Bats

Bats can squeeze through cracks as narrow as half an inch wide. They can enter your house where boards are loose or have shrunk, through loose vents, eaves, and spaces around water pipes, electrical outlets, roofing, doors, and windows.

If bats are causing a problem or odor, it may be best to exclude them.  This is best accomplished when the bats are gone, either for the night or preferably in the winter after they have migrated.  It is also best to wait until the young are flying or you will entomb them.

Exclusion can be as simple as applying caulking and weather stripping.  Flashing or skirting is effective as well.  If you choose to exclude bats when they are present, use plastic netting or chicken wire to create a one-way valve - that lets bats out, but not back in.

Black Bears

Black bears will eat almost anything! Most conflicts between bears and people are linked to careless handling of food or garbage. Do not let your carelessness cause the unnecessary death of a bear.

Keep garbage out of reach and smell of bears. Use bear-proof trash containers, empty garbage cans regularly and periodically clean them with bleach and hot water to reduce residual odors. Do not put them out overnight on trash day. Store them in a closed garage or shed. Do not store food or feed pets outside. Clean BBQ grills of grease and store inside. Hang bird seed and hummingbird feeders on a wire between trees instead of on the deck or porch.

Take special precautions when recreating in bear country.

If you encounter a black bear, stay calm and alert. Back away slowly. If you see a cub(s), that's your cue to leave the area. The sow is not far away. Avoid direct eye contact as a bear may perceive this as a threat. Speak softly to reassure it that you mean no harm. Try not to show fear. Give it time to leave the area. If a bear stands upright or moves closer, it may be trying to detect smells in the air and identify you. This is not a sign of aggression. Once it identifies you, it may either leave or try to intimidate you by charging to within a few feet before it withdraws.

If a black bear attacks you, fight back. Black bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars or bare hands.

Coyotes

Coyotes are extremely adaptable and rapidly adjust to changing conditions. Their behavior varies depending upon the environment. In urban areas, they can lose their fear of people and may threaten domestic pets.

Keep garbage in tightly sealed containers. Empty garbage cans regularly and periodically clean them with bleach and hot water to reduce residual odors. Store them in a closed garage or shed. Do not leave pet food outside. 

Protect your pets and livestock. Coyotes will attack and kill cats and dogs. Keep pets on a leash when walking them. Do not allow pets to roam. Keep them in a fenced yard (at least 6 feet high) or an enclosed kennel. Do not allow dogs to run with coyotes; although it appears they are only playing, coyotes can turn on dogs to defend their territory. Contact the Colorado State University Extension Office for appropriate methods to protect livestock.

If you encounter a coyote, keep a safe distance and do not approach them. If a coyote approaches you or your pet, throw rocks or sticks at it and use a loud authoritative voice to frighten it away.

Geese

Geese are attracted to areas with open water and large expanses of grass, such as golf courses and parks. They are most noticeable during winter when migrating geese join year-round residents.

Do not feed geese. Feeding compounds the overpopulation problem and invites disease. Fence your yard and eliminate large expanses of lawn by planting shrubs and other visual barriers. Fencing will exclude flightless geese in spring. Remove old nests during fall and winter to prevent geese from returning in spring.

Noise-making tactics may discourage them from staying on your property.

Deer

Deer are a common resident in the area, sometimes in your neighborhood. Slow down and drive cautiously where you expect deer, especially at night. If you see one deer, chances are, at least one more may be nearby.

When deer appear in or around the city, leave them alone. In most situations, they will move to new areas. Deer and other large animals are often injured or killed when people try to capture them in developed areas. Fawns should be left alone. A doe will leave her fawns for hours at a time to find food, but she will return. Instruct children to leave fawns alone.

Where shrub and tree damage are a problem, commercial deer repellents or mixtures containing eggs have proven successful. These solutions should be reapplied after rain or snow. You can also place wire cylinders and fences around the plants. Contact the Colorado State University Extension Office for a list of plants that deer avoid.

Feeding deer is illegal in Colorado.

Mountain Lions

Generally, mountain lions are calm, quiet and elusive. They tend to live in remote, primitive country with plentiful deer and adequate cover. Lion-human encounters have increased, partially because of increased urban growth into their habitat. Most encounters are by young lions, not yet living in established areas.

Protect young children, pets and livestock. Closely supervise children when they play outdoors in lion country and make sure they are in before dusk. Tell them about lions and what to do if they should see one. Make a lot of noise when coming and going outside from dusk to dawn. Do not allow pets to roam and bring them in at night. If pets are left out at night, keep them in an enclosed kennel. Do not feed pets or leave their food outside. Place livestock in enclosed sheds or barns at night. Close doors to all outbuildings. Install outside lighting, especially where you walk. Eliminate hiding places, make it difficult for lions to approach unseen. Discourage deer and other prey from coming into your yard.

