Although voles are often called field mice (“vole” is short for “volemouse” or “field mouse”), they differ from mice in that they have round bodies, short hairy tails, and small ears and eyes.

The types of vole species are diverse, as are their geographical locations. They can be found in lowland coastal areas and in mountain elevations exceeding 12,000 feet, resulting in a variety of climate living conditions. Because voles are able to evade birds of prey under cover of snow, Scotland, due to its recent freezing winters, is suffering from a record-breaking vole plague.

This stealth rodent is active year-round, and some vole species are active day and night. Their clandestine efforts are usually not discovered until a number of plants have already been destroyed.

The Vole Lifestyle

Although voles have a relatively short life span (up to a year), they are aggressive breeders. A homeowner’s yard could potentially house over 100 active voles, as one pregnant vole can produce up to ten litters, with each litter consisting of up to seven offspring. They can produce any time of the year.

Voles prefer areas thick in grasses and underbrush, where they can create runways and grass tunnels that will keep their travels hidden. They will either create their own tunnels, or invade abandoned tunnels created by moles or gophers. In just one minute, they can dig a hole over a foot deep. Due to their burrowing techniques, they are frequently mistaken for moles, gophers or rats. There will usually be closely cropped grass near a vole burrow entrance, and no mounds of soil.

Garden Damaging and Disease Carrying Marauders

Grass, bulbs, fruits, barks, leaves and succulent root systems are favorite plant foods for voles (they will eat dead animals as well). Since they can gnaw underneath a plant undetected, a homeowner is usually unaware of a vole infestation until the plant has died.

Girdling (stripping of bark) is another indication that voles have been hard at work. They enjoy fruit and ornamental trees, and tree plantings. Unlike other animals, voles gnaw the bark in irregular patches and at a variety of angles. If the girdling is too deep and too low to the ground for regeneration, the tree can die.

Although they won’t enter a home, the vole can carry disease that can be transferred to humans through food cross-contamination.

Allowing populations to multiply increases the probability of damage to trees, and makes future control more difficult.

As a professional pest control company, we can ease your mind with our humane vole extermination methods.

For more information or assistance in eliminating voles,
call Specialized Pest Patrol (916) 987-9559.

General Facts

Skunks are members of the weasel family, there are four species of skunks in North America: striped, hooded, spotted and hog-nosed.

The most common are striped skunks, measuring 20 to 30 inches long (including the tail) and weigh approximately 6 to 10 pounds with two wide stripes on the back that meet on the head.  Nocturnal by nature, skunks have a litter of 1-7 young in late April through early June. Skunks found in El Dorado Hills are striped skunks.

Skunks are slow-moving animals but have strong forefeet and long nails which make them excellent diggers.

Skunks will ususally only attack when cornered or defending their young.  Spraying is not the first method of defense.  Skunks will growl, spit, fluff their fur, shake their tail, and stamp the ground.  If the intruder does not leave, they will lift their tail and spray their famous skunk odor.

The spray is a sulfur compound that has a range of up to 15 feet.  The glands that hold the spray hold enough for 5-6 sprays.  El Dorado Hills skunk control can be tricky since you want to avoid getting sprayed.

Habitat

Skunks are found throughout the US, Canada and Mexico.  Skunks like warm dry, dark defensible locations.  They have adapted to building dens in decks, trash dumps and woodpiles.  When foraging for food, skunks will often travel 5-10 miles.

Diet

Skunks are omnivorous.  Their diet typically consists of beetles, larvae and earthworms.  Skunks are also know to eat field mice, small rodents, lizards, garbage, eggs, and fallen fruit.

Problems arise with skunks when they determine that your El Dorado Hills yard is the best place for their den and that your garbage cans hold a delicious and accessible smorgasbord!

Identify Skunk Damage

Skunks provide more of a benefit than people think. They eat many pest insects that cause damage to your lawn and garden. Problems arise when they make homes in and around your garden and spray causing the very irritating skunk odor.

Skunk Odor

Skunk odor is very unique and easy to identify. Yet, skunk odor is not always an indicator of skunk presence. Sometimes other animals within the area may have been sprayed and the skunk odor is lingering.

Skunk Digging

Skunks become a nuisance when their burrowing and feeding habits cause problems for humans.

They may burrow under porches or buildings by entering foundation openings. Skunks dig holes in lawns, golf courses and gardens searching for grubs found in the soil.

Skunk holes appear as small cone-shaped holes or patches of up-turned earth 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

Skunk Droppings

Skunk droppings usually have undigested insect parts and are 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter and 1 to 2 inches long.

General Squirrel Facts

The gray squirrel is the most common squirrel inhabiting over 2/3 of the United States. In general, squirrels come in a variety of colors from pure black to pure white and all shades in between.

Squirrels are typically 8″-10″ long and 12 to 24 ounces in weight. They are mainly active during the day.  They do not hibernate but will typically spend long hours in their nest during the cold winter months.

