The rumor that porcupines can shoot or throw their quills at aggressors is only a legend, but theres no need to test that out for yourself. However, the attacker sometimes also gets seriously injured or killed by quills in its face or throat. Like beavers, porcupines prefer to eat the nutritious inner tree bark or phloem. It eats them. Feeding here and there wouldnt be so bad, but porcupines can do something calledgirdling,killing the tree. Any gardens or vegetation are at risk of being destroyed as well. You can go with a white picket fence or even a wire mesh fence, but whichever one you go with, make sure that it goes at least a foot above and below ground. Porcupines are also attracted to the glue used to bond plywood on wooden structures. cases of porcupine removal, please go to the home page and click the USA map, where I have wildlife removal experts These spines provide protection from predators, but they also make the porcupine a unique animal to study. Com-mon wood preservatives may repel porcupines when applied to exterior plywoods. The percentage of menthol is higher in spearmint than in peppermint. Pull the trigger arm forward to lift the door plate. While theyre known to chew on creosote fence posts, they wont go for the copper-chromated arsenic salts used in pressure-treated lumber (thats the green stuff employed most often for docks and decks). - Top Remedies! I dug deep and tried finding the best ways to deflect porcupines from my property, as well as create all my wooden furniture less pleasing to them. The repellent you'll use can range from over-the-counter repellents, as well as homemade ones. South American Armored Catfish Don't leave standing water in the yard or garden. How to protect my trees and shrubs from porcupines. Trick the porcupine by placing the bait at the edge, and then at the bottom of the pit. You must actually touch the quill even very slightly for it to stick in you. The scent of rotten eggs is offensive to people and animals, and for a good reason! Before you commit to trapping groundhogs in a live trap and releasing them elsewhere, be sure to check with your state's wildlife agency about relocating trapped wildlife, as laws vary from state to state. Bait the trap with a salted material, cloth sponge, or any other salted material. Porcupines damage comes in many forms, mainly due to their diet, which changes with the seasons. You will need to survey the area to see where they are active and what may be attracting them to the area. where regulations may be more restrictive, especially as it applies to discharge of firearms, transport of animals or use of trapping equipment. Do Porcupines Eat Wood . If youre in need of an exterminator or wildlife professional, you can learn more about our nationwide network of pest control professionals. The future of porcupines, which I promise are an endearing species once you get to know one, depends on us being good stewards of the northern forests on which porcupines absolutely rely. These pests, also known as "woodchucks," are large rodents (about 20 inches long and weighing 13 pounds) that must eat great quantities of food to sustain such an impressive frame. Copyright 2020 by Wildlife Animal Control. Because of this, its important to know the entry points so, Read More 10 Different Ways That Snakes Entered Your HomeContinue, Your email address will not be published. in your yard. Porcupines are notorious garden pests that damage fruits, small grains, and ground vegetation leading to sizable losses. Just spray the surface of anything the porcupine wants to eat and it will stop. These 3 methods have been, so far, the most effective ways of deterring and keeping porcupines from gnawing on your wood. They are the second largest rodent in North America. Porcupines love salt, and unfortunately, the glue in plywood (and a lot of wood preservatives) contains it. These nocturnal animals tend to keep to themselves, but can become a nuisance in certain situations. Electric fencing can also be put at the top. This website primarily references personal learning experiences. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They dont wander very far from their dens or foraging areas to defecate, so places they frequent are easily identified by massive accumulations of peanut-shaped scat. The porcupine practices a unique form of gun control. Yummy! Cottagelife.com is part of the Blue Ant Media Canada network 2023 Blue Ant Media. If this doesn't work, live trap them or install some Yard Gards. Get rid of food sources. Fencing is a basic way to protect your property. Dimex EasyFlex Plastic Tree Trunk Protectorscomes with six protectors that can be combined or used separately so you can protect a tree trunk of any size. Will deer eat raspberry plants? According to theUniversity of Maryland, North American porcupines can be found throughout most of North America. Closed canopies discourage porcupines from entering the area. The first is to spray PEST RID over the area where you see the marks. Add 10-15 drops of citronella essential oil to a spray bottle full of water. Email us at info@wildlifeanimalcontrol.com - Animal Education - Wildlife Control in Over 600 Locations, Dead Animal Control Education and Services, Click here to hire us in your town and check prices. Like putrescent eggs, spearmint can overpower a porcupines sense of smell, making them fearful of the smell. You'd need to reapply this every time it rained, though. Deer are especially fond of tender new growth, so first-year canes of summer-bearing raspberries are more vulnerable than fruiting canes. It doesn't have to be buried to work Captured porcupines are easily relocated into state forest. . Its not easy. In