Animal Pest Management Around Homes
in
Nevada
Non-poisonous snakes are harmless
and should be left alone. They are
beneficial to the environment.
Many Snakes Control Pests
Gardeners want to control diseases, insects and get rid of persistent weeds. Pesticides are often
recommended. However, their over use or misuse may be harmful to the user, the user’s neighbors
and the environment including beneficial organisms–honey bees, fish, endangered species and insect
predators. It is best to adopt an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy that uses a combination
of cultural, mechanical, physical and chemical techniques to manage pests. Integrated Vertebrate Pest
Management (IVPM) is similar to IPM. Vertebrate pests occupy an area because the habitat meets
their needs for shelter, protection from predators, food and water. Much of what is done as IVPM
modifies these needs and excludes the pest from the property or buildings. Vertebrate pests are trapped
to be relocated or killed. Habitat modifications and trapping may or may not be difficult. Predators
may be used in some cases to reduce pest numbers; however, this rarely eliminates the pest. Repellents
are available, but most are ineffective.
Use integrated methods to control vertebrate pests, see the following table. Contact your local
Cooperative Extension or Nevada Department of Agriculture offices for additional information if a
pest persists after these techniques have been tried. The back cover lists phone numbers and addresses.
Control of some vertebrate pests (lions, bears, dogs, cats, etc.) is best left to a professional. Contact
Animal Control in your county, USDA Wildlife Services or Nevada Division of Wildlife for assistance.
Bats play an important ecological role
by eating flying insects–including mosquitoes.
Encourage their presence; build a bat house in
your yard. Bats do best near ponds and
streams. Rabies from bat bites occurs only
rarely.
Bats are not pests!
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Nevada Department of Agriculture Cooperating
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Animal
Pest
Pest
Deer/Elk
Bighorn Sheep
Control
Cultural Control
Plant deer resistant plants or “lure” crops;
harvest large blocks of timber 100-200 acres,
to provide forage away from home and crops
House/Deer Mice Sanitize counters; put food in rodent proof
Rats/Norway Rats containers; reduce food, water, and shelter;
control weeds and remove debris from around
buildings
Biological Control
Mountain lions and wolves; do not kill (check the
law before doing anything to wild animals)
Cats–limited effectiveness
Bears
Reduce cover around buildings; thin woods
and forests near structures; never leave food or
garbage available for bears, this attracts them
Ask Nevada Division of Wildlife biologists to
trap and relocate
Raccoons
Same as for bears; reduce food around
buildings
Dogs–limited effectiveness
Moles
Reduce soil moisture or compact soil to deter
digging; reduce population of soil insects,
nightcrawlers and earthworms; use milky spore
or pesticides to kill grubs
Dogs, cats–limited effectiveness
Pocket Gophers
Flood irrigation
Dogs, cats–limited effectiveness
Voles
Reduce cover by tilling, mowing or thinning
vegetation and remove excess mulch to expose
to predators
Dogs, cats, raptors may help reduce the
population
Ground Squirrels
Remove cover, trash, etc. around buildings;
seal repeated burrow; retreat new burrows;
deep tillage burrows (repeat as needed);
remove vegetation and wood piles
Dogs, cats, hawks, eagles, other raptors, rattle
snakes, gopher snakes, and coyotes
2
Animal
Physical Control
Pest
Control
Chemical Control
Erect wire/electrical deer fencing; fence off gardens, farm fields,
orchards and nurseries
Repellents: sulfurous are best, they work up to 4 weeks, hot/
spicy ones work okay; propane guns frighten animals for 2-4
weeks then they get use to them
Mouse/rat traps and glue boards; concrete, mortar, galvanized
sheeting, heavy gauge hardwire cloth or caulk to close off entry
holes larger then ½ inch for rats and ¼ inch for mice
Anticoagulant or other toxic bait
Bear-proof trash containers; fencing; notify Nevada Division of
Wildlife (trap and relocate); DON’T FEED BEARS!
None
Raccoon-proof trash containers with secure lids; electric fencing;
exclude from chimneys, crawl spaces, etc.; traps, USDA Wildlife
Services may provide traps
None
Mole traps; flooding; exclude from small areas with wire baskets
for bulbs, etc.