The tail of the squirrel plays a very important role in communication, locomotion and insulation.

Squirrel Communication

Squirrels are extremely vocal. They bark, chatter, scream, and purr. Sometimes people think they are hearing a noisy bird, without realizing that it’s actually a very noisy squirrel!

Flashing movements of their tails, stamping their feet and the way they walk are also modes of a squirrel’s communication.

Squirrel Habitat

Their ideal habitat is a forest filled with oak, beech, and hickory trees which provide food and natural cover. They often build several nests in the trees within a certain area, using the each nest at various times. If a storm knocks down one nest, they still have another one to go to.

Some squirrels do not live in trees. Known as ground squirrels, these creatures make their nests in burrows in the ground.

These burrows can be part of a large undeground network of squirrel nests. Unfortunately, people and animals can accidently stumble into these and injure themselves, breaking an ankle or leg.

Squirrel Diet

Squirrels are primarily vegetarians. The Squirrels’ natural diet consists of a wide variety of nuts, fruits, berries, mushrooms and the occasional insect.

Many El Dorado Hills backyards offer a similar habitat with an added bonus of bird seed. Black oil sunflower seeds are a particular favorite of these furry little critters.

Yard Protection

Since most El Dorado Hills squirrels are active throughout the day you can easily observe areas where they spend most of their time.

This will help when deciding the best control options to keep squirrels from damaging your yard and gardens.

Squirrel Exclusion

Squirrels are difficult to exclude from your El Dorado Hills yard or garden since they are excellent climbers. In order to keep squirrels from damaging small trees, protect them with garden netting.

For larger trees that are more difficult to cover, use a wide collar made of sheet metal or plexiglass. Make the sheet metal about 2 feet wide and position it around the bottom of the tree, make sure to leave enough room for tree growth.

Another way to keep squirrels from damaging trees is to cut branches off the tree.

If squirrels manage to get into your El Dorado Hills home’s attic through an opening in your roof, particulary in the soffit or roof vent, your best method of preventing them from re-entering is to use exclusion.

Fix the opening and any weathered areas that squirrels could easily chew through and gain access to your home. Note: Just be sure that you have removed all of the squirrels before pursuing this option.

General Facts

Stray Cats

A stray cat is a cat that has been allowed to roam by its owner and has been unable to find its way back to its El Dorado Hills home.

Feral Cats

A feral cat is a cat that has been abandoned or the offspring of an abandoned cat and does not live under the direct supervision of a human but will live and reproduce near human population in El Dorado Hills.

Quick Statistics

The cat colitation estimates that there are over 60 million stray cats in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates there are an additional 5 million domestic cats abandoned annually.

A female cat is capable of reproducing two litters per year producing two to ten kittens per litter.

To place these numbers in perspective, the AVMA 1993 US Pet Ownership and Demographic study estimates that there are 57 million domestic cats as of 1991.

The existing stray cat population and its annual replenishment through natural reproduction and abandonment of domestic cats causes significant problems.

The average life span for a stray cat is 3 to 5 years. Eventually they will die from starvation, disease, dogs, or motor vehicles. Failure to prevent or control a stray cat population amounts to inhumane treatment.

General Opossum Facts

Opossums are a small to medium-sized marsupial, about the size of a large house cat (2-3′ long and 4-15 lbs).  Most members of the opossum family have long snouts and narrow braincases. They can be traced back to the time of the dinosaur.

When threatened or harmed, they will “play possum”, mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal. The lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva foams around the mouth, and a foul-smelling fluid is secreted from the anal glands. This physiological response is completely involuntary, rather than a conscious act.

Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. Many injured opossums have been killed by well-meaning people who find a catatonic animal and assume the worst.

The best thing to do upon finding an injured or apparently dead opossum is to leave it in a quiet place with a clear exit path. In minutes or hours, the opossum will regain consciousness and escape quietly on its own. If necessary, call us at Specialized Pest Patrol to remove the opossum from your El Dorado Hills home.

Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet and reproductive strategy make them successful colonizers and survivors even when their habitat is disrupted.  Because they are so resilient, El Dorado Hills Possum control is essential to protect your yard.

Opossum Reproduction

The opossum has a 12 day gestational period and give birth to anywhere from 5 to 25 young.  These tiny baby oppusums are about the size of a bee and crawl the 2 inches from the birth canal to the mother’s pouch.

Opossum Habitat

The opossum’s range has been expanding steadily northwards, thanks in part to more plentiful, man-made sources of fresh water, increased shelter from urban encroachment, and milder winters. Its range has extended into Ontario, Canada.

Opossums like to create dens in hollow trees or vacated burrows of other animals.

Opossum Diet

Opossums are opportunistic omnivores with a very broad range of diet.

Opossums like to dine on roots, vegetables, fruit, corn, snails, beetles, ants, eggs, grasshoppers and garbage.

Dead Animal Removal

Here are the most common situations:

• Dead rat or squirrel in the attic.
• Dead opossum or raccoon under your Folsom house.
• Dead rat or mouse in the wall.
• Dead animal in the yard.