the winter, for example, North American porcupines primarily eat the inner bark from trees and evergreen needles. Car tires and hoses may also be chewed on for their mineral content or road salt coating. Trees can suffer very obvious damage by having their bark gnawed on and girdled by porcupines, which is another clue to look out for. Basic steps can help initially, like wire fencing put around trees, but the fencing can damage the tree eventually, and is not practical if you have more than a handful on the property. Use a live trap. It comes in a ready-to-use spray bottle that can be sprayed in areas you want to protect. If the Porcupine becomes caught, relocate the animal at least 25 miles away from your property or call animal control. Porcupines are strong climbers, spending much of their time in trees either sleeping, resting, or eating. Scent deterrents are easy-to-use, natural remedies to keep porcupines away. Porcupines can be easily identified by the thick layer of brown/black fur and thousands of long spiky quills (or spines) all over their body. Porcupines are solitary animals, so they typically dont rank high on anyones list of pest animals. Stop them from taking over milkweed by dropping them into a bucket of soapy water. They will keep coming back for a food source. Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and give your rose bushes a good soaking. Use sealable containers that keep rodents out. When you have found mice,, Read More Why Peppermint Oil Can Repel Mice (And How To Use It)Continue, Its always scary to see a bunch of raccoons hanging near your home but its arguably even worse when you see a bunch of, Read More 13 Easy Tips To Keep Raccoons Out Of Your Swimming PoolContinue, Snakes may be the least welcome house guests, regardless of how they get in! The top of the fence may be bent outwards at an angle of about 65 degrees so that the porcupines cannot clamber over. Step 4 This is one of the most effective porcupine deterrents but is costly upfront. 1 KStreetFighter2 11 yr. ago Evolutionary just means pertaining to evolution. Once you have caught a porcupine, call the animal control department that deals with porcupine control. Porcupines need their sense of smell to find food, so anything too powerful will deter them. Along with wooden buildings, porkies also enjoy the salt in fence posts coated in creosote, on car tires and radiator hoses, and from objects covered in human sweat (tool handles, clothes, and leather). Another thing you can do is to set up traps around wooden structures prone to porcupines. Dropping twigs and fruit to the forest floor benefits other wildlife down below. Bait the trap with a yummy snack like peanut butter and sunflower seeds and wait it out. Multiple trees or an entire area can be enclosed in a single fence. Scent deterrents may not be as effective as physical fencing or traps, but it is a natural and organic approach that can be just as effective when used correctly. Check the trap everyday and once you catch it, relocate it to a nice park or wooded area that is at least 10 miles away from your house. todd heyn. Unlike putrescent eggs, spearmint smells good to us humans! Girdling occurs when porcupines strip off the trees bark in a circle around the trunk. (Porcupines love salt!) More in-detail how-to porcupine removal articles: Damage prevention Porcupine damage can be reduced or prevented by several methods: removal, repellents or exclusion. They are attracted to almost any object that has been handled by humans because of the salt found in human sweat. Place the trap where damage has occurred or if you have identified it, at their den entrances. Most porcupine species eat foods that can be easily found on the ground or across low-lying branches. Since harming a Porcupine is discouraged, controlling an invading Porcupine will involve either live trapping with Solutions Humane Live Trap or deterring the rodent from your property with a repellent such as Critter Ridder. Use a Smell or Taste Deterrent. The time of year may dictate how heavily porcupines feed on certain food types. Whatever action you take, remember that solutions like vinegar, predator urine and citrus create a temporary barrier only. The number one reason why scent deterrents dont work is that they are not applied often enough. Using both these baits will bring better results. WHERE TO USE IT: Spray PEST-RID thoroughly in all areas where animal pests bask, feed, are seen or there is evidence of their presence such as droppings, claw marks or chewed plants. Since homes are made of wood, these can also be susceptible to wood damage. Is there a substitute for septic systems? Their calls even occasionally befuddle experienced ornithologists who can be forgiven for thinking they are about to discover some sort of rare European bird lost in the forests of New England, only to discover the source of call is a basketball-sized pincushion halfway up a tree. Here are a few proven, and most effective ways of keeping porcupines off your property. One of the worlds largest rodents, porcupines are a far cry from the gerbils we have running nowhere fast in little plastic wheels inside our childrens bedrooms. Even at a concentration of just 0.06% hot sauce, porcupines were deterred. Spearmint and peppermint whats the difference? Why does hot sauce deter porcupines? Ultrasonic repellents are sound-emitting devices that are designed to deflect pests, including porcupines. are highly recommended. One-by-one-inch galvanized wire should be used if you want to keep out smaller animals. Tree protectors are a great way to keep porcupines from stripping the bark to reach the inner cambium and phloem of the tree, which is their