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Make Halloween Safe Again

Halloween spending has skyrocketed in recent years. The National Retail Federation has stated that “Americans are expected to spend $2.7 billion on Halloween decorations this year”.

In turn, wildlife organizations say they have also seen an increase in animal visits to local rehabilitation centers for injuries related to outdoor holiday decorations.

Halloween any other holiday in which homeowners decorate the exteriors of their houses is particularly dangerous for wildlife populations. Anything that hangs, flutters, or loops can be potential hazards. Increased human activity and scattered candy wrappers during Halloween can also put animals at risk.

We want to share some easy ways you can help make sure this Halloween isn’t a scary one for wildlife!

Keeping Wildlife Safe on Halloween

  • Limit the use of fake spiderweb or other decorations made of entangling fibers. Wild animals can easily become unable to break the material to free themselves.
  • Avoid decorations with loops and circles. A foraging animal can unknowingly put its head through a loop or circle and choke.
  • Avoid decorations with edible-looking parts.
  • Don’t leave candy where wildlife may find it, always being sure to dispose of candy wrappers.
  • Carved pumpkins may also be attractive to wildlife as food, so properly dispose of them to avoid unwanted, post-holiday trick-or-treaters.
  • Be on the look for nocturnal wildlife while out trick-or-treating. Avoid cutting through lawns and brushy areas to avoid accidental encounters.
  • Drivers on Halloween night know to be alert for children; however, we encourage you to keep an eye out for wildlife that may be scared out by all the increased nighttime activity.
  • Strings of lights can become snare traps for adult male deer who get them caught in their antlers. As a result, avoid hanging lights or decorations in areas where deer pass.

 

Wildlife is not the only at-risk critters this Halloween. It is important to be mindful of household pets, too!

Tips for Keeping Household Pets Safe on Halloween

Stash your treats.

The candy bowl is for trick-or-treaters, not the household dog. Several popular Halloween treats are highly toxic to pets. Chocolate in any form—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for cats and dogs; candies labeled ‘sugar-free’ contain the sugar substitute xylitol which can cause serious problems in animals. 

Watch decorations and keep wires out of reach.

While a jack-o-lantern is certainly festive, pets can easily knock over a lit pumpkin and start a fire. That being said, curious kittens are especially at risk of getting hurt by candle flames. Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins and corn are relatively nontoxic but have the ability to produce stomach discomfort in pets who snack on them.

Be mindful of costumes.

For some pets wearing a costume can become stressful. If you do decide to dress up your pet, be sure the costume does not limit his or her sight, ability to breathe, move, bark, or meow. Check the costume carefully for easily chewed-off pieces that could become a choking hazard. Poorly fitting outfits can become twisted on external objects and result in injury.

Be sure to try on the costume before the event; however, if they seem distressed or show abnormal behaviors, consider foregoing.

Keep pets easily identifiable.

Halloween brings exciting activity with visitors arriving at the door; overstimulation and strangers can often become scary and stressful for pets. Even the most social animals should be kept away from the door during trick-or-treating hours. While opening the door, be sure that your pet doesn’t dart out. Always make sure your pet is wearing proper identification!

 

The main goal of Halloween along with any other holiday you decorate for is to have fun. It is important, however, to always be mindful of how we affect those around us— animals too!

“Halloween Home Decor Can Hurt Wildlife, Officials Warn.” WDRB, 17 Oct. 2019, www.wdrb.com/news/national/halloween-home-decor-can-hurt-wildlife-officials-warn/article_fd700df2-f100-11e9-8162-47f987f12c4e.html.

Oh Deer

History

White-tailed deer were all but extinct in the eastern United States at the end of the 19th century; their population reduced to remnant herds in isolated redoubts.

What caused their numbers to plummet? Firstly, the arrival of European fur traders created a demand for hides. Then, colonists and commercial hunters poured in and began a slaughter spanning three hundred years. Ernest Thompson Seton, a naturalist, estimated that by 1890 we had reduced the pre-Columbian population of around 30 million to roughly 350,000.

But, conservationists brought them back. It took decades.

Aftermath

The events that transpired in the late 20th century was unnatural. Whitetail populations skyrocketed, especially in areas of suburban and exurban sprawl, which were primarily off-limits to hunters and almost entirely devoid of natural predators. For whitetails, this habitat proved to be better than an unpopulated forest.

Today, with a restored whitetail population of 25 million to 40 million, foresters have begun to complain that high concentrations inhibit the growth of new trees. The animals feed on seedlings and other young vegetation and browse as high as they can reach, even standing on their hind legs. In some areas throughout the US, deer have become de facto forest managers, determining what eastern woodlands will look like 50 or 100 years from now.

Modern-Day

Hunters, long shunned, are now being welcomed with open arms into some communities to trim deer hoards. Sometimes local governments hire professional sharpshooters to protect woods, parks, and neighborhoods; predictably, these moves have caused controversy.

One also thinks of the emotional distress suffered by the 4,000 drivers in the United States who hit deer yearly should be kept in mind.

Let’s take a look at the ecology.

“The Science of Overabundance,” a book published by the Smithsonian over 15 years ago, asserted that even then, many areas were too dense with whitetails. The book, written by 42 wildlife biologists, defined overabundance as “when deer threaten human life or livelihood, when they depress densities of favored species, they are too numerous for their excellence when they cause ecosystem dysfunction.”

How to Control

Their habitats vary widely, of course, but a good rule of thumb is that once the population exceeds 20 deer per square mile, they begin to diminish the vegetation on which they feed.

Humans, along with mountain lions and wolves, have been whitetail’s primary predators since the end of the most recent Ice Age. Evidence suggests that humans have killed more deer than every other predator combined. In the past few decades, however, towns, townships, and in some cases, entire counties have outlawed the discharging of firearms. (Hunters do kill around 100 people each year, mainly one another, in cases of trigger happy confusion. Statistically, deer kill more than twice that number in deer-on-vehicle collisions).

The result has been that for the first time in over 11,000 years, vast swaths of habitat in the heart of the white-tailed deer’s range are off-limits to their primary predator. Though coyotes as well as vehicles unavoidably kill deer, it’s not enough to keep populations at bay in many of these areas. This is why hunting seasons are imperative in states including Michigan.

Our Services

You may be thinking, what does deer hunting have anything to do with pest control? Well, without proper population control, herds take to large open areas such as golf courses, airports, and other outdoor spaces. Airports, for example, will have issues with deer if they do not have fencing that is 12 ft or higher. Anything less than will allow them to jump over and become a hazard for aircraft. Deer prefer to stay within a particular area and will rarely venture off to join a new herd; if they do, it is typical of the other herd not to accept the animal.  Their herds can include up to 25 members! This is why management and population control is so important.

Hogarth Pest Control & Wildlife Removal has been trained and certified to shoot in sensitive environments and can remove overpopulated deer to provide a safer environment for the client.

McShea, William J., et al. The Science of Overabundance: Deer Ecology and Population Management. Smithsonian Institution, 2003.