All Different Types of Squirrels

Indigenous to continents besides Antarctica, the squirrel is a common animal in most of the world, known for their quick, acrobatic capabilities. Usually small in size with slender bodies, large eyes, and long, bushy tails, squirrels are also distinctive and can often be seen scurrying up and down trees. However, tree squirrels are just one common type that can be found in the wild.

Ground Squirrels

As their name implies, ground squirrels are less agile than their tree-based brethren. These animals subsist mostly on leaves, roots, and nuts, but will also prey on insects and small animals. With a lesser defensive capability, ground squirrels often remain in groups to alert one another if one notices danger.

Tree Squirrels

Perhaps the most well-known variety, tree squirrels are common in woods, parks, and anywhere with plenty of trees. This squirrel type will also forage for nuts and plants on the ground, but also can eat tree bark, bird eggs, or even smaller baby birds. Certain species even consider tree sap to be a delicacy.

Flying Squirrels

Although they do not truly fly, these squirrels live much like birds, in nests or tree holes and gliding across the sky. Without wings, flying squirrels rely on skin connected between outstretched limbs, which creates a wing-like glider effect that allows them to soar over 150 feet at a time.

Female squirrels will usually give birth to up to eight offspring at once, and may produce several litters each year, making for a robust population in most parts of the world. To learn more about squirrels control in Raleigh, please visit this website.

Don’t Come Knocking at His Door

Spotted almost exclusively at night, the opossum is often known to play dead when alarmed. They will, however, frequently bare their teeth and growl in order to fend off a perceived threat—particularly males of the species.

The Many Bats of the World

The only mammal that is able to fly, the bat is also one of the most widespread and varied animals in the world.  With around 1,200 different types living today, they represent the second largest order of mammals, only ranking behind rodents. Bats are divided into two primary groups: megachiroptera, or megabats, and microchiroptera, or microbats.

Megabats typically do not rely on echolocation, as microbats do. They subsist on nectar, pollen, and fruits. Species include:

• Black flying fox
• Dyak fruit bat
• Dusky fruit bat
• Eastern tube nosed bat
• Giant golden-crowned flying fox
• Greater and lesser short-nosed fruit bats
• Panay giant fruit bat
• Pygmy fruit bat
• Spectacled flying fox
• Spotted-winged fruit bat
• Straw-colored fruit bat
• Talaud flying fox

Meanwhile, microbats have very poor visual capabilities, and do rely on echolocation or sonar-style navigation to hunt the insects and small animals that are their prey. Species of microbats are as follows:

• Ghost bat
• Kitti’s hog-nosed bat, the smallest in the world (6-inch wingspan, less than .1oz in weight)
• Lesser horseshoe bat
• Northern ghost bat
• Seychelles sheath-tailed bat
• Vampire bat

The smallest bat in the world is the Kitti’s hog-nosed, with a total wingspan less than six inches wide and a weight typically lower than .1oz. By contrast, the giant golden-crowned flying fox looms as the largest bat in the world, with an average wingspan over five feet and weight of up to four pounds. Please visit this website to learn more about bat removal in Cary.

Standing Tall

This adult North American raccoon seems to have been caught on camera unexpectedly, as he inspects a fallen tree branch for sustenance. Common raccoons subsist on a variety of food sources, including plant material and nuts.

Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)

The Association of American Pesticide Control Officials was formed in 1947, the same year that Congress enacted the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)... read more

Profile of the Groundhog

Depending on where you live, you might not see many groundhogs aside from the one in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania who seems to appear each February 2nd. However, this animal—marmot monax, in binominal terms—is actually common throughout lowland areas of North America, in particular the northeastern United States and Canada.

Physical Characteristics

A typical full-grown groundhog, sometimes called a woodchuck, weighs between four and nine pounds and measures between 16 and 26 inches in length, nose to tail. In areas rich in alfalfa and with few natural predators, groundhogs can grow approximately six inches more in length, but also weigh up to 31 pounds! A groundhog’s coat is comprised of two layers: a gray undercoat, plus a longer outer coat of guard hairs which gives the animal the appearance of being flecked with frost.

Typical Behaviors

Most groundhogs live about three years in the wild, but can survive up to six years on average. They will mature into multi-talented creatures, capable of climbing trees, swimming, and burrowing underground. The groundhog is known to stand alert, motionless, watching for predators. They use a high-pitched whistling noise (earning the common moniker “whistle-pig”) to alert the colony if danger is spotted.

Groundhogs are primarily herbivorous, subsisting on wild grass and berries. They can be aggressive toward people as a matter of self-defense, and are inclined to feast on human-grown gardens and crops. The groundhog also hibernates during the winter, one of few species to enter into true hibernation, usually in a specific burrow for this very purpose. To learn more about humane animal removal in Raleigh, please visit this website.

Identifying Venomous Snakes Common to North Carolina

North Carolina is home to over 30 varieties of snake, many of them beautiful in appearance, and most of them posing relatively little threat to people. However, several species can be dangerous. It is important to be able to recognize venomous snakes in the event that you cross paths with one—or worse yet, if a bite occurs.

First is the eastern coral snake, a slender, colorful species. Its body pattern consists of black, red, and yellow rings. The red portions include patches of black, and the tip of the tail is marked with wide black rings alternating with narrow yellow ones. This typically 18-36 inch snake is often found in sandy woods of scrub oaks and pine, although sightings are rare.

