© 2024 WGLT
A public service of Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

GLT's Grow: Dealing With