OPOSSUMS

Opossums are opportunistic omnivores with a very broad range of diet. Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet and reproductive strategy make them successful colonizers and survivors in unsettled times. Perhaps this is why their range has been expanding rapidly into North America.

Identification
An opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is a whitish or grayish mammal about the size of a house cat. Underfur is dense with sparse guard hairs. Its face is long and pointed, its ears rounded and hairless. Maximum length is 40 inches (102 cm); the ratlike tail is slightly less than half the total length. The tail may be unusually short in northern opossums due to loss by frostbite. Opossums may weigh as much as 14 pounds (6.3 kg); males average 6 to 7 pounds (2.7 to 3.2 kg) and females average 4 pounds (6.3 kg). The skull is usually 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long and contains 50 teeth — more than are found in any other North American mammal. Canine teeth (fangs) are prominent. Tracks of both front and hind feet look as if they were made by little hands with widely spread fingers. They may be distinguished from raccoon tracks, in which hind prints appear to be made by little feet. The hind foot of an opossum looks like a distorted hand.

Range
Opossums are found in eastern, central, and west coast states. Since 1900 they have expanded their range northward in the eastern United States. They are absent from the Rockies, most western plains states, and parts of the northern United States.

Habitat
Habitats are diverse, ranging from arid to moist, wooded to open fields. Opossums prefer environments near streams or swamps. They take shelter in burrows of other animals, tree cavities, brush piles, and other cover. They sometimes den in attics and garages where they may make a messy nest.

Food Habits
Foods preferred by opossums are animal matter, mainly insects or carrion. Opossums also eat considerable amounts of vegetable matter, especially fruits and grains. Opossums living near people may visit compost piles, garbage cans, or food dishes intended for dogs, cats, and other pets.

General Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Opossums usually live alone, having a home range of 10 to 50 acres (4 to 20 ha). Young appear to roam randomly until they find a suitable home range. Usually they are active only at night. The mating season is January to July in warmer parts of the range but may start a month later and end a month earlier in northern areas. Opossums may raise 2, rarely 3, litters per year. The opossum is the only marsupial in North America. Like other marsupials, the blind, helpless young develop in a pouch. They are born 13 days after mating. The young, only 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) long, find their way into the female’s pouch where they each attach to one of 13 teats. An average of 7 young are born. They remain in the pouch for 7 to 8 weeks. The young remain with the mother another 6 to 7 weeks until weaned. Most young die during their first year. Those surviving until spring will breed in that first year. The maximum age in the wild is about 7 years.

Rats
Rats are members of the rodent family and are usually larger than mice. Their bodies will be between six and ten inches long, depending on the type of rat. In extreme cases, a rat may weigh up to a pound. Rats are even found as Pets! Rats are amazing climbers and their colors range anywhere from brown to black to white. Rats have poor vision and are color-blind, and they will often move their heads from side to side to add “motion” so they can see better. But rats’ other senses, especially their hearing, are keen. Norway rats, pack rats and roof rats are some of the most common rat pests in the United States. Another common rat in the U.S. are dead rats, which we remove.

RACCOONS

The Common Raccoon is a mammal native to the Americas. Its name derives from the Algonquian word aroughcoune, "he who scratches with his hands". Raccoons are intelligent omnivores with a reputation for slyness and mischief.

Identification
The raccoon (Procyon lotor), also called “coon,” is a stocky mammal about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) long, weighing 10 to 30 pounds (4.5 to 13.5 kg) (rarely 40 to 50 pounds [18 to 22.5 kg]). It is distinctively marked, with a prominent black “mask” over the eyes and a heavily furred, ringed tail. The animal is a grizzled salt-and-pepper gray and black above, although some individuals are strongly washed with yellow. Raccoons from the prairie areas of the western Great Plains are paler in color than those from eastern portions of the region.

Range
The raccoon is found throughout the United States, with the exception of the higher elevations of mountainous regions and some areas of the arid Southwest. Raccoons are more common in the wooded eastern portions of the United States than in the more arid western plains.

Habitat
Raccoons prefer hardwood forest areas near water. Although commonly found in association with water and trees, raccoons occur in many areas of the western United States around farmsteads and livestock watering areas, far from naturally occurring bodies of permanent water. Raccoons den in hollow trees, ground burrows, brush piles, muskrat houses, barns and abandoned buildings, dense clumps of cattail, haystacks, or rock crevices.

