Squirrels and raccoons may be cute but they, along with other animals like deer and armadillos, can cause significant headaches for homeowners and gardeners. Whether they're rooting through your trash, tearing up your garden, or presenting a disease threat to your pets and families, nuisance animals should be encouraged to live where they best belong: the wild.
UGA Extension wants to educate you on how to prevent wildlife from becoming a nuisance, and measures to take if animals do become a nuisance to you and your family.
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On-Site and Telephone Consultation Available in many situations for home owners and consumers.
- Deer-Tolerant Ornamental Plants (C 985) If deer are overabundant in your neighborhood, and deer herd reduction or management is not feasible, a good way to prevent deer browsing in landscapes is to plant ornamental plants that deer do not l…
- Natural History Series: Nine-Banded Armadillo (C 866-2) Scientists classify armadillos with anteaters and sloths. They have poorly developed teeth and limited mobility. Armadillos are considered both an exotic species and a pest.
- Resolving Human-Nuisance Wildlife Conflicts (B 1248) When wildlife populate a place where they are unwanted or cause damage to valuable plants or structures, they become a nuisance. This publication discusses some basic principles for dealing humanely w…
- Wildlife Management Series: Using Milorganite to Repel White-Tailed Deer from Perennials (C 889-1) White-tailed deer provide aesthetic and economic value, but deer can cause a variety of negative economic impacts. Deer can damage personal property, agronomic crops, landscape plantings, and food plo…
Websites
UGA-affiliated sites
UGA Department of Animal and Dairy Science Learn more about the animal and dairy science department at the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources This college homepage includes resources targeted to students, researchers, and communities with ecological concerns.
External sites
Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Provides information and resources on how to prevent and handle nuisance wildlife encounters.
Invasive Mammals of Concern in Georgia Descriptions of animal pests by scientific and subject name and includes descriptions and identifying images.
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Deer Management
Milorganite may be effective deterrent for deer in farmers' fields.
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Chipmunk Control
Although considered minor agricultural pests, chipmunks can cause significant structural damage.
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Wild Pigs
Feeding deer without feeding wild pigs is a difficult task.