife removal. Do I Need To Move Furniture For Pest Control? When porcupines arent girdling trees, they are nipping twigs and eating newly-formed buds, causing stunted growth and twisted trunks. Step 4: Prepare the trap. That being said, just be aware that if you dont currently have a porcupine problem, placing a salt block out willdefinitelyattract them! The percentage of menthol is higher in spearmint than in peppermint. If youre in need of an exterminator or wildlife professional, you can learn more about our nationwide network of pest control professionals. Just spray the surface of anything the porcupine wants to eat and it will stop. Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Porcupines. The strong scent will make it difficult for the porcupine to locate food in the area, encouraging it to trundle off to another location. Make sure to apply 2 times per week for 2 weeks. How Often Should You Keep Air Purifier On? A few insect have been found to encode cellulases in their genome, others rely on endosymbionts to degrade cellulose in smaller subunits, which can then in turn be digested by the insects themselves. I can't shoot him because he's only there at night. nuzzle porcupines, which may cause considerable medical problems if the stock are not treated promptly. They are a slow-moving animal and have long, powerful teeth that they use to eat wood. If all else fails, or you do not want to deal with the hassle of getting rid of the porcupines yourself, CALL A PROFESSIONAL. If you are from another state, please indicate your interest by signing up for notification when your state is added. I've been told that adding cayenne pepper to bird seed is a good way to to keep squirrels and other rodents from eating it. Critter Ridder is an organic repellent that works for a number of animals, including Porcupines. The porcupines role and value in the ecosystem is less than obvious, but they are an important part of the food web as an herbivore and a prey species, and their foraging behavior transports food and nutrients from tree canopies to the forest floor by way of dropped branches and large volumes of scat. Youd need to reapply this every time it rained, though. Most porcupines' diet changes depending on the season. We also provide professional service in over 600 locations. They are a medium-sized, pigeon-toed animal with short legs, long claws, and a high-arching back. Hot peppers! Now prepare the trap by pushing the door lock and pulling the door plate up. This includes areas around trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, walkways, docks, roof tiles, pool decks, or any place where control is desired. The fisher cat is scarce or absent from much of the porcupines range, however, and the general lack of predators has led to porcupines having a nearly absent flight response, resulting many being hit by cars. These will attract porcupines. They'll especially target your wood in winter or early spring, when natural food sources are in short supply. One-by-one-inch galvanized wire should be used if you want to keep out smaller animals. How to live trap and remove a problem porcupineExplore this solution, How to euthanize problem porcupinesExplore this solution, How to keep porcupines from damaging my vehiclesExplore this solution, How to get porcupines out from under my shed or deckExplore this solution, What to do with an animal that is behaving strangely or aggressivelyExplore this solution, Presented by these government wildlife management agencies as a trusted source for sound, legal and responsible wildlife control and damage prevention advice, In New Hampshire, WildlifeHelp.org is supported by the Wildlife Management Institute, the New Hampshire Fish and Game, the Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Cooperative, and the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Once you have confirmed Porcupine activity, this is where you will apply treatment. Morin, P., Berteaux, D., & Klvana, I. Car tires and hoses may also be chewed on for their mineral content or road salt coating. Yes, they are capable of inflicting serious harm to any animal that attacks them, but they cannot shoot their quills and want little more than to eat, sleep, mate occasionally, and be left alone. Taking a moment to make sense of the image I swore momentarily I was looking at some sort of plump monkey, but that would make even less sense than tree beavers. Porcupines have poor eyesight, so often times they cannot determine where a threat is coming from. It may be surprising to learn that porcupines are part of therodentfamily. The quills are very sharp and needle-like and have barbs on them which make it difficult to pull out once pricked by them. Spray in areas that are vulnerable to porcupine damage. Pricked by them porcupine activity, this is where you will apply.... Humane live animal trap your yard alone electric fences for food and your. Animal trap porcupine are accustomed to seeing their carcasses along roads Pest control high source nitrogen... 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Which may cause considerable medical problems if the stock are not treated promptly use the recommended products and we 100... Long, powerful teeth that they use to eat and it will stop and needle-like and have barbs on which! Shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if you a! Our nationwide network of Pest control the surface of anything the porcupine on western hemlock Sitka spruce forests north-coastal... From visiting your estate is to establish a fence around it the most effective form of prevention achieved., she has immense knowledge & Expertise herbivorous, porcupines in the east a... This every time it rained, though and on occasion, dry desert areas,. Creatures directly, but they have quills for a number how to deter porcupines from eating wood animals, including porcupines northern species a...