Living with wildlife in the Blue Ridge Mountains

How homeowners should live with wildlife in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Many types of wild animals are common in western North Carolina and North Georgia. Viewing wildlife in your own backyard can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Wild animals rarely present a danger to residents, but some animals can be a nuisance if homeowners do not take proper precautions.

Black bears are very common in western North Carolina and North Georgia and are sometimes seen in residential areas close to towns and cities. New homeowners should not be surprised to see an occasional bear in their yard. Bears are attracted to houses by the smell of food. They often venture into yards to raid garbage cans, tear down bird feeders, and eat dog food or cat food left outside. Recently used outdoor grills also attract bears as do compost piles, and anything else that might smell like food. Bear problems around houses can only be resolved by removing food sources. Homeowners may have to take down bird feeders, feed pets inside, and keep garbage in a safe place ( such as a closed garage.)

Bears may remain in the area if suitable habitat is nearby, but they should not pose a problem if food is not available around the house. Natural foods such as apple trees, blackberries, blueberries, and acorns can also attract bears to a yard at certain times of the year. A homeowner who encounters a bear in or near his yard should simply leave it alone. It will leave when the food source is gone. NEVER FEED BEARS!! Bears that learn to associate food with humans sometimes lose their fear of people and become more dangerous.

Homeowners may encounter a number of wild animals. Deer can cause damage by browsing on ornamental plants and garden vegetables. Skunks, opossums, raccoons and groundhogs occasionally make their dens in crawl spaces under houses and trailers. Close off all openings and holes to keep them out. Coyotes, foxes, and bobcats are attracted to the edges of residential yards to hunt rabbits and mice and can become a real danger to household pets. Gray squirrels, flying squirrels, and bats sometimes make their homes in attics or eves and cause problems for homeowners. Homeowners living next to a creek may find beavers chewing on trees in their yard.

Bats are very beneficial animals because they eat flying insects.They are not dangerous as long as they are outside. Bats can be dangerous to people if they get into houses because of the diseases they may transmit though bites or feces. They are not generally aggressive toward people, but they may bite if they are cornered or trapped .Homeowners can prevent bats and other animals from getting into their attics by making sure that every opening is closed off with wire mesh, metal or wood. Bats can squeeze through tiny cracks between boards, so every little hole must be covered. If you move into a home that already has bats in the attic, close off every entrance hole except one. wait until the bats leave at night and then close off the last hole.

There are simple solutions to most nuisance wildlife situations. New homeowners should be aware that they have to adapt their lifestyle in order to live with wild animals that reside in nearby habitats. Especially if you are next to a National Forest or wildlife area.