Opossums on Long Island

Recently, a Suburban Exterminating customer called in reporting an opossum in her Brentwood home.  Most wildlife foundations do not recommend trying to get rid of a trapped opossum in your home by yourself.  Call a professional!  Read for further information on Suburban Exterminating’s nuisance wildlife removal solutions, or call (516) 864-6900 or (631) 864-6900 for a free estimate.

Opossum Facts

The Virginia opossum, most commonly seen in North America, is a “cousin” to the Australian possum.  It is a marsupial, but the similarities to kangaroos and koalas end there.  They are, generally, harmless, but can cause minor property damage looking for food.

• Opossums are nocturnal.  Unlike raccoons, they try and avoid humans and very rarely carry rabies because of a low body temperature.
• They may bite when approached by a predator, but prefer to “play possum”: appearing dead and emitting a decaying odor to keep intruders away.
• They eat cockroaches, crickets and beetles, snakes, slugs, mice, rats, rotting fruit, human garbage, dead animals and small reptiles. Because opossums eat so many pests, they have been called Nature’s Exterminators.
• Opossums have very poor eyesight and can only see about six inches in front of their noses.  They “see” with their keen sense of smell. 

Keeping Opossums Away

There are some very simple steps to keeping opossums away from your home:

• Keep pet food and water indoors, in a tightly sealed container.
• Clean your yard of rotting fruit.
• Keep a tight seal on garbage containers.
• Cover your pool in the winter and monitor that no opossum has fallen in looking for a drink.

Critter Culprit: Raccoons: Biggest Home Invader

Raccoons are the number one invaders of homes and buildings. They can tear open garbage cans to scrounge for food. They can rip open vents and window screens looking for an entry into attics and basements. Raccoons can build large nests in chimneys. They are strong, agile creatures, able to crawl into small spaces, setting up a home for the winter in your home.

There are a dozen other methods in which a raccoon will find entry into your home, and the end result is usually the same: damage, destruction and danger. Raccoons are similar to bears; they have bad attitudes and won’t stop in their search for food and shelter. It is best to never provoke a raccoon. If you suspect raccoons in your home or business, call a professional right away! Some of the best methods of prevention are the simplest:

• Keep a tight lid on trash cans. Store them indoors or in special containers until they need to go out in the morning.
• Keep pet food indoors at all times.
• Cap all chimneys.
• Secure air vents and replace any broken screens.
• Replace weather stripping on garage doors and keep them closed when not in use.
• Trim back any tree branches that hang over the roof.

The presence of raccoons in a home or business is visible through the destruction and damage. Raccoons will rip apart insulation, roofing and attic floor boards to create a den. The droppings and urine will not only stain ceilings and walls, but obviously create a health hazard. Nassau County recently began a rabies vaccine “baiting” program to get rid of rabies in area raccoons. There are several other parasites and diseases that can be transmitted by raccoons, such as, fleas, ticks, lice, round-worms, tapeworms, distemper, tuberculosis, and mange. It is important to keep pets away from raccoons, not only for their protection, but to prevent provoking the raccoons to attack.

All of Suburban’s pest control services come with a guarantee that, from start to finish, a solution will be found. Protect your home and business this winter from a raccoon invasion. Call (631) or (516) 864-6900 for a free estimate or read about all our services at www.suburbanexterminating.com.

Preventing Pests at Home

Winterizing your home is the best bet to protecting yourself against insects, mice, rats, squirrels and raccoons that are looking for comfortable places to live in the winter.  There are a few tricks you can do yourself, but the surest way is to trust the experts at Suburban Exterminating.  Our technicians are trained to protect your home against pests. 

For your part:

• Always keep trash cans tightly closed to keep away rodents and wildlife. 

• Clean gutters of leaves, twigs and stagnant water where bugs can hibernate and gain sustenance. 

The experts at Suburban Exterminating can help you winterize your house and are the best defense in pest control.  Our technicians are trained to spot areas where insects, rodents or wildlife can enter your home.

• We fill any holes around pipes, vents or windows. 

• We make sure all vents and windows are screened, and will replace damaged, old or missing screens.  As a step further, we can caulk windows with a silicone frame to prevent any insects from entering.  (Plus, this may stop heat from escaping and lower your energy costs!)

• We place chimney caps and replace garage door weather stripping.  Both of these entrances to your home can lead to rodents and wildlife looking for warm, dry places to nest in the winter.

• We move your firewood away from the foundation and cut back any shrubs or bushes that will block the sun on your foundation, allowing it to dry properly.

All of these steps are important in winterizing a home.   Suburban’s teams are trained to spot possible problem areas where pests can enter.  Aside from being a nuisance, many insects, rodents, and wildlife can cause damage to your home, costing money in repairs.  Also, a lot of these pests carry disease, causing damage to your family, which is irreplaceable.  Call (631) or (516) 864-9600 for a free estimate and further information.

Sweet Treats for Valentine’s Day

Sweet is defined as having the taste of sugar. Sweet is also one of four basic taste sensations that include sweet, bitter, sour, or salt. Everyone’s definition of sweet is different. My favorite sweet is chocolate. Emily, another Suburban Exterminating employee, loves any sweet Starbucks drink. What do you like?

Wildlife animals like their sweets, too. See if you can match the animal with their favorite sweet treat.