Sometimes the porcupine doesnt have to be actively destroying property for alarm to be raised about its close proximity. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. Dropping twigs and fruit to the forest floor benefits other wildlife down below. It turns its back, displays the black line running down the middle of its tail, edged with white quills visible in the dark. Therefore, their diets typically change from season to season. There are commercial products like "Ropel" that make wood taste bad to a porcupine. This means looking for twigs that have been eaten, their tracks (especially during the winter when they are active), and barkless trees that have been stripped by their gnawing. Make sure you wash the trap with soap before you set it and wear latex gloves so you dont leave your scent on it. Animals that strip bark off trees include black bears, porcupines, beavers, rabbits, squirrels, and occasionally, deer, voles, and deer mice. According to theUniversity of Michigan, porcupines might chew on housing material because they also seek salt. Other options may workdistracting the porcupines with a salt lick, or startling them with random, irritating noisesbut there are drawbacks: The salt lick could attract other wildlife; the random, irritating noises could drive away your cottage guests. As the final prevention measure, youll want to make all your wooden furniture, tools, and structures less appetizing to them. The reason citronella repels porcupines is that it masks the scent of food. It can be applied to lawns, garden paths, and flowerbeds. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Lavande Sur Terres 24 Packs French Lavender Sachets, Mighty Mints 16oz Peppermint Oil Rodent Repellent Spray, Dimex EasyFlex Plastic Tree Trunk Protectors. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Porcupines. Porcupine hunting is something I do every year. Luckily for me, Vito isnt the biggest pest in my life. But citronellas repellent effect isnt limited to annoying buzzing insects. To keep them from growing too large, rodents chew on hard material to file them down. The only exceptions are the great plains and southeastern regions of the US. The list includes lynx, bobcats, coyotes, wolves, wolverines, and great horned owls. What are the most dangerous parts of Baltimore? Your email address will not be published. Ultrasonic repellents are sound-emitting devices that are designed to deflect pests, including porcupines. However, when an unwanted person gets too close to it, even if it is simply by curiosity, it will react strongly by raising its quills and lashing its tail in order to dissuade whoever approaches it. In the winter, for example, North American porcupines primarily eat the inner bark from trees and evergreen needles. So, feel free to use this product close to the house or on commonly-used tools. Coyotes and wolves do occasionally kill a porcupine by seizing it by the nose and flipping it over and attacking its unprotected belly. Cayenne pepper gives hot sauce that extra tingly spicy feeling in our mouths. A little gross, but hey, if it works, right? These materials attract rodents like rats, skunks, and even squirrels. While many predators are capable of eating them, porcupines are a fairly risky food item and most predators leave them alone except in times of desperation. Complete Guide. Porcupines remain common throughout most of their range, but conservationists know by now that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Their appearance can also attract predators like mountain lions and bears. (Porcupines love salt!) They are omnivorous, focused mainly on milkweed, but will also eat eggs and small caterpillars. If unable to chew, the animals teeth would grow too long to be able to consume food and the porcupine would eventually starve to death. Cottagelife.com is part of the Blue Ant Media Canada network 2023 Blue Ant Media. Spearmint is an herb in the mint family. Step 4 There are also water repellent systems like motion activated sprinkler systems that will spray the porcupine if it comes close to the place where you set it up. Preventing Porcupine Reinvasion To prevent Porcupine invasions, habitat modifications will need to be done, like building fences, or installing electrical fences. They found that feeding damage by porcupines along the north coast of British Columbia was so significant that it changed the dominant species of a forest. 3. If the Porcupine becomes caught, relocate the animal at least 25 miles away from your property or call animal control. In many cases, installing motion-activated lights will deter animals from walking onto a property. It is my goal to educate the public about porcupines and other wildlife, and I mean, what is there to love about wood? 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! And there's always the more direct approach of eliminating the offending animal. It must be renewed occasionally to remain effective. 3. Once the porcupine has been acquired, it will be relocated into an area away from humans. ft. 2. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Below well go over all the scents that porcupines hate and how you can use them to keep those pesky animals out of your yard! However, few predators have figured out how to get around their quills to attack this weak spot. Porcupine eats. The first is to spray PEST RID over the area where you see the marks. How can you use citronella to repel porcupines? If you have used a lethal trap, porcupine quills are still a threat to you. That's my buddy, Vito. The have no reason to gnaw into the wood. Contact your local city or county government to inquire further. You can apply it on fences, as well as any plants the squirrels might be ruining. The oil can be used to relieve headaches and help with colds. Weve all heard about the amazing mosquito repellent called citronella. That being said, just be aware that if you dont currently have a porcupine problem, placing a salt block out willdefinitelyattract them! Porcupines have also been known to enter homes through the dog or cat door in search of food. per 