General Biology, Reproduction, and Behavior
Raccoons are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal foods. Plant foods include all types of fruits, berries, nuts, acorns, corn, and other types of grain. Animal foods are crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snails, insects, turtles and their eggs, mice, rabbits, muskrats, and the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds and waterfowl. Contrary to popular myth, raccoons do not always wash their food before eating, although they frequently play with their food in water.

Raccoons breed mainly in February or March, but matings may occur from December through June, depending on latitude. The gestation period is about 63 days. Most litters are born in April or May but some late-breeding females may not give birth until June, July, or August. Only 1 litter of young is raised per year. Average litter size is 3 to 5. The young first open their eyes at about 3 weeks of age. Young raccoons are weaned sometime between 2 and 4 months of age.

Raccoons are nocturnal. Adult males occupy areas of about 3 to 20 square miles (8 to 52 km2), compared to about 1 to 6 square miles (3 to 16 km2) for females. Adult males tend to be territorial and their ranges overlap very little. Raccoons do not truly hibernate, but they do “hole up” in dens and become inactive during severe winter weather. In the southern United States they may be inactive for only a day or two at a time, whereas in the north this period of inactivity may extend for weeks or months. In northern areas, raccoons may lose up to half their fall body weight during winter as they utilize stored body fat.





Skunks

There are four different kinds of skunks found in the United States.  The spotted and striped skunks are the most widely distributed and therefore more likely to come into contact with people.  The hooded and hog-nosed skunks are rarer and found mostly in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.  The spotted skunk prefers the country and spends most of its life near farms.  The striped skunk is more adaptable and lives in a variety of habitats.

Skunks are placid, retiring and non-aggressive.  They try very hard not to get in harm’s way.  They have a home range of a few hundred acres at most.  They are primarily nocturnal and usually solitary – except when mothers are raising their babies.  They are active throughout the year, but in northern areas, they spend the coldest parts of the winter in their dens.

Skunks eat mostly insects, many of which are pests to humans.   They are therefore very beneficial to have around.  They also eat some plant material, including wild fruits, apples and corn.  In winter and spring they may eat mice and the eggs of ground-nesting birds.

Breeding usually occurs in late winter or early spring and gestation averages about 60-75 days, so babies are usually born in May or June.   Second litters and late births do occur.  After mating, a female can store the male’s sperm and delay initiating pregnancy for some weeks.  Litters range from 3 to as many as 10 young who remain in the nest for about two months, after which they begin to follow their mom as she forages.

All skunks seem able to dig their own burrows but will also use abandoned dens of other animals, hollow logs, wood or rock piles, under buildings, stone walls, hay or brush piles and trees or stumps.

The skunk’s main defense is a complex chemical substance that includes sulfuric acid that can be fired from either one of two independently targetable anal glands.  Because of this ability, skunks will stand and face a threat rather than run away.  This works well with people and animals but is useless against cars. As a result, many skunks die on roadways -- to the point of being wiped out entirely from areas with a lot of traffic.

Skunks can carry rabies, but it is important to remember that not every skunk is rabid.  Only if an adult skunk seen in the daytime is showing abnormal behaviors such as paralysis, unprovoked aggression, moving in circles, self-mutilation should you call your local animal control officer or police department.

Problems and Solutions

Occasional skunk sightings in a neighborhood doesn’t necessarily mean there is a problem.  Measures can be taken to discourage skunks from sticking around.  These include removing garbage and pet food left out at night and eliminating convenient denning sites such as wood and rock piles, elevated sheds, openings under concrete slabs and porches and access to crawl spaces under houses.

Skunks are usually announced more from smell than sight.   Musk odor might linger for days where a skunk has sprayed.  Persistent, faint musk smells associated with a 4-6 inch diameter hole under a building or woodpile indicates that a skunk may have taken up residence.  If you discover a den that you suspect might belong to a skunk, first check to see if the occupancy is current.   This may be done by loosely filling the hole (or holes) with soil, leaves or material such as straw.  If a skunk is present, it will easily push its way out that night and reopen the hole.  If the plug remains undisturbed for two or three nights (and it is not winter), it is safe to assume that the hole is unoccupied and can be permanently closed.  If a skunk, or any other animal, is present, either harassment or eviction using a one-way door system is recommended.