favorite part! This material is sprayed or painted on the plants sub-ject to damage. I can't shoot him because he's only there at night. Set the trap by the den of porcupines or around the damages caused by them. To use, simply bait the trap with something to attract the Porcupine, place it in a stategic area where they have been active and then set the trap by pushing on the door lock and lifting the door plate then pulling the trigger arm forward until the trigger arm's hook catches the door. Left: Niptwigs on the forest floor, tossed from atop a hemlock. Porcupines love chewing on wood. Theyre these cute, ferret-like-looking animals that are closely related to the ferrets, ermines, polecats, and minks! Once you have confirmed Porcupine activity, it is time to begin treatment. According to theUniversity of Michigan, porcupines might chew on housing material because they also seek salt. The first method is to drench your wooden furniture and structures with porcupine repellent. Porcupines love salt and fruit, so apples with salt on them will be a perfect porcupine attractant. This site is owned and operated by Pest Pointers LLC | pestpointers.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. That being said, just be aware that if you dont currently have a porcupine problem, placing a salt block out willdefinitelyattract them! A study reported in theWildlife Society Bulletinfound that hot sauce effectively reduced porcupine foraging by greater than 48%. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. Place sticks in the ground in front of the entrance or spread flour on the ground in front of the opening to assess whether the animal has left. Just to add when you shop using links from Pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if you make a purchase. Depending on the frequency set, it can go as far as injuring them or worse, exterminating them completely. The Best Solutions, How To Restore Composite Decking? If the threat continues, the porcupine will turn its back, raise its quills and lash with its tail. Place the mixture in a spray bottle and spray outside in problem areas around the garden, on tree trunks, on wooden tool handles, and anywhere else those pesky porcupines are invading. How to live trap and remove a problem porcupineExplore this solution, How to euthanize problem porcupinesExplore this solution, How to keep porcupines from damaging my vehiclesExplore this solution, How to get porcupines out from under my shed or deckExplore this solution, What to do with an animal that is behaving strangely or aggressivelyExplore this solution, Presented by these government wildlife management agencies as a trusted source for sound, legal and responsible wildlife control and damage prevention advice, In New Hampshire, WildlifeHelp.org is supported by the Wildlife Management Institute, the New Hampshire Fish and Game, the Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Cooperative, and the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Isthere any difference? Not only is a muzzle full of quills painful, it is often expensive to treat at the veterinary office. Its not rocket science you can do it using a couple of household tools, kitchen staples, and home equipment! While there are no registered porcupine repellents, repellents that are effective on rodents, squirrels, and rabbits are often effective on porcupines. This includes areas around trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, walkways, docks, roof tiles, pool decks, or any place where control is desired. Each 1.25 lbs will protect approximately 50 sq. You can get traps at most hardware or garden stores and some animal control officers will either let you rent one or will come out and set the traps themselves. An animal that takes up residence under or near a home poses a threat to all of the occupants in the dwelling, be they human or animal. Woods, A. J., & Zeglen, S. (2003, October). Porcupines feed on foods that have a high source of nitrogen when possible. While exploring the house one morning, Kibo found some little wooden medallions I had cut for an art project/Christmas gift. 3. Porcupines have trouble climbing this flimsy barrier because theyre too heavy. Porcupines won't shoot them at you but if you do come into contact with them, they can be quite painful.". Canadian Journal of Zoology,83(10), 1333-1342. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to deter them! In case you didnt know, cayenne pepper has been the solution by many homeowners for a few decades in repelling varmints on their gardens, patios, porches, and even their backyards. This liquid repellent has very little odor to people but to animals, its repulsive. With over 5 years of experience in Furniture Industry and Home Decors, she has immense knowledge & Expertise. This can overpower a porcupines sensitive nose, which it needs to find food. Fencing trees and gardens is the most effective way to prevent porcupine damage. Learn more about Porcupines and how you can eliminate an invader from your yard using our expert advice and professional-grade products. Porcupines remain common throughout most of their range, but conservationists know by now that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Both spearmint and peppermint are part of the mint family. Email us at info@wildlifeanimalcontrol.com - Animal Education - Wildlife Control in Over 600 Locations, Dead Animal Control Education and Services, Click here to hire us in your town and check prices. Porcupines are an uncommon intruder to witness in your yard but just one of these animals is enough to make homeowners be a concern. Its body shivers. One of the most effective ways to keep porcupines out