Maine Wildlife Management Podcast Maine Wildlife Management

In this episode of the Maine Wildlife Management podcast we're discoing DIY advice for trapping flying squirrels. While one of the best ways for handling flying squirrels is to seal up the entire home and instilling one way doors, that isn't always practical or cost-effective. For those times when trapping and removal is the only practical option, we're here to give you some advice and resources to get the job done yourself and manage flying squirrels in the home. 

Why Relocating in the Winter isn't Always A Good Idea. Relocating, removal, one way doors, lethal and live trapping are all tools that the professional wildlife control agent uses to help resolve wildlife conflicts with people. However, things aren't as easy as just setting trap and walking away. Especially if you care about the animals and the long term health of the home.

The weather is starting to drop off pretty hard lately. Our phones have been ringing with flying squirrels and mice moving into homes. They're seeking the warmth and comfort of living inside your home.
 
We always recommend a full home exclusion in almost all cases. However, some scenarios just trapping and keeping the mice under control is the best management option. In this episode we talk a little bit about where mice are coming in, some control measures, and some things to consider when going around your home looking for mouse entry points. 
 

There are a number of common failure points along the foundation of your home. Mice and rats will exploit these gaps and holes all the time and get inside. Some folks will go their whole lives and never even be aware that these gaps and areas exist. In this episode of the Maine Wildlife Management Podcast we break down and discuss the common failure points along your homes foundation and some tips and ways to seal them up tight. 

This topic stemmed from a recent overload of folks calling in with problems with animals they caught that they did not intend to. Typically someone will set a trap for a mouse/rat/squirrel and winds up with a large species like raccoon/skunk/groundhog. A little advance planning is always a good idea when setting traps for animals. Especially if you don't have a plan for what to do when you catch a larger animal. 

In nearly all cases of wildlife management the focus is on how to control the wildlife. Humans are very much a part of that conversation, although they are often in the background. By that, we mean that wildlife is often viewed from an anthropocentric model, or utilitarian model. As in, how can the wildlife help for hurt us? Therefore, how can we manipulate either wildlife(or habitats) to serve out needs.
I'm not arguing that this is a wrong position at all in this podcast. Perhaps in a future one. For now, I only want to touch on the aspect of changing the human element when managing wildlife. It's becoming increasingly common, particularly in wildlife control work, to manage wildlife you need to manage people. 
Also note, when we mention wildlife, habitat is often included as an obvious amendment. At least for this particular podcast episode. If everyone is finding it too random, let me know and we'll make an effort to clean things up and be more technical so we can paint a clearer picture or present our ideas better.