Harassment - When it is safe to displace skunks, mild harassment can be very effective.  First try repacking the hole the skunk is using with leaves or other material to see if it will get the message and move elsewhere.  If this fails, place ammonia-soaked rags near or inside the burrow to one side so that the skunk has to pass them to get in and out.  Make sure the skunk is not close by before taking either of these measures.

Eviction – A skunk may be evicted from an active den by installing a one-way door over the entrance to allow it to leave but prevent reentry.  These doors are available commercially through A.C.M.E

Bees

A.C.M.E.'s Team are professionals when it comes to identifying the problem, removing the bees, and removing bee hives. Bee Control is just one of the many things that we do. With rising concerns of the Africanized bee (killer bee) more people are now looking to control their bee problems rather than avoiding them. Unlike other pest control companies who only kill the bees but don't fully solve the problem; We find the hive, remove the bees, remove the hive and prevent future infestations of the area. That is true bee control!

Unlike the European honey bee, the Africanized bee can be easily aggravated. The killer bee has been on a journey from South America to North America since 1957. The first reported case in the USA was in 1990 by 1994 they reached California, and moving at a rate of 200 miles per year you would think they would have overwhelmed the continent by now. Their expansion rate has been drastically reduced thanks to professional bee control companies who have crews specializing in bee control

Having their work interrupted or their flight path blocked by a hysterical human flailing away like a windmill is not their idea of a good time, and may frighten or irritate them into stinging whoever is doing the flailing.

Identify your enemy

European bees for the most part are not a threat unless aggravated. Aggravation will occur if they feel their hive is in danger. Swatting at flying bees is not recommended since all you will accomplish is to aggravate them. Unlike the European honey bee, the Africanized bee does not need an excuse to attack. They protect their hive and queen at a larger radius. Again unlike the European honey bee, the Africanized bee may pursue intruders for up to a mile and remain aggravated for up to 24 hours

The most common stinging bee in California is the honey bee, introduced into this country from Europe in the 17th century. Its stinger, which resembles a hypodermic needle with barbs, is used to inject a mixture of alkali venom and acid into the skin. The alkali venom contains several kinds of proteins and enzymes which are believed to cause allergic reactions of varying degrees in humans. Sting reactions, which may increase with succeeding stings, include:

• A choking sensation or difficulty in breathing.
• A skin rash similar to hives (human hives, not bee hives).
• A dry cough, sneezing or asthma.
• Lips turning blue.
• A rapid pulse and a drop in blood pressure.

More severe reactions may include cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, shock or loss of consciousness. Symptoms usually appear within a few minutes after a sting, but could be delayed up to 24 hours. Stings near the eyes, nose and throat are the most dangerous. For severe reactions, medical assistance should be sought immediately.

When stung by a bee, the stinger should be removed as quickly as possible, but removing it improperly will make the sting worse, The proper way is to scrape the stinger out with a clean fingernail or knife. Pulling or squeezing the stinger will only pump more venom into the wound, as the bee parts containing the venom are left attached to the stinger after the bee tears itself free.

The sting area should be cleaned with soap and water, or with an antiseptic. For people known to have severe reactions who are stung on the arms or legs, a tourniquet may be applied between the wound and the heart to prevent the rapid spread of venom. The tourniquet should be released every three to five minutes until medical help is available.

In the past few years, a small number of Africanized "killer bees" have been found in the southern San Joaquin Valley, having migrated from Brazil. Because of cross-breeding in South America, they are now known as Brazilian honey bees.

Killer bees are dangerous despite the new name, They will attack anything moving within 100 yards of their nest without provocation, and will chase a running target much farther than less excitable varieties of bees.

In appearance, killer bees resemble any other honey bee. It's their attitude that sets them apart. They are now a problem in California.

Bees are affected by the type of clothing people wear. for some reason, rough and dark clothing of wool or leather irritats them, which is why professional bee keepers wear light colored, smooth textured clothes when tending their hives. Some perfumes also aggravate bees, which will attack a moving target faster than they will an immobile one. Running or swatting at them only increases the chances of a sting.

So when a bee draws near, try to relax. It will probably lose interest in you once it finds out you are not a gladiola -- or an enemy.