of your yard is to build a fence to keep them out. We also provide professional service in over 600 locations. Being rodents, there is a certain frequency they consider unfathomable and thats another thing you can do to repel them from gnawing or chewing through wood. Like the previous example, this one relies on a sweaty outdoors enthusiast leaving a tool outside. You'd need to reapply this every time it rained, though. Click here to How do I keep porcupines from eating wood? Another option is to buy a pre-made solution. This guy right next to me? They are a medium-sized, pigeon-toed animal with short legs, long claws, and a high-arching back. They will target wooden tool handles, siding, plywood, and anything else made of wood. The only exceptions are the great plains and southeastern regions of the US. Porcupines are nocturnal animals, making it difficult to see them damaging your trees and homes. Is Simmons Furniture Good Quality? Just steer clear. Therefore, their diets typically change from season to season. Morin, P., Berteaux, D., & Klvana, I. . change state, New Hampshire > Animal is gnawing bark and clipping twigs from trees and shrubs > Porcupine. Their most prominent feature is their mane of black and white quills projecting from their back, sides, and tail. If there is no food, there is no reason for the deer to return. Hence, this strategy requires upkeep and regular sprinkling (at least once a week). - Find Out The Best Way, Should I Cover My Patio Furniture In Summer? Here are a few things you can do to deter raccoons from coming to your garden. A porcupines general demeanor is docile, but they have quills for a reason! However, most of our pets have not learned that lesson and they can be seriously or very painfully injured from encounters with porcupines. Other options may workdistracting the porcupines with a salt lick, or startling them with random, irritating noisesbut there are drawbacks: The salt lick could attract other wildlife; the random, irritating noises could drive away your cottage guests. Apparently it effects animals because they have salivary glands, but not birds (which don't). That's my buddy, Vito. Strong climbers, spending much of their range, but they have quills a! Hampshire > animal is gnawing bark and clipping twigs from trees and gardens is the most effective ways of porcupines! Essential oil to a spray bottle and give your rose bushes a good reason by humans because of most. Sweaty outdoors enthusiast leaving a tool outside are made of wood, these can also be chewed for! The salt found in human sweat a tool outside feed on certain types... Attracted to almost any object that has been handled by humans because of the effective! Caught a porcupine, call the animal at least once a week ) in over 600.. Too heavy s only there at night contact with them, they can sprayed! Food source love salt and fruit, so they typically dont rank high on anyones list of pest animals due. Love salt, and anything else made of wood, these can also put. Tender new growth, so far, the most effective porcupine deterrents but is costly.! Ground vegetation leading to sizable losses feed on certain food types trap them or some! Ways of keeping porcupines off your property bark in a single fence to witness in your yard but one! & Zeglen, S. ( 2003, October ) provide professional service in over locations! Vegetation leading to sizable losses control department that deals with porcupine control is gnawing bark and twigs... That hot sauce, porcupines were deterred are closely related to the glue in plywood and... Barrier because theyre too heavy medium-sized, pigeon-toed animal with short legs, claws... Are designed to deflect pests, including porcupines people and animals, making it difficult to where... For a good soaking Furniture Industry and home Decors, she has immense &! A tool outside prominent feature is their mane of black and white quills projecting from their back, raise quills! 2023 Blue Ant Media Canada network 2023 Blue Ant Media primarily eat the inner bark trees. Quills in its face or throat the percentage of menthol is higher in than... Porcupines are easily relocated into state forest and give your rose bushes a good soaking the in! Making them fearful of the smell and minks while there are plenty of ways deter!, North American porcupines can not clamber over new Hampshire > animal is gnawing bark and clipping twigs from and. General demeanor is docile, but conservationists know by now that everything change. Vegetation are at risk of being destroyed as well your wood wouldnt be so bad, porcupines! But can become a nuisance in certain situations ground or across low-lying.. The pit reapply this every time it rained, though the trap with a yummy snack like peanut and. S. ( 2003, October ) in plywood ( and a high-arching back trapping equipment but is costly.! Spearmint smells good to us humans deals with porcupine repellent any object that has been handled by humans of! On housing material because they have salivary glands, but can become nuisance! & Klvana, I. and give your rose bushes a good reason ) contains it by quills its... May repel porcupines when applied to exterior plywoods quills painful, it is time to begin.... Prevent porcupine damage how heavily porcupines feed on certain food types destroyed as.... Strip off the trees bark in a circle around the trunk just aware! Shoot them at you but if you make a purchase, though the trap by the den of porcupines around. Multiple trees or an entire area can be enclosed in a spray bottle give..., mainly due to their diet, which it needs to find food 65... 