Nuisance Wildlife

As a rule, we do not handle or trap nuisance wildlife unless it is a situation where there is an immediate threat to public safety, such as a rabid animal. The information provided below is given with the intention to help the home/property owner who is dealing with a nuisance wildlife problem. If you have questions about nuisance wildlife not answered below, please call our office at 225-336-2428. 

Don't Attract Wildlife

Many times home/property owners are attracting wildlife because of certain practices that could be changed. Below are some examples of things you can do to avoid attracting wildlife to your residence.

• Do not feed pets outside. If you do, be sure to put away whatever food they do not consume. Leaving pet food outside is a sure way to attract all kinds of wildlife critters.
• Stow trash in containers with lids. Storing trash in an exposed manner will attract wildlife and domesticated pets as well.
• Don't let your residence become a wildlife shelter. Nuisance wildlife critters are usually looking for two things around your home; food and shelter. Make sure your home's soffit or eaves do not have any openings for wildlife to enter. Make sure attic vents or fans have screens in place. If you have a pier and beam foundation or mobile home, consider putting skirting in place to avoid allowing wildlife to access the crawl space under your house where they can cause major damage.
• Seal all openings around utility (water, gas, electric) entrance points, seal openings around window AC units, and make sure window and door screens are free of holes to avoid rats, mice, and snakes. Inside of the home, do not allow food to sit out and use containers to store food in your pantry.         

Use a Wildlife Repellent

Using a wildlife repellent can sometimes be effective in discouraging nuisance critters from hanging out around your home. Mothballs have a limited effect on most nuisance wildlife and have an unpleasant smell. There are many animal repellent products available at your local hardware or home improvement store that would be a better option. Snake-A-Way, Critter Ridder, and Repels-All would be just a few examples.     

Trap and Release

You can purchase nuisance wildlife traps from many home improvement or hardware stores. As a property owner, you may trap nuisance wildlife that is causing property damage. There are multiple state laws that must be adhered to when trapping and releasing nuisance wildlife. LDAF Title 76 part V section 125 governs the trapping of nuisance wildlife, you can view that section in its entirety here. For more information on these laws and how to trap nuisance wildlife, you can follow this link to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries website.

Shooting Outlaw Wildlife

In Louisiana, wild hogs, armadillos, and coyotes are considered to be outlaw wildlife. Property owners may shoot (LDAF Title 76 Page 58 Part V section 125) these animals year-round during legal shooting hours if they are causing damage to property. Nuisance species that may be shot if causing property damage include nutria, beaver, skunks, and opossums. Additional requirements apply and a permit is needed if shooting at night. There are multiple state regulations that must be adhered to when shooting nuisance or outlaw wildlife, to view those regulations, and for more information on outlaw wildlife, you can follow this link to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries website.  

Bears

As the Louisiana Black Bear population increases, interactions between bears and humans becomes more frequent. You should never attempt to approach or feed a bear. As with other wildlife, properly secure your garbage and do not allow uneaten pet food to linger on the ground as an attractant. To report problems with bears in WBR Parish contact the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries at 1-337-735-8667. You can also access LDWF's web page on bears here.  

Alligators

To report a situation with an alligator under 5ft you can call our office at 225-336-2428. We do not handle alligators over 5ft, you can call LA Wildlife & Fisheries at 225-765-2800 to report a problem with an alligator over 5ft.

Honey Bees, Wasp, and Hornets

We do not handle honey bee, wasp, or hornet removal. There are a host of pesticide products available at your local hardware or home improvement store to kill unwanted bees, wasp, and hornets. For large problems, the LSU Ag Center has a list of operators who specialize in swarm and hive removal in the Baton Rouge area. You can see that list by clicking here. 

Injured Wildlife/Wildlife Rehabilitators

Some species (such as amphibians, birds, minks, nutrias, opossums, otters, rabbits, reptiles, and squirrels) of injured wildlife can be brought to the LSU Small Animal Clinic during normal business hours (8 am to 5 pm.). They will also accept animals during emergency hours (5 pm - 10 pm) and on the weekends anytime before 10 pm. You can contact them at 225-578-9600.    

Hire a Nuisance Wildlife Contractor

There are a host of private pest contractors that specialize in removing unwanted wildlife. A quick Google search will show all of the wildlife operators in your area. For your convenience, there are several listed below. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries also keeps a handy list of nuisance wildlife operators that is searchable by area, you can go to that website here.