Use soil insecticides to reduce food supply (moles don’t eat
plants)
Gopher traps; place trap in burrow; wire cylinders to protect plants
Baits with strychnine; zinc; aluminum phosphide; and anticoagulants or use gas cartridges and fumigants; apply toxic baits
by hand or with mechanical applicator
Wire mesh cylinders around plants; snap traps - about a dozen for a
small area
Zinc phosphide (restricted use pesticide, contact Nevada
Department of Agriculture); anticoagulant baits; gas cartridge
“smoke bombs,” and sulfurous or capsaicin compounds
painted on trunks may prevent damage (not tested on voles)
Exclude from buildings using ¼ inch mesh hardwire cloth, caulking; sheet metal cylinders around trunks of trees and bird feeders;
shooting okay; trap and relocate or euthanize; kill trap
Zinc phosphide (restricted use pesticide, contact Nevada
Department of Agriculture); anticoagulant baits; fumigants; gas
cartridge
3
Animal
Pest
Control
Pest
Cultural Control
Biological Control
Chipmunks
Store food products in rodent-proof
containers; keep ground covered; shrubs, and
woodpiles away from foundations
Dogs, cats, raptors
Douglas/Western
Grey Squirrels
Plant trees away from buildings; remove
branches near buildings to reduce access to
roof
Dogs, cats, raptors
Wood Rats
Close openings larger than ½”
Wild predators and raptors
Feral Cats
Seal buildings; don’t leave dog/cat food out
Large dogs, wild predators
Woodpeckers
Sapsuckers
Use metal barriers. Some will nest in a large
nesting box (6” X 6” X 22–26”) with a thick
layer of sawdust in the box. Let them use it
and then trap them in it
None
Pigeons
Plant more large growing trees (pigeons like
open areas); eliminate roosting spots
Frightening devices (not good in cities);
encourage falcons to nest; cats with access to
nests and roosts
Ducks &
Geese
Shooting and destroying nesting sites
Large barking dog
Swallows
None
Cats
4
Animal
Physical Control
Pest
Control
Chemical Control
See Ground Squirrels
Moth flakes or balls may be effective in liberal amounts;
fumigants–test repellents on or near vegetables, bulbs and
seeds
See Ground Squirrels
None
See Ground Squirrels
Zinc phosphide (restricted use pesticide, contact Nevada
Department of Agriculture)
Trap, and then take to the Humane Society for euthanasia
None
Metal sheathing/netting to protect/exclude from eaves, etc.;
visual/sound–model hawk/owl, plastic snakes, windmills; loud
noises–CO2 gun; rat snap trap with nut meat bait, note: permit
required from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Repellants–taste and smell (most are ineffective after a week)
Exclusion screening at 45 degree angle for ledges; sharp bailing
wire-porcupine, catclaw, ecopic; electric shock devices
Repellents; tactile (sticky substances); Hot-footTM, Tangle
footTM, Resist No MoreTM
Keep pools and fish ponds out of sight; cover or use fishing lines or
netting to prevent landing in pool/pond; move and relocate
Methyl anthranilate may reduce depredation to turf
Exclude with netting; slick surfaces (metal sheeting) discourages
nesting; nest removal-check with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
regarding permit requirements
None
5
Animal
Pest
Control
Pest
Cultural Control
Biological Control
Coyotes
Herding of livestock; remove carrion
Guard dogs; donkeys and llamas can protect
sheep
Mountain Lions
Remove brush and timber near home or farm
Annual harvest of mountain lions–call Nevada
Division of Wildlife for information
Rabbits
Remove brush, debris, woodpiles and dump
that provide cover
Dogs
Snakes/
Rattlesnakes
Remove habitat near home and building;
remove piles of brush or wood; control rodents
None
Wild Horses/
Burros
Don’t feed or encourage
None
Stray Dogs
None
Guard dog
Skunks
Eliminate food sources, contain dog and cat
food and garbage in closed containers
None
Bats
Provide artificial roosts outside structures
Bats play an important role in insect control; DO
NOT KILL!
