Story & photos by Denise Upton, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care
In the Tahoe Sierra, we are surrounded by National Forest and share the space with a myriad of birds and animals. It’s not unusual to see a bear ambling down the street or a coyote trotting down a trail. The problems start when wildlife gets under a house or in the walls or the attics.
Fortunately, there are remedies to help homeowners with most of these situations. Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care receives calls constantly on how to deal with these problems and has a few helpful hints to share.
- Woodpeckers drill holes on the sides of houses. Check for nests and babies. If they’re already in there, wait till they fledge in 23 to 25 days and then cover the hole with hardware cloth. Use Mylar spinners to deter more woodpeckers from returning or put up a woodpecker house over the hole.
- Swallows eat thousands of pesky mosquitos, but they also build mud nests, which can be a problem when you’re planning on painting the house. If they’re just starting the nest building, you can remove the nest every day to deter them from building at your house. However, active swallow nests are federally protected so it’s against the law to remove an active nest. Young fledge in 20 to 25 days.
- Raccoons love dark quiet places. To get them to move on, try light and a radio. This works in attics or on boats, even if they have babies. Give them a couple days of lights and radio noises and they will find an alternate place to live. Then seal up their entry point.
- Bears will be a nuisance until we get a handle on our trash situation. Secure trash until pickup day. Lock car doors and remove food from cars. Secure crawl spaces to keep bears from getting under the house. It is up to us to teach bears to avoid humans so don’t feeding bears, ever.
Wildlife Center opens to public
The organization recently moved its animals into a new $6 million campus and the public will have the opportunity to see and learn about some of the animals in LTWC’s care at the new Outdoor Learning Center.
LTWC will offer seasonal Wildlife Wednesdays educational talks at the Outdoor Learning Center beginning July 21. The free, hour-long presentations will be offered by advance reservation only and will feature a rotating schedule of topics and expert presentations. All will include information about what to do if you encounter a bear, and what to do if you come across an orphaned or injured wild animal. | (530) 577-2273, ltwc.org
