They may be cute, some may be pests, and others might be out and out dangerous--
Country Critters. That is, animals and insects commonly found in the great outdoors and
most certainly around when you're living rural.
Raccoons can be found just about anywhere in the US. They are cute and curious, but mostly they are pests. Raccoons love to make a home under your house, shed or any other structure. This might not seem so bad at first, but just like Opossums they can damage your home. Opossums especially, with their sharp teeth will chew their way into renovating your home anyway they see fit. And if an electric wire just happens to be in the way--- no problem. They will chew right through it, causing a potential fire hazard by making a short in the wire, or leaving a live wire loose.
Many people have a strong fear of spiders. And there's lots of them in the country. Most spiders, especially the very large "barn" spiders are not all that dangerous. They wouldn't hurt most people unless you are allergic to them. But a Black Widow or a Brown Recluse can be deadly under the right circumstances. The good news is, Black Widows are easy to spot and chances are you will rarely spot one. They like to hide out in places such as under boards, under a table top kept outside ect. A Brown Recluse is harder to spot as it doesn't really have any definitive markings. It is small and it is brown and despite their name my experience has been that they are not all that "reclusive". If you would like to take some preventative measures to keep spiders out of your home you can visit this page http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/spide...
Be sure not to feed wildlife, as this only encourages them to keep coming back. Never ever feed an alligator or bear. This is something that can get someone else seriously hurt or killed as they loose their natural fear of man once you begin to do this. Their natural fear of man is what keeps these animals safe, and
Raccoons can be found just about anywhere in the US. They are cute and curious, but mostly they are pests. Raccoons love to make a home under your house, shed or any other structure. This might not seem so bad at first, but just like Opossums they can damage your home. Opossums especially, with their sharp teeth will chew their way into renovating your home anyway they see fit. And if an electric wire just happens to be in the way--- no problem. They will chew right through it, causing a potential fire hazard by making a short in the wire, or leaving a live wire loose.
You can trap these large mammals by placing a trap where they dwell to catch them live. After you have caught them, you can take them out of your area and let them loose. The down side to that is they could come back. While your friend is away, you should block their way to make it harder for them to have access to your home or shed and make sure any potential food source, such as garbage is kept sealed and hard to get at.
Many people have a strong fear of spiders. And there's lots of them in the country. Most spiders, especially the very large "barn" spiders are not all that dangerous. They wouldn't hurt most people unless you are allergic to them. But a Black Widow or a Brown Recluse can be deadly under the right circumstances. The good news is, Black Widows are easy to spot and chances are you will rarely spot one. They like to hide out in places such as under boards, under a table top kept outside ect. A Brown Recluse is harder to spot as it doesn't really have any definitive markings. It is small and it is brown and despite their name my experience has been that they are not all that "reclusive". If you would like to take some preventative measures to keep spiders out of your home you can visit this page http://www.bugspray.com/articles98/spide...
Be sure not to feed wildlife, as this only encourages them to keep coming back. Never ever feed an alligator or bear. This is something that can get someone else seriously hurt or killed as they loose their natural fear of man once you begin to do this. Their natural fear of man is what keeps these animals safe, and
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