40 sq. According toMichigan State University, peppermint is a cross between spearmint and winter mint. The foods that attract porcupines include apples, salt, evergreen needles, tree bark, nuts, berries, flowering herbs, grasses, and roots. Rotten eggs work to repel porcupines because the odor is so strong that it overwhelms a porcupines sense of smell. The fence should be at least 1 to 1.5 feet deep underground to discourage digging, and about 2 feet high. Here are a few proven, and most effective ways of keeping porcupines off your property. Multiple trees or an entire area can be enclosed in a single fence. Porcupines are known to eat a lot, so they can scavenge all of the crops in the area. To use spearmint to repel porcupines, mix 10-15 drops of spearmint essential oil with water and place the mixture in a spray bottle. Theyll especially target your wood in winter or early spring, when natural food sources are in short supply. Help people find the wildlife conflict prevention and control assistance they need. Will deer eat raspberry plants? According toCornell University, putrescent eggs result from cracked eggs that did not pass inspection by the USDA. Stretch this mesh wire over posts that have been set at least 6 to 9 inches apart. Menthol and carvone have a very strong odor. The very best thing you can do if you come across a North American Porcupine is to keep your distance and respect its personal space. A porcupines quill will expand upon entering the skin, which is why it is so hard to remove the needles once they have caused an injury. Rabbits, rodents, and other animals can cause a lot of damage to your vehicle's wiring if left unchecked, especially in a vehicle in storage. Create a cayenne pepper spray. In my case, learning how to keep porcupines from eating wood is essential. Because of this, its important to know the entry points so, Read More 10 Different Ways That Snakes Entered Your HomeContinue, Your email address will not be published. Wagner, K. K., & Nolte, D. L. (2000, Spring). If porcupines are actively chewing on trees or structures, hang these in those areas. (They should probably lay off the salt.). To use peppermint to repel porcupines, you can use the essential oil combined with water to create a spray. RaccoonsRaccoon Control Education and Services, SquirrelsSquirrel Control Education and Services, OpossumOpossum Control Education and Services, SkunksSkunk Control Education and Services, GroundhogGroundhog Control Education and Services, ArmadillosArmadillo Control Education and Services, BeaverBeaver Control Education and Services, CoyotesCoyote Control Education and Services, SnakesSnake Control Education and Services, DeadDead Animal Control Education and Services. Because they are rodents, porcupines have a need to chew. Canadian Journal of Forest Research,33(10), 1983-1989. And it works! This page is a general Porcupine control guide. From there, itll be almost impossible for them to climb back up. In the spring and summer, porcupines shift to eating berries, seeds, grasses, leaves, roots and stems. Once threatened, porcupines will chatter their teeth and produce a chemical odor to warn off predators. 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 your plan of keeping them off your lawn isnt successful, what do you do? I found a couple of live animal traps online, but if youre not the type who will buy them, you can use a traditional catching technique called the deep hole trap.. Once you have identified the animal you are encountering to be a Porcupine you should then conduct an inspection. How to Deter Porcupines From the Area. Ah, lovely lavender. LOOKING TO HIRE AN EXTERMINATORCLICK HERE?. If there is no food, there is no reason for the deer to return. Typically two by three-inch fencing, galvanized or plastic-coated for resistance to the weather, will exclude woodchucks, raccoons and opossums, but not small rodents. Don't leave standing water in the yard or garden. 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. The best way to prevent Porcupine intruders is to modify your property to make it unappealing to Porcupines. Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. Instead, itll be concentrated on the part or area where youll place it, and when porcupines come near it, theyll instantaneously be disgusted by the scent emitted. They are attracted to almost any object that has been handled by humans because of the salt found in human sweat. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I'm Zack DeAngelis, the creator of Pest Pointers. Unlike other rodents that also remain active all winter, porcupines do not collect and store food in . You can try predator scent like coyote or fox but you constantly have to reapply it to keep it fresh and the porcupine will probably figure it out that its not real. Alaska Wildlife News is an online magazine published by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Like beavers, porcupines prefer to eat the nutritious inner tree bark or phloem. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This site is intended to provide education and information about how to keep porcupines away from your house, yard, garbage cans, shed, so that you can make an informed decision In most cases, the light does not hurt the creatures directly, but it does expose them. Each 1.25 lbs will protect approximately 50 sq. Everyone knows what a porcupine is, but apart from the fact that they have quills and can hurt you badly if you mess with them, not many people know much about their biology and manner. If youre in need of an exterminator or wildlife professional, you can learn more about our nationwide network of pest control professionals. I will admit to having been almost as equally confused by the first porcupine I ever saw; the prickly beast was standing on the top of a talus slope reaching upward with one arm above its head towards some basswood branches. Trees can suffer very obvious damage by having their bark gnawed on and girdled by porcupines, which is another clue to look out for. HOW TO STOP PORCUPINES FROM EATING WOOD ^ The sides of