Backyard & Wildlife Safety
1
PPT-113-01
Bureau of Workers’ Comp
PA Training for Health & Safety
(PATHS)
• To understand wildlife and how to cohabitate in
that environment safely.
• Be able to recognize and identify backyard
wildlife to avoid and be better able to cohabitate
with.
PPT-113-01 2
Objectives
Potential of injuries, disease & parasites to humans
• Rabies
• Fleas
• Bites
• Stings
• Strains and sprains
• Broken bones
• Anaphylactic reactions
PPT-113-01 4
What harm can they be?
PPT-113-01 5
Why do they like my yard?
Food Shelter
Safety
• Bird feeders
• Grass, grubs
• Fruit bearing plants
• Gardens
• Trash
• Sheds
• Crawl spaces
• Decks
• From traditional
predators
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Rabies
• A disease virus which enters through a bite from
an infected animal and causes brain swelling
• If not treated quickly results in convulsions,
respiratory failure and DEATH in every person
infected
• Rarely infectious from saliva, aerosols, or guano.
PPT-113-01 8
Rabies: Incubation Period
• 2 days to weeks = Acute phase
• Incubation period between phases
• 3 to 7 weeks (7 days to 10yrs)
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Lyme Disease
• Primary area Mid Atlantic, Northeast Regions
including PA
12 states account for 95% of cases
All 50 states reported cases (travel)
• Spread through bite of infected ticks
• Can attach to any part of body
• In PA all venomous snakes have slit-like pupils,
similar to a cat’s eye.
• Nonvenomous snakes have round pupils, like
humans.
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Venomous vs Nonvenomous
• Only 1% carry rabies
• There are over 1,100 bat species
in the world—only rodents have a
greater number of species.
• Bats make up about 20% of all
classified mammal species
globally
• Approximately 70% of bats eat
insects. The rest are frugivores,
or fruit eaters.
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Bats
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Bats
Bat in the house
• Turn on lights
• Remove children and pets from the area
• Do not kill or damage head
• Attempt to locate and capture the bat
• If no contact with humans or pets it can be
released
• If unknown or known contact occurred
take bat for testing
• Same if you find a dead one in the house
PPT-113-01 20
How do I know if I have them?
• Guano droppings – exterior of house where
they enter or inside locations where they
reside.
• You see one or two at dusk or early morning
flying around your house
• You see a lot of bats (more then 3) flying
around your house or property
You have a colony and need a professional
assistance immediately
PPT-113-01 21
Skunks
• Omnivore
• Odor is defense
• Life span 1-4 years
• Litter 2-8
• Habitat: fence line, shrubs, backyards under
decks or sheds
• Food source: vegetable matter, fruit, eggs,
garbage, grubs….
PPT-113-01 22
How do I know if I have skunks?
• Your dog inside lets you know
• Cone shaped dig marks in soil
• Sensor lights turn on randomly after dark
• Damaged turf
They will spread disease if contact/bite
with feral cats
PPT-113-01 23
Getting Rid of Skunks
• Trapping
• Eliminating potential home
• Eliminating food source
• Fill or cover window wells
• Compost piles
• Treat yard for grubs
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Spiders
Symptoms minor to severe
• Itching or rash
• Pain radiating from bite area
• Muscle pain or cramping
• Red or purplish color or blister
• Increased sweating
• Trouble breathing
Symptoms minor to severe (continued)
• Headache
• Nausea / vomiting
• Fever / chills
• Anxiety or restlessness
• High BP
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Spiders
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Groundhogs
• Herbivore
• Burrow entrance as big as basketball
• Dirt entrance (dirt piled up)
• Life span 1-5 yrs.
• Young look for homes in July or August
• Hibernator
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Contact Information
Health & Safety Training Specialists
1171 South Cameron Street, Room 324
Harrisburg, PA 17104-2501
(717) 772-1635
RA-LI-BWC-PATHS@pa.gov
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https://www.facebook.com/BWCPATHS
Those of us living in suburban and rural environments must share our space with a variety of animals indigenous to the area. The wildlife in these locations was often there before the land was built upon. An understanding of these animals will do much to promote our safety whether working in or living in these areas.
This program’s objectives deal with
Understanding the wildlife and how to cohabitate in that environment safely.
Recognizing and identifying backyard wildlife to avoid for us to better cohabitate with them.
Some of the various wildlife are shown. Some may not be considered as being “wild” until we have taken into account the feral types; those that have reverted to their undomesticated type due to having lived for a period in the wilds. Such includes both dogs and cats.
We must ask, “What harm can these animals do?” There is always the potential of injuries, disease & parasites to humans upon encounters with them.