Removing a dead and decomposing animal from your El Dorado Hills home is not easy. We will access attics and crawl sub areas, often in hazardous conditions. We will remove, decontaminate if necessary, and later dispose of the carcass in a proper manner. It’s not a pleasant job. Nevertheless, dead animal removal is a necessary service, and few jobs leave customers more grateful.

General El Dorado Hills Rat Removal Facts

There are two basic types of rats – the black or roof rat and the Norway or brown rat.

European settlers probably brought the roof rat with them as stowaways, while the Norway arrived around 1775 starting their own revolution by killing off their cousin, the black rat.

In comparison, the Norway rat is slightly larger in appearance and are most common in densley populated urban areas in the Eastern United States.

Rats are nocturnal by nature.

Rat Geography

The Norway rat has taken up residency almost continent-wide, while the roof rat has chosen the coastal areas of the southern, southeastern and western United States.

Rat Habitat

Wherever food and shelter are plentiful, that’s where you’ll find Norway rats. Parks and recreational areas, older industrial areas, rail yards and back alleys are a real breeding ground for both species.

They prefer damp areas.  Sewers, abandoned warehouses and garbage refuges are also places that rats frequent due to the abundance of food.

The Norway rat typically likes to live in burrows underground or inside walls, whereas the roof rat loves to climb and can be found in upper levels of buildings more often than Norway rats. Roofrats use nests and make their home in trees or vines.

Rat Reproduction

Rats can reproduce young four to six times a year having litters of four to ten. Once they have reached the age of three to six months, they have the ability of reproducing. One female can wean about twenty young a year. Life expectancy for a rat is about nine months.

Omnivorous, Roof and Norway rats will consume many different types of plant and animal foods such as seed that has been spilled frombird feeders or pet food that has been left outdoors. One ounce of food is all that is needed in one day for a rat to survive with some access to water.

Norway rats will eat seeds, vegetables, insects, meat refuse, bird eggs, and, given the opportunity, will devour small mammals and mice.

Let a professional pest control company trap and remove raccoons from your El Dorado Hills home or business safely and humanely.

General Raccoon Facts

Highly intelligent and very curious, raccoons are somewhat sociable especially during mating season.  They are nocturnal in nature and typically cause problems with homeowners May through September.

Raccoons average 12″ high and weigh anywhere from 15-48 pounds.  In the wild they have an average life span of 10 – 13 years.  This small land mammal is extremely adaptable and has thrived in the suburban and urban areas, especially in El Dorado Hills.

Raccoon Communication

Raccoons can be easily identified  by the way they communicate with a variety of whimpers, whines, squeals, screams, and purrs.

Raccoon Habits

While raccoons aren’t true hibernators, they are considerably less active during cold months, sleeping for days or weeks at a time. During the month of January while female raccoons stay in their dens, males will travel around the El Dorado Hills area looking for a mate.

Females usually give birth to 1 – 6 baby kits in April or May. These baby raccoons will stay with the mother until autumn and then go off on their own to find a hollow for winter. While the ideal den is a cavity in a large tree, raccoons will also use manmade structure such as attics, chimneys and outside of buildings.

Raccoon Diet

Raccoons will typically eat anything, even if it means rooting through your garbage and making a mess in Folsom.  However, they primarily dine on insects, nuts, worms, frogs, shellfish, eggs, snakes and fruit.

Get Your El Dorado Hills Mice Removed Immediately

Specialized Pest Patrol traps all rodents in a safe and humane way. While you want the mice removed from your home, we do so in a way that does not cause pain to the animals. Call us now for a free quote!

General Facts About El Dorado Hills Mice

The house mouse is just about what you’d expect a mouse to be – small (3 to 7 inches), gray-brown, with an almost naked tail as long or longer than its body and weighing less than an ounce.

The nocturnal mouse will eat about one-tenth of its weight each day. Its origin is in Europe, but after accompanying the early settlers on their ships to the New World, the mouse has since established itself almost continent-wide.

Although they may live up to two years in a lab, the average mouse lives only about 3 months in the wild, primarily due to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds or prey, snakes and certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice.

Nevertheless, due to its incredible adaptability to almost any environment, and its ability to live commensally with humans, the mouse is regarded to be the third most successful mammalian species living on Earth today, after humans and the rat.

Habitat

As you may guess with the name house mouse, these creatures prefer life indoors, whether it be an apartment complex or single-family dwelling.

Mice prefer the comfort of niches between walls and behind cabinets and appliances.

Reproduction

The house mouse has a very prolific reproductive system breeding year round and having as many as eight litters annually.

Female mice can start having their litters at the age of one and a half to two months. Life expectancy for a wild mouse is no more than one year.

Diet

Mice have a diet of a variety of foods, such as seeds, grains and nuts. These little critters requiring only about 1/10 ounce of food each day, and can live without access to fresh water as long as their solid food is fairly moist.