Living with Wildlife
Keep Your Home Safer Near Wildlife
As cities throughout Colorado grow, new or expanding subdivisions impact wildlife habitat. Wild animals are often displaced by development. Some species are able to live in nearby open spaces, parks, undeveloped parcels of land, river bottoms and on or near bodies of water. Others have adapted well to urban living and seem to thrive in and near cities. In most situations, people and wildlife can coexist. Be responsible to educate yourself on how to avoid potential conflicts before they begin, which is important for your property and pets, and the wildlife living nearby.
Prepare Your Home
The presence of wildlife usually delights Colorado residents. The close proximity of wildlife, however, sometimes causes problems. The key to avoiding problem wildlife encounters is keeping unwanted wildlife out of homes, buildings, yards and vehicles.
- Keep all bear-accessible windows and doors closed and locked, including home, garage and vehicle doors.
- Replace exterior lever-style door handles with good quality round door knobs that bears can’t pull or push open.
- Cover window wells with commercially available grates or bubbles, or make a cover using quarter-inch hardware cloth or chicken wire.
- Install outside lighting. Light areas where you walk so you could see wildlife if any are present.
- Close holes (larger than one-quarter inch) and openings around your home and under the foundation so that animals will not be tempted to make their homes (snakes, rats, mice, bats, skunks, raccoons, etc).
- Bury wire mesh 18 inches to two feet deep in places where animals might gain access under fences, porches, foundations, or into basements.
- Seal crawl spaces.
- Use concrete or sheet metal to block off bigger access points.
- Screen fireplace chimneys and furnaces, attic and dryer vents or other holes, and keep fireplace dampers closed to avoid "drop-in" guests (bats, birds, squirrels, raccoons, etc). Chimney tops should be screened from February to September to prevent birds and animals from nesting inside. To prevent fire and safety hazards, check with a knowledgeable source before attempting this.
- Keep firewood in a covered box, to keep snakes away.
- Reduce the rodent population on your property to reduce a major food source for snakes.
- If birds are flying into windows, mark them with strips of white tape or with raptor silhouettes.
- Close all pet doors at night.
Wild animals are driven to search for food every day and can become a nuisance and cause damage when they get into garbage (an easy food source). Garbage that is not securely stored provides an easy meal for scavengers like bears, raccoons and skunks.
- Residents can keep their property safe by creating neighborhood agreements that require the storage of garbage in secure plastic or metal containers with tight fitting lids.
- Never leave trash or recyclables out overnight (empty cans and boxes smell like food)
- Store garbage cans in a closed shed or garage and only put trash out in wildlife-resistant containers the day of pick-up. The garage or shed should have sturdy doors and windows that lock.
- If you must leave trash outside, buy a wildlife-resistant container, build a four-walled enclosure with a roof or install an electric fence.
- Empty trash containers can still attract bears and other scavengers, so clean containers regularly with ammonia or bleach.
- If composting, use an enclosed composting system, and avoid placing meat or fruit scraps onto your mulch or compost pile.
- Keep pet food inside.
- Pick fruit before it ripens, and clean up fallen fruit to avoid luring wildlife to your yard.
- Fence gardens and cover fruit trees with commercially available netting to protect your harvest.
- Don’t feed wildlife; you could make animals sick, or attract unwanted wildlife. A group of deer may then attract bears or mountain lions to your home.
- Don’t leave out water.
- Burn food off barbeque grills and clean after each use.
- Feeding songbirds is okay, but be aware it may attract other animals. In Colorado most bears are active from mid-March through early November and CPW recommends not feeding birds during this timeframe.
- Place bird feeders where they are not accessible - on a pulley system that keeps the feeder 10 feet off the ground and 10 feet away from anything a bigger animal (such as a bear) can climb. Keep the area underneath feeders clean and free of bird seed and hull.
- Don’t leave food, trash, coolers, air fresheners or anything that smells (makeup, lotion, sunscreen) in your vehicle.
- Roll up your windows and lock your vehicle. Bears can learn to open unlocked vehicles.
- Place livestock in enclosed sheds or barns at night.
- Close doors to all outbuildings since inquisitive predators may go inside for a look.
- Protect hobby livestock with electrified enclosures.
- Bury chicken wire 18-24 inches under the ground around the exterior of the enclosure walls.
The initial landscaping established often sets the tone for other plantings in the community. Planting native flowers, shrubs and trees, as well as controlling noxious weeds and creating wetlands can benefit wildlife.