Rabies
Fleas
Bites
Stings
Strains and sprains
Broken bones
Anaphylactic reactions
We have to ask what is it about your backyard that causes various animals to congregate or occupy that location. They possibly find:
Food,
Shelter and
Safety are probable reasons.
Food from bird feeders, gardens or trash provide the opportunity to obtain sustainence.
Shelter can be found in small areas where they can hide.
Safety is provided from traditional predators.
One disease which can be carried and transmitted by animals is Rabies.
A disease virus which enters through a bite from an infected animal and causes brain swelling
If not treated quickly results in convulsions, respiratory failure and DEATH in every person infected
Rarely infectious from saliva, aerosols, or guano.
Signs and symptoms of Rabies include:
Itching or discomfort at the bite site,
Fever
Headache
Rabies has an incubation period:
2 days to weeks = Acute phase
Incubation period between phases
3 to 7 weeks (7 days to 10yrs)
Lyme Disease which is transmitted by ticks.
Primary area which ticks which transmit Lyme is the Mid Atlantic and Northeast Regions including PA
12 states account for 95% of cases
All 50 states reported cases (travel)
Spread through bite of infected ticks
The tick can attach to any part of body
A tick can take 3 feedings daily
If the black legged tick is infected with Lyme, the transmission rate could occur:
0% @ 24hrs
12% @ 48hrs
79% @ 72hrs
94% @ 96hrs
Powassen virus was efficiently transmitted by nymphal ticks that fed for as few as 15 minutes. All exposed mice that were fed upon by infected ticks for at least 30 minutes became infected.
Bites from animals can spread disease as well as produce tissue destruction.
Dogs
Cats
Spiders
Insects
Baby wild animals
Snakes
Poisonous snakes also reside in PA.
Northern Copperhead (Southeastern copperhead often called a water moccasin)
Eastern Massasauga
Timber Rattle Snake
Yellow phase
Black phase
Nonvenomous snakes can dominate in areas.
Eastern Hognose
Northern Black Racer
Eastern Ribbon
Eastern Smooth Earth
Eastern Garter
Other nonvenomous snakes:
Northern Ringneck
Eastern Worm
Shorthead Garter
Eastern Milk
Eastern Rat
Additional nonvenomous snakes of PA
Kirtland’s Snake
Mountain Earth
Northern Brown
Northern Redbelly
Northern Water
Nonvenomous snakes:
Queen
Rough Green
Smooth Green
When determining if a snake is venomous or not,
In PA all venomous snakes have slit-like pupils, similar to a cat’s eye.
Nonvenomous snakes have round pupils, like humans.
Bats
Only 1% carry rabies
There are over 1,100 bat species in the world—only rodents have a greater number of species.
Bats make up about 20% of all classified mammal species globally
Approximately 70% of bats eat insects. The rest are frugivores, or fruit eaters.
Bat in the house?
Turn on lights
Remove children and pets from the area
Do not kill or damage head
Attempt to locate and capture the bat
If no contact with humans or pets it can be released
If unknown or known contact occurred take bat for testing
Same if you find a dead one in the house
Do I have bats?
Guano droppings – exterior of house where they enter or inside locations where they reside.
You see one or two at dusk or early morning flying around your house
You see a lot of bats (more then 3) flying around your house or property
You have a colony and need a professional assistance immediately
Omnivore: feeding on both animal and vegetable.
Odor is defense. Very often the will first growl or hiss to chase you. Spraying may be last resort.
Life span 1-4 years
Litter 2-8
Habitat: fence line, shrubs, backyards under decks or sheds
Food source: vegetable matter, fruit, eggs, garbage, grubs….
Other means to determine if you have skunks:
Your dog inside lets you know
Cone shaped dig marks in soil
Sensor lights turn on randomly after dark
Damaged turf
They will spread disease if contact/bite with feral cats
Various means for ridding your property of skunks.
Trapping
Eliminating potential home
Eliminating food source
Fill or cover window wells
Compost piles
Treat yard for grubs
Spiders are a possibly problem to safety and health. Spider bite symptoms can be minor to severe. Visual clues include:
Itching or rash
Pain radiating from bite area
Muscle pain or cramping
Red or purplish color or blister
Increased sweating
Trouble breathing
Symptoms of spider bites, minor to severe (continued)
Headache
Nausea / vomiting
Fever / chills
Anxiety or restlessness
High BP
“Ankle Finders” (due to being small or closer to the ground).
Shrews
Mice family
Shrub lines
Ground hogs / whistle pigs
Usually their burrows are found in the middle of nowhere sets up one day
Groundhogs are Herbivores (plant eaters)
Burrow entrance is as big as a basketball
Dirt entrance (dirt piled up)
Life span 1-5 yrs.
Young look for homes in July or August
Hibernator