When you hike in mountain lion country, go in groups and make plenty of noise to reduce chances of surprising them. Carry a walking stick. Make sure children are within sight at all times. If you do encounter a lion, never approach it. Stay calm, talk firmly and back away slowly. Face the lion and stand upright, trying to make yourself appear larger by raising your arms and opening your jacket. Pick up small children so they do not panic. If the lion behaves aggressively, throw stones, branches or whatever you can reach without crouching down or turning your back. Wave your arms and try to convince the lion that you are not prey and may be a danger to it. If a lion attacks you, fight back with rocks, sticks or bare hands. Remain standing or if you do fall, try to get back up.

Prairie Dogs

New commercial and residential development often displaces prairie dogs, causing them to wander into areas that are inappropriate habitat.

If a prairie dog gets into a window well, it can usually be removed by propping a board in the window well to provide an avenue of escape. If that is unsuccessful, lift the animal with a fishing net or shovel, put it in a box and release it in a nearby prairie dog town. Use caution!

Relocation sites may be available for nuisance prairie dogs. However, in most cases, they are destroyed if they continue to be a problem. Contact a pest control company to learn about other appropriate control measures.

Raccoons

Screen chimneys and repair attic holes to prevent entry. Remove overhanging branches to cut off easy access. You can also place an 18-inch cylinder of sheet metal around the tree trunks at least 3 feet above the ground.

Make sure garbage and trash containers have tight-fitting lids and are clasped or tied to keep raccoons from tipping them over. Do not leave pet food outside. If you have a pet door, do not leave food out on the floor or counters at night.

Snakes

In Boulder County, nearly all snakes are not only harmless but beneficial because they eat insects and rodents. Occasional problems do occur with prairie rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes have elliptical pupils, distinctive heat-sensing pits on each side of their face, and rattles on their tail.

In rattlesnake areas, keep firewood in a covered box. Do not landscape with expanses of large rocks, especially in open sunny areas. Mow weeds and vegetation and remove rocks, boards and debris. Reduce the rodent population on your property to reduce a major food source for snakes.

If you encounter a rattlesnake, simply back off. The snake senses your presence by your body heat and movement. In Colorado, rattlesnakes can be legally killed if they pose a threat. All other snakes are legally protected.

If you are bitten, stay calm. Chances are the snake is not venomous, but if it was it is important to keep your circulation and pulse rate low. Send for help rather than walking, if possible. Keep the affected area below your heart. Washing bites with soap and water can help reduce the risk of infection. If you have a suction cup, use it to remove some of the venom. Using your mouth to suck out venom or cutting a bite can increase the risk of infection.

Skunks

Bury wire mesh 18 inches underground around house foundations or use concrete or sheet metal to seal likely access points. 

Skunks can sometimes be driven away by placing a nylon stocking full of mothballs or ammonia soaked towels under the house (attach a long string to remove it). Cover the ground where it enters with soft soil or flour. When you see tracks leaving the entrance, seal it with hardware cloth. If no more tracks appear near the inside of its entrance, permanently seal it. Use caution when children are present.

If you decide to trap a skunk, you must destroy the animal. State health laws do not permit relocation of skunks.

Squirrels

Do not feed squirrels. Place bird feeders on a tall pipe so squirrels cannot reach them. Screen attic vents on the inside with hardware cloth. Trim branches hanging over buildings. Place 18-inch metal cylinders on tree trunks.

If a squirrel is loose in the house, block off the room it is in, provide one way out, and watch until you see the squirrel leave. If you discover a squirrel in a fireplace, close the damper immediately. Then, open the doors or screen slightly and use a hand-held fishing net to capture the squirrel. Cover the net opening with a board and take the animal outside for release. If a squirrel is in a stove fan, disassemble the fan, and, as you remove it, hold a fishing net under the hole. Then follow the previous procedure for taking the animal outside.

Woodpeckers

The common flicker is the most abundant woodpecker species in Boulder County. It often drums on wood siding, eaves and shingles to mark their territory and attract a mate. They also drill holes for nesting and roosting. They are protected by law.

Provide an alternative drumming site. Nail two boards together at just one end to produce resonation and hang on a secure surface. Place lightweight plastic mesh netting at least 3 inches from affected wood areas. Nail plywood over excavated areas. Hang aluminum foil strips, colored plastic streamers, hawk silhouettes or mirrors near the affected wood. Treat wood with sticky or tacky repellent (these may stain siding). Eliminate any ledges or cracks on which the woodpecker is able to stand while drumming.

Noise-making tactics, such as clapping your hands, can prevent them from further drilling or drumming.

Wandering Pets

Keep pets under control! Wandering pets are a two-fold problem for wildlife. When left to roam, dogs can form packs and harass or kill wildlife. This is especially true in mountain and foothill subdivisions. A pack of dogs, well fed or not, often kill or mutilate deer and domestic livestock. In Colorado, law enforcement officers can destroy dogs seen chasing wildlife and fine the pet owners. Likewise, roaming cats prey on small ground-dwelling wildlife and birds. Keep cats under control, especially during the spring bird-nesting season.

Dogs and cats left unattended, even in a fenced yard, serve as potential food for coyotes and mountain lions. To prevent an attack, keep your pet in a covered kennel or inside your home. The presence of free-roaming pets can cause predators to remain in areas where they may not be welcome.

taken in part from: Colorado Division of Wildlife