- To keep away snakes, do not landscape with expanses of large rocks, especially in open sunny areas. Mow weeds and vegetation, and remove rocks, boards and debris.
- Landscape or remove vegetation to eliminate hiding places for wildlife, especially around children's play areas. Restrict access under decks, around woodpiles, or any other structure that can provide cover or denning sites.
- To protect trees from beavers, wrap individual trees with fencing or mix a concoction of five ounces of mason sand with one quart of exterior latex paint and apply it to the first 3 ½ feet of the trees.
- Prevent squirrels, bears and raccoons from climbing near your home by trimming branches hanging over buildings.
- Landscape with native plants and shrubs. Deer often prefer to eat non-native shrubs and plants, which may in turn lead to predators visiting your property.
- Homeowners should utilize special pipes and grates, or electric fencing around culverts discourage beavers and lessen the problems caused by beaver dams.
Every year in Colorado, we have the joy of viewing many types of “backyard” birds at bird feeders. Many people don't realize that bird feeders (seed, suet and hummingbird) are also very attractive to bears. Once bears discover bird feeders, they will visit every home in the area looking for more. To avoid causing problems in your neighborhood, remove all bird feeders from April-November when bears are most active. Use these ideas to attract birds year-round:
- Water features and birdbaths give birds a reason to visit. Birds are always looking for the things they need to survive, including a reliable source of water.
- Native gardening is a great way to attract many different types of birds and other native wildlife like butterflies and native bees. Native gardens also require less water and maintenance once established.
- Flower pots or container gardening is a great option if you are not the gardening type. Birds will be just as interested in visiting a flower in a pot as they would be to one in the ground. For hummingbirds, plant red, orange or pink flowers with a tubular shape.
- Birds need a safe place to raise their young. Add a nest box to your backyard landscape, giving birds a reason to stay.
Fences
Fencing is an important tool to either keep wildlife off your property, or encourage wildlife use and movement through your property. Colorado’s Fencing with Wildlife in Mind brochure provides all of the information you need to cater to your property and its needs.
Keeping Wildlife Out
Fencing six-feet and taller will keep most wild animals like deer, skunks and coyotes out of your property. It may be necessary to bury an additional barrier 18-24 inches under the ground around the perimeter. Fencing will not keep raccoons, or bears off of your property, especially if there is a food attractant.
Encouraging Wildlife Movement
If your property is large or you have livestock, you may want to allow animals to move freely, while keeping your livestock secured. Check out our fencing with wildlife in mind brochure for examples of wildlife friendly fencing options.
Find out moreWildlife in Your Home
Dealing with an Intruder
Colorado Parks and Wildlife will not remove nuisance animals from your property. Pest control, or wildlife removal companies can be hired to remove the animal for you. Your local wildlife office can provide free, or cheap alternatives to help encourage the animals to find a new home.
If you need to handle a wild animal, take precautions such as throwing a thick towel over the animal and wearing heavy , long-sleeved gloves. Wash your hands thoroughly when you are done.
Dealing with Bats
Bats play an important role in our ecosystems eating insects and pollinating plants.
- If a bat is roosting near your home, keep pets away and give it space. It may move to a new location at night.
- Do not cover roost holes. Not all bats leave at the same time and covering the hole may trap other bats inside.
- Most bats cannot fly from the ground. If you see a bat on the ground, keep your pets away and leave it be. If needed, use a long stick or shovel to pick the bat up, and place it in a tree. If the bat is still there the next morning, call your local wildlife office.
- If bats are entering your home, pest control companies can do a home inspection and find out how they are getting in. Bats can squeeze through holes as small as a nickel.
- If you have a bat in your house, have had contact with a bat, or suspect there was contact, call your local health department office for directions. They may want to test the bat for disease if there was potential for human contact
- Fix cracks. Caulking cracks is most effective during dry weather when cracks are the largest. Weather-stripping – which seals spaces around doors and windows – is also effective in repairing cracks.
- If you're certain the noises in your attic are being made by bats, wait for them to leave, then seal the entrances before they return. Unfortunately, you'll need to do the work at night when bats depart for feeding, in the fall after the young have learned to fly or wait until winter when many bats have migrated south.
Dealing with Bears
Bears spend their day searching for any possible food sources. Once they successfully get food in a location, they will come back again hoping for another food reward.
- Do not provide any possible food or scent attractants for bears
- Store trash in your house, garage, or shed until trash day. Clean your trash can with bleach once a week to get rid of residual smells.
- Keep bird feeders out of reach of bears with a pulley system that keeps the feeder 10 feet off ground and 10 feet away from trees or climbable structures.