buildings, sheds, large wooden furniture and other large objects not easy to move can be treated with PEST RID SPRAY. A single animal can quickly expose the root system on a tree, leaving it open to insects or disease. Once you have confirmed Porcupine activity, it is time to begin treatment. Any gardens or vegetation are at risk of being destroyed as well. Using both these baits will bring better results. It comes in a ready-to-use spray bottle that can be sprayed in areas you want to protect. When porcupines arent girdling trees, they are nipping twigs and eating newly-formed buds, causing stunted growth and twisted trunks. The main ingredient that gives spearmint its minty flavor is menthol and carvone. Now, for a quick recap. Place sticks in the ground in front of the entrance or spread flour on the ground in front of the opening to assess whether the animal has left. Witmer, G. W., & Pipas, M. J. . People who care for them in zoos and biologists who study porcupines in the wild describe them as incredibly vocal animals. Despite being solitary and docile, there are a few reasons why you need to repel porcupines. Once inside the house, they often are not able to find their way back out and end up hunkered down in the corner of a dark room. If they happen to catch their reflection in a jar of water, it may be enough to scare them off because they will think another porcupine is around. One other thing that spearmint oil can do is repel pesky porcupines and deter them from damaging your trees and structures. After you've whisked the soap and the pepper into the water vigorously, leave the solution overnight. These pests, also known as "woodchucks," are large rodents (about 20 inches long and weighing 13 pounds) that must eat great quantities of food to sustain such an impressive frame. Start by building a fence around trees, gardens, and where damage has been most prevalent. - Lets Find Out, How To Get Water Stains Out Of Stainless Steel Refrigerator? are highly recommended. Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and give your rose bushes a good soaking. Call us today! Information about how to catch a porcupine - remove one stuck in the house. You may withdraw your consent at any time. Start by building a fence around trees, gardens, and where damage has been most prevalent. By submitting your information via this form, you agree to receive electronic communications from Cottage Life Media, a division of Blue Ant Media Solutions Inc., containing news, updates and promotions regarding cottage living and Cottage Life's products. 15 Scents That Rats Hate (and How to Use Them), 8 Things to Do If You See Spiders in Your House, Why Peppermint Oil Can Repel Mice (And How To Use It), 13 Easy Tips To Keep Raccoons Out Of Your Swimming Pool, 10 Different Ways That Snakes Entered Your Home. 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. Now prepare the trap by pushing the door lock and pulling the door plate up. You can also use cayenne pepperpowderand sprinkle it around problem areas. todd heyn. you wish to attempt to solve the problem yourself. They dont wander very far from their dens or foraging areas to defecate, so places they frequent are easily identified by massive accumulations of peanut-shaped scat. Sachets can be used as both a passive deterrent and an active deterrent. 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. Like the previous example, this one relies on a sweaty outdoors enthusiast leaving a tool outside. Repellents based on capsaicin (hot sauce is the active ingredient), thiram (a fungicide), or other mammal repellents could be applied. Porcupines love to chew wood! Its body shivers. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to deter them! Fencing is a basic way to protect your property. These will attract porcupines. - Top Remedies! Their favorite food item is corn on the cob. Its these two ingredients that help repel porcupines. If you leave porcupines alone, they will continue on their way and leave you alone. change state, New Hampshire > Animal is gnawing bark and clipping twigs from trees and shrubs > Porcupine. Make sure to apply 2 times per week for 2 weeks. The percentage of menthol is higher in spearmint than in peppermint. cases of porcupine removal, please go to the home page and click the USA map, where I have wildlife removal experts Proceedings of the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1998),23. The porcupine is a peaceful animal that rarely attacks its enemies. Using gloves, lightly sprinkle granules directly from the container or using a spreader at a rate of 1 lb. Bio Explorer explores the insight into the different porcupine species' diets, how porcupines hunt if they do, when they eat, how often they eat, what they eat porcupines and their role in the . Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Do you want to know how to keep porcupines from eating wood? Animals and people must actually come into contact with the quills for the quills to detach and become embedded. Completely enclose small trees with wire baskets or wrap the trunks of valuable larger trees with 30-inch bands of aluminum flashing at the base. Before you commit to trapping groundhogs in a live trap and releasing them elsewhere, be sure to check with your state's wildlife agency about relocating trapped wildlife, as laws vary from state to state. Youre looking for Porcupine activity. The porcupine practices a unique form of gun control. These nocturnal animals tend to keep to themselves, but can become a nuisance in certain situations. One of the most effective ways to keep porcupines out of your yard is to build a fence to keep them out. Woods, A. J., & Zeglen, S. (2003, October). Beavers take first place in that regard. The following day, stir it again, then use a funnel to decant it . Don't feed or interact with the raccoons. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. Place a bait near the repellent and turn it on. Soak them in saltwater to smell and look tastier to porcupines. Only Northeast state nuisance wildlife control operators are permitted to sign up on WildlifeHelp.org at this time. Use an ultrasonic repellent. Spray it on the area that is the most prone to chewing and gnawing. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. I could see the same idea here with porcupines. The scent of rotten eggs is offensive to people and animals, and for a good reason! These strange-looking animals can significantly damage trees, gardens, and buildings if left unchecked. Facts You Need To Know, Do You Put Detergent In Before Or After Clothes? Youd need to reapply this every time it rained, though. This is not the cheapest route to take however. Dump any standing water daily so they will not come into the area for water. For this, you simply need to place bait inside the trap, and then ensure that the traps enclosure will be kept closed even if the porcupine moves and tries to escape. A number of larger predators like coyotes, great horned owls and bobcats will take an occasional porcupine, but these predators have little impact on porcupine numbers. However, during winter, you will find them eating the inner bark of trees. Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020. Porcupines love salt and fruit, so apples with salt on them will be a perfect porcupine attractant. To prevent Porcupine invasions, habitat modifications will need to be done, like building fences, or installing electrical fences. The easiest way to avoid the heartache caused by the sight of a groundhog-devoured garden is to grow plants that groundhogs ( Marmota monax) don't eat. Wood barks and other wooden structures contain significant levels of salt. (1998). Heres How To Fix, wood as the answer to the nutrition and diet, How To Identify Vintage Wicker Furniture? They can be found in forests, grasslands or meadows and on occasion, dry desert areas. Animals don't like this product and will stay away from where its been applied. Unfortunately, their chew toy of choice can be the side of your house or shed. These mammals typically live in other parts of the world in Asia, Europe and in Africa. Facts and Answers! Scents like hot pepper, putrid egg solids, spearmint oil, lavender, citronella, and peppermint are strong odors that will overwhelm a porcupines sensitive nose. This site provides many porcupine control articles and strategies, if Time For the Truth! Can You Dry Colors And Darks Together? One of the easiest ways to deter porcupines is by using scent deterrents. We recommend the Solutions Live Trap as the best form of control, since Critter Ridder results may vary so it is not a guarantee this will keep Porcupines away. Nests of porcupines eat tree bark and are drawn to wood structures in general. Porcupines are also attracted to the glue used to bond plywood on wooden structures. 1 KStreetFighter2 11 yr. ago Evolutionary just means pertaining to evolution. Drop by drop, the damage can accumulate over weeks into a problem that can cost thousands of dollars to fix. 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. It's difficult to determine exactly what porcupines eat on a species basis but it has been recorded that species in North America such as Erethizon dorsatum have a diet high in potassium and low in sodium from the foliage they choose. Firearms. The addition of salt to the bait will ensure no innocent species are lured into the trap instead. 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. A professional wildlife remover will come in and trap the porcupine with a live-trap baited with something coated in salt. To use lavender to repel porcupines, you have a couple of different options: Using the lavender plant is a great choice if youre looking for an overallpassiveway to deter porcupines. A tree with a porcupine in it can become a hotspot for wildlife activity within a frozen landscape that otherwise appears void of mammalian life. Just to add when you shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if you make a purchase. Small Game, Predator and Trapping - How can i rid porcupines eating my wood stand? To prevent them from eating human made structures, wooden . Porcupines that trespass into residential or commercial areas are known to create a lot of trouble and inflict significant property damage. Even with all their defenses, porcupines are preyed upon by a several predators. Porcupines are no different and need to chew to keep their teeth from growing too large. Siding is usually attacked because of the bonding glue in plywood. Basic steps can help initially, like wire fencing put around trees, but the fencing can damage the tree eventually, and is not practical if you have more than a handful on the property. You can get traps at most hardware or garden stores and some animal control officers will either let you rent one or will come out and set the traps themselves. How do you stop porcupines from eating plywood buildings?Craig Loucao. Porcupines are rodents that need to sharpen their teeth, so they may chew on wood in your backyard. The peppery, soapy taste will deter some rose-eating animals, including deer. 2. Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2020 by Wildlife Animal Control. This includes areas around trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, walkways, docks, roof tiles, pool decks, or any place where control is desired. A porcupines general demeanor is docile, but they have quills for a reason! How To Clean Mohawk Laminate Flooring? Instead of going to the extreme, one way to deter porcupines long term is to change up your yard to make it unattractive to porcupines: These simple steps will make your yard less attractive to porcupines and, combined with other tactics, can keep them away long term. One-by-one-inch galvanized wire should be used if you want to keep out smaller animals. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. If possible, do not handle the animal at all. An animal that takes up residence under or near a home poses a threat to all of the occupants in the dwelling, be they human or animal. Its not easy. Scent deterrents must be reapplied to the problem area weekly and anytime after heavy rainfall. Why does hot sauce deter porcupines?