A larger species, the copperhead is marked with brown and chestnut-colored hourglass shaped markings on the body, with a light brown, pink, or yellow belly. This type of snake is typically 24-46 inches in length when full grown, and has a more stout profile. Copperheads are not aggressive, but do account for nearly 90 percent of recorded venomous snakebites in North Carolina. That said, only one death has ever been reported in the state.

Larger still is the cottonmouth, a heavier-bodied snake which will grow anywhere from 27 to 60 inches in length. This semi-aquatic species can be identified by brown, olive, or blackish coloring alternating in cross-bands and large symmetrical plates covering the top of the head.

The pigmy rattlesnake is a smaller variety, moderately slender and usually 15-25 inches long when full grown. Coloration is typically reddish, brownish, or grayish with blotches of darker brown. A dark brown or red stripe on the side of the head is also distinctive to this species.

A much larger rattlesnake is the eastern diamondback, whose body is much thicker and total length ranges from 36-72 inches and beyond. As the name suggests, dark diamond-shaped marks adorn the back of this brown or grayish snake, whose distinctive rattle is found at the tail. This species is the largest and one of the more dangerous snakes in the US.

One last large variety is the timber rattlesnake, which grows to approximately 36-68 inches in body length and is heavy-bodied similar to the eastern diamondback. This species is pinkish to blackish in color with light-centered cross bands and blotches.

Do your best to avoid contact with any of these types of snakes, and never reach or walk where you cannot see to reduce risk of being bitten. Remain calm and call 911 or contact poison control immediately if a venomous snake bite should occur. To learn more about snakes removal in Raleigh, please visit this website.

Feeling Cozy?

This adult tree squirrel might look to be stuck, but don’t worry—it seems to have found a comfortable spot inside of an old blackened stump. Squirrels rely on trees for nutrition, including bark, nuts, and even sap.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

There is a concern with the practice of routinely using pesticides where we study, eat, work, and play as to whether this is the best approach to controlling pests... read more

How to Handle a Squirrel Bite

While it is not an especially frequent occurrence, a squirrel bite should be treated in the same fashion as most other small animal bite. Like most rodents, squirrels rarely are carriers of rabies, which is actually found more commonly in skunks, bats, foxes and raccoons. Here’s what to do if you should happen to cross paths with the wrong rodent.

Suffering a Minor Wound

If the skin is barely broken from the bite, you can treat the injury as you would with any minor wound. First, wash it thoroughly with soap and water, and then apply antibiotic cream to protect against infection. Cover the cleaned wound with a sterile bandage to heal.

Dealing with a Deep Wound

For bites which penetrate the skin deeper, or if the skin is otherwise torn and bleeding, first apply pressure with a clean and dry cloth. The first priority is to stop the bleeding. Once this is done, contact your doctor for further assistance.

Cases of Infection

Symptoms of an infected animal bite can include swelling and redness around the bite area, an increase in soreness, or discharge oozing from the site of the wound. Please consult your doctor immediately if you notice any of these signs of infection.

It is also important that you seek medical attention if you have not had a tetanus shot in the past five years and you suffer a deep bite, or if the wound is dirty. For more information on wildlife removal in Raleigh, please visit this website.

It’s All About Perspective

One of the smaller members of the animal kingdom, the squirrel is known for speed and acrobatic feats. This particular squirrel seems to enjoy posing to appear larger than the stone fountain at the rear, but he’s not fooling anyone.

NCPMA PestLine Offered to Answer Consumer Pest Management Questions

The North Carolina Pest Management Association (NCPMA) has opened the NCPMA Pest Line, an electronic hotline that allows consumers to receive answers to their pest management questions directly from pest management experts... read more

Common Symptoms Resulting from Bee Stings

With over 25,000 species stretching across every continent except Antarctica, bees are one of the more common flying insects that most people will encounter. Although they usually will not employ their defenses unless provoked, a bee sting nevertheless can produce pain and various side effects depending on the individual. 

Common Reactions 

 Bee, wasp, hornet, or yellow jacket stings can be painful, but that is typically the extent of the injury. Symptoms usually subside within hours. The most common reactions to stings are mild: 

• Sharp pain at site of sting 

• Swelling of skin 

• Red welt around white spot where stinger penetrated 

Stronger Reactions 

 Less commonly, people stung by bees suffer more severe reactions. These symptoms tend to resolve themselves within five to 10 days, and don’t necessarily indicate a dangerous allergy. If reactions become more severe with subsequent stings, consult your doctor. Some symptoms of a moderate reaction can include: 

• More noticeable redness near sting site 

• Swelling around area which grows larger for 1-2 days 

Allergic Reactions 

 People who are allergic to the venom from bee stings can experience a potentially life-threatening reaction if stung, called anaphylaxis. Signs of a severe allergic reaction are as follows: 

• Itchy hives and flushed or pale skin 

• Swelling of tongue and throat 

• Difficult breathing 

• Weak or rapid pulse 

• Dizziness, fainting 

• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea 

• Loss of consciousness 

Seek immediate medical assistance if you experience any of these symptoms, or if you are stung by multiple bees, which can result in a dangerous accumulation of venom in the system. For more information about honey bee removal in Durham, please visit this website.

An Expression That Says it All

This feisty little raccoon’s facial expression gives the impression that he may recently have gotten his paws somewhere they should not have been. Natural scavengers, raccoons usually prefer to work under cover of darkness in their search for food.