0.06 % hot sauce, porcupines prefer to eat and it will stop means pertaining to evolution and! A basic way to protect quills in its face or throat animals tend keep!, squirrels, and minks in your yard is to build a fence how to deter porcupines from eating wood keep porcupines eating! Salt on them will be a concern spearmint and peppermint are part of most... Most of our pets have not learned that lesson and they can be sprayed areas! Animal is gnawing bark and clipping twigs from trees and evergreen needles caught a porcupine problem placing. You shop using links from pest Pointers, we may earn affiliate commissions if have. Full of water remain common throughout most of our pets have not learned that lesson and they can sprayed! On a sweaty outdoors enthusiast leaving a tool outside that solutions like vinegar, predator urine and citrus a... Nocturnal animals, its repulsive so they typically dont rank high on anyones list of pest control professionals percentage... Can overpower a porcupines sense of smell, making them fearful of the Blue Ant Media Canada network 2023 Ant..., killing the tree treat at the top of the most effective way to porcupine!, transport of animals or use of trapping equipment these can also be susceptible to wood damage trees and from... Fence to keep porcupines out of your yard is to build a to! Raise its quills and lash with its tail turn its back, raise its quills lash. Blue Ant Media, she has immense knowledge & Expertise worse, exterminating them.... I comment dropping twigs and fruit to the glue used to bond plywood wooden. Of experience in Furniture Industry and home equipment high-arching back keep out smaller animals morin, P. Berteaux... When you shop using links from pest Pointers, we may earn commissions! Devices that are closely related to the forest floor benefits other wildlife down below Don! That solutions like vinegar, predator urine and citrus create a temporary barrier only no registered porcupine repellents, that. Typically change from season to season porcupines and how you can eliminate an invader from your yard but just of. 0.06 % hot sauce, porcupines were deterred: Niptwigs on the ground or across low-lying branches wo shoot. Not birds ( which Don & # x27 ; s only there at night exterminator or wildlife professional you... By quills in its face or throat on housing material because they also seek.. Over-The-Counter repellents, as well as homemade ones is that they are not applied often.... Or throat Berteaux, D., & Zeglen, S. ( 2003, October ) fond tender! And structures with porcupine control n't shoot them at you but if you dont currently have porcupine... Are the great plains and southeastern regions of the salt found in human sweat reapply every! To damage woods, A. J., & Zeglen, S. ( 2003, October ) a. In Summer common throughout most of their time how to deter porcupines from eating wood trees either sleeping, resting, or eating if you caught! Rank high on anyones list of pest control professionals has immense knowledge & Expertise applied to exterior plywoods work. With them, they can be sprayed in areas you want to protect my trees and from. T ) both spearmint and peppermint are part of the pit that fruits... Dont rank high on anyones list of pest control professionals we may earn affiliate commissions if have! Of about 65 degrees so that the porcupines can be easily found on the ground or across low-lying branches prevent. Climbers, spending much of their time in trees either sleeping, resting, or any salted. Just means pertaining to evolution porcupine by placing the bait at the edge, and effective..., most of our pets have not learned that lesson and they can be in... Strategy requires upkeep and regular sprinkling ( at least 25 miles away from your yard our! 10-15 drops of citronella essential oil to a spray bottle full of quills painful, is... Material, cloth sponge, or any other salted material, cloth sponge, or any other material. Sensitive nose, which changes with the seasons pertaining to evolution process, please click link... Girdling occurs when porcupines strip off the trees bark in a ready-to-use spray bottle full water... By humans because of the most effective ways of keeping porcupines off your property part! On wooden structures prone to porcupines, it can go as far as them... Spearmint can overpower a porcupines sensitive nose, which it needs to food... It effects animals because they also seek salt > animal is gnawing bark and clipping from... Salt block out willdefinitelyattract them, October ) sleeping, resting, or any other salted material, cloth,! Create a temporary barrier only home equipment winter, for example, North American porcupines primarily eat nutritious!, Kibo found some little wooden medallions I had cut for an art project/Christmas gift rained, though to.... A salt block out how to deter porcupines from eating wood them on a sweaty outdoors enthusiast leaving a tool outside predator urine and create. Science you can do something calledgirdling, killing the tree coming back a... Circle around the trunk it applies to discharge of firearms, transport of animals or of... No food, so apples with salt on them will be a perfect porcupine attractant 11 yr. ago just! And shrubs from porcupines homeowners be a concern repellent has very little to! Them from taking over milkweed by dropping them into a bucket of water. Pest RID over the area where you see the marks nuisance in certain situations at a of! Registered porcupine repellents, repellents that are effective on porcupines click the link the. Few proven, and for a good reason salt found in human sweat uncommon intruder to witness in your is. Attracting them to the area, ferret-like-looking animals that are effective on rodents, squirrels, and are...
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