6
Animal
Physical Control
Pest
Control
Chemical Control
Fencing (Netaire); keep livestock in safe pens at night; electric
fencing; keep small pets in at night
None
Heavy woven wire or electric fences; trapping; night lights; blaring
music; USDA Wildlife Services trappers may be available
None
Fence around shrubs, small trees and gardens; 1” mesh hardware
cloth 42” above ground and 6” below
Some repellents; jack rabbits - ammonium soaps; capsaicin,
tobacco dust, sulfurous compounds may be effective
Seal all openings ¼” or larger with mortar, foam insulation; 1/8"
hard cloth; sheet metal or steel wool; snake-proof fence can be
used; trap with a drift fence and funnel trap (outside); sticky or glue
boards and release away from property
Non-poisonous snakes are harmless and should be left alone;
repellents are available–one is registered for rattlesnakes and
garter snakes only–effectiveness is unknown
Fence off areas
None
Spotlights at night; fence off areas
Poisoning dogs is against the law!
Exclude from buildings with hardwire cloth over openings; live
trap and relocate or kill; keep eatables in skunk-proof containers
None
Polypropylene netting, check valves (cones) to allow bats out;
sealing all openings after bats are removed; initiate only before bats
are born or after they are able to fly; forced air drafts/
ventilation and ultrasonic noises are not effective
Repellents and naphthalene have limited or no effect
7
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Wendover
Winnemucca
Lovelock
Battle Mountain
Reno
Eureka
Incline Village
Carson City
Yerington
Minden
Hawthorne
Tonopah
• Elko
Logandale
1897 Moapa Valley Blvd.
P.O. Box 126, 89021-0126
(702) 397-2604
Caliente
360 Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 68, 89008-0068
(775) 726-3109
Lovelock
810 6th St.
P.O. Box 239, 89419-0239
(775) 273-2932
Carson City
2621 Northgate Ln., Suite 15
89706-1651
(775) 887-2252
Minden/Gardnerville
1329 Waterloo Ln., Gardnerville
P.O. Box 338, Minden , 89423-0338
(775) 782-9960
Elko
1500 College Pkwy., 89801-3347
(775) 738-7291
Pahrump
1651 E. Calvada Blvd.
P.O. Box 1090, 89041
(775) 727-5532
Elko
Fallon
Nevada
Department
of Agriculture
Battle Mountain
815 N Second St., 89820-2334
(775) 635-5565
Ely
Caliente
Logandale
Pahrump
Las V
egas
Vegas
1351 Elm, 89801-3364
(775) 738-8076
• Las Vegas
2300 McLeod, 89104-4314
(702) 486-4690
• Reno
350 Capitol Hill Av, 89502-2923 Authors:
(775) 688-1180
• Winnemucca
1200 E. Winnemucca, 89445-2999
(775) 623-6502
Ely
995 Campton St., 89301-0210
(775) 289-4459
Eureka
701 S. Main St.
P.O. Box 613, 89316-0613
(775) 237-5326
Fallon
111 Sheckler Rd., 89406-8951
(775) 423-5121
Reno
5305 Mill St.
P.O. Box 11130, 89520-0027
(775) 784-4848
Tonopah
#1 Frankee St.
P.O. Box 231, 89049-0231
(775) 482-6794
Hawthorne
(775) 945-3444
Wendover
154 Wendover Blvd.
P.O. Box 2409, 89883
(775) 664-4359
Incline Village
865 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 110
P.O. Box 8208, 89452-8208
(775) 832-4150
Winnemucca
1085 Fairgrounds Rd.
Fairgrounds, 89445-2927
(775) 623-6304
Las Vegas
2345 Red Rock St. Ste. 100
89146-3160
(702) 222-3130
Yerington
504 S. Main St.
P.O. Box 811, 89447-0811
(775) 463-6541
John O’Brien, Vertebrate Specialist, NDOA
Wayne S Johnson, Ph.D., IPM Specialist, UNCE
Richard L. Post, Western Area Director & Horticulture Specialist, UNCE
M.L. Robinson, Horticulturist, Southern Area, UNCE
William Carlos, Horticulturist, Washoe County, UNCE
Technical Assistance: Brian Davis and Erin Post
Integrated Pest Management
Effective in the home garden and landscape. It takes time and effort to develop your own program, but in the
long term it will mean healthier plants, safer pest control for you and your animals, and a better environment.
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