- Do not store pet food or feed pets outside.
- Clean grills after use, clean out grease traps.
- Secure bee hives and chickens with electric fencing.
- Be vigilant when leaving your house in the morning or evening. Make noise as you leave to let a bear know you are coming. If they hear you they will usually leave the area.
- If a bear will not leave, do not approach it. From a safe location, make some noise and throw things at it. If the bear will not leave, call your local wildlife office.
- Call your local wildlife office and report bear incidents. Wildlife officers can do site checks to help you secure your specific property.
- If a bear enters your home, open doors and windows and make sure it can leave the same way it got in. Don’t approach the bear, corner the bear or block escape routes. Call 911.
- If you see a bear hanging around your neighborhood or property, call your local Colorado Parks and Wildlife office to report it.
- Flashing lights, noise makers, alarms and sprinkler systems may startle bears and cause them to leave the area. Products that randomly produce a different noise each time they’re activated or have lights that flash in different patterns may be more effective than something with repetition.
- Leaving a radio tuned to a talk show can make it sound like someone is home and may persuade bears to leave the area. If you’ll be gone for an extended period of time, you can put a radio on a timer.
- Spraying bear spray on things you’d like bears to avoid doesn’t work — when the spray dries, the pepper residue left behind mellows out and creates odors that can actually attract bears.
- People have had some success with covered buckets or other containers filled with bleach or ammonia, with holes punched in the lids to let the scent out, placed outside bear-accessible doors and windows. Never mix bleach and ammonia; the combination produces fumes that can be deadly to both people and bears. Be careful with ammonia and bleach; it can blind bears.
- Unwelcome mats are typically made of sheets of sturdy plywood that have been carefully studded with small nails pointing up that can be placed in front of bear-accessible doors and windows. It’s very important that unwelcome mats be made, installed and used properly to avoid injuring bears, humans and pets..
Dealing with Coyotes
Coyotes have adjusted very well to more residential environments, and can thrive in remote areas or near people. Coyotes in populated areas are often less fearful of people and may attack pets or people if approached too closely. To prevent potential conflicts with coyotes, consider:
- Using radios, motion lighting, strobe lights, sirens or odor deterrents (such as cayenne pepper or vinegar in water guns or balloons, etc).
- Using an Electronic Guard, which consists of strobe lights and sirens run by a timer.
- Using ammonia-soaked rags or applying ammonia to an area with a squirt bottle. Must be re-applied over time/after rain.
- Spraying human scent (cologne/perfume). Must be re-applied over time/after rain.
- Having motion-activated flood lights.
- Making noise with an air horn, whistle, starter pistol or other noise maker.
- Using a motion detector sprinkler system that shoots a three second blast of water when motion is sensed.
- Do not allow your pets to “play” or interact with wildlife.
- Pets should not be left unattended outside unless in a kennel with a secured top.
- Close all pet doors at night to exclude coyotes, and other wildlife, from your house.
- Keep cats indoors or in enclosed "catios".
- Bring all pets inside the house between dusk and dawn.
If a Coyote Approaches You
- Wave arms and yell in an authoritative voice.
- Turn on sprinklers or spray coyotes with a garden hose.
- Spray coyotes with a water gun filled with water or vinegar.
- Throw rocks, sticks, tennis balls or anything else you can find.
- Bang pots and pans together.
- Shake or throw a Coyote Shaker, which is a soda can filled with pennies or pebbles and sealed with duct tape.
- Make noise with an air horn, whistle, starter pistol or other noise maker.
- Utilize a paintball gun to scare them off. The intent is to scare, not injure them. An injured coyote can cause more conflicts in your neighborhood.
- Spray coyote with pepper spray, bear spray, or citronella spray.
Dealing with Deer
It is illegal to provide food for deer in Colorado. Attracting deer can concentrate them in small spaces, making disease easier to spread, attracting predators, and causing them to lose their natural fear of people.
- Do not put out any food for deer. Grains like corn are not part of a natural diet for Colorado deer and can make them sick or even kill them.
- Research plants that deer do not like for your landscapes and garden. Commercial sprays are also available to help deter them from eating your plants.
- A fence six-feet or taller is the most effective way to keep deer off of your property.
Dealing with Mountain Lions
A mountain lion's main food source is deer, but they will eat small mammals such as rabbits, squirrels, and even cats and dogs.
Dealing with Rabbits
Rabbits can cause significant damage to landscapes and gardens.
- Commercial products are available to spray and deter rabbits from eating your plant.
- Try to remove tall grassy areas to eliminate potential nesting spots.
- You can live-trap and relocate rabbits up to 10 miles away.
Dealing with Racoons
Raccoons can get into your attic, crawlspace, or chimney, as well as under your shed, garage, or deck. They may also go after chickens. In the spring, raccoon mothers are looking for a place to have their babies and can make their way onto your property to do so.
- Make sure to seal off all potential entry points a raccoon can use to get into or under any structures to prevent them from getting in in the first place.
- If a raccoon makes it in, seal off the interior so it does not get deeper into the home, shed or garage. Then throw a scent deterrent like bleach, or ammonia into the entry point the raccoon used. Wait for it to leave on its own, then seal up the entry point so it cannot get back in. Place some flour outside the entry point to tell if the raccoon has left.
- If a mother raccoon gets kicked out of its den, most of the time it will take its babies with it. If you hear or find babies without their mother, put on some thick gloves and place the raccoons in a shallow box near the entry point the mother was using. Most of the time, the mother will come and retrieve them. If they are still there after 24 hours, call your local wildlife office for additional directions.
- To protect chickens, use electric fencing and bury chicken wire 18-24 inches under the ground around the exterior of the coop walls.
- Raccoons can be live-trapped and relocated up to two miles away.
Dealing with Foxes
It is common for red foxes to den under sheds, garages and house foundations. They may also go after chickens.
- Be sure to seal up any openings before a den can be built.
- If a fox has built a den already, toss some bleach or ammonia soaked rags into the den and seal it up when the fox leaves. Place some flour outside the entry point to tell when the fox has left.
- To protect chickens, use electric fencing and bury chicken wire 18-24 inches under the ground around the exterior of the coop walls.
Dealing with Skunks
It is common for skunks to make their dens under sheds, garages and house foundations. They will also go after chickens.
- Make sure to seal off any potential entry points a skunk can use to get into or under any structures to prevent them from getting in in the first place.
- If a skunk has built a den already, toss some bleach or ammonia soaked rags into the den and seal it up when the skunk leaves. The skunk will most likely wait until dark to leave. To ensure the animal is gone, place some flour on the ground outside the entry point and wait to see the flour disturbed, indicating the animal has walked through it, before you close it off.
- To protect young chickens and eggs, use electric fencing and bury chicken wire 18-24 inches under the ground around the exterior of the coop walls.
Dealing with Squirrels
Squirrels can get into your attic, chimney or vehicle and chew on wires causing major damage. They can also cause damage to your landscapes or garden.
- Make sure to seal off any potential entry points a squirrel can use to get into or under any structures to prevent them from getting in in the first place.
- If a squirrel makes it in, seal off the interior so it does not get deeper into the home, shed or garage. Then throw a scent deterrent like bleach, or ammonia into the entry point the squirrel used. Wait for it to leave on its own, then seal up the entry point so it cannot get back in.
- If a squirrel is loose in the house, block off the room it's in, provide one way out (open a window or a door) and watch until you see the squirrel leave.
- You can live-trap, and relocate squirrels up to 10 miles away.
Dealing with Woodpeckers
Woodpeckers can cause property damage by drilling holes in wood siding and eaves. Generally, woodpeckers cause the most damage in the spring during their mating season. Where woodpeckers are persistent, use two or more visual frightening devices simultaneously. Woodpeckers are federally protected, so you cannot do anything that injures or kills them.
- Cover holes with aluminum flashing, tin can tops or metal sheathing and paint them to match the siding.
- Deafen the sound-producing area by filling the hollow space behind the wood.
- Insecticides or wood preservatives may deter woodpeckers by killing the insects they feed on.
- Create a Nest Box and pack it with sawdust.
- Construct a hawk silhouette mobile as a visual deterrent.
- Fasten a mirror flat against the wall next to the damaged area. The theory is the woodpecker will see his own image and think it is another bird's territory.
- Spray the birds gently with water from a garden hose when they start to drill or drum.
- Eliminate any ledges or cracks on which the woodpecker is able to stand while drumming. Metal flashing can be used to discourage perching.
- Place lightweight plastic mesh netting at least 3 inches from affected wood areas.
- Treat wood with sticky/tacky repellent. However, be aware these repellents may stain house siding.
- Place a suet block nearby to act as a distraction.
Landowners and Farmers
Land and Farm Property Damage
The Game Damage Program is a Colorado Parks and Wildlife prevention and reimbursement program that compensates ranchers, farmers and landowners for damage caused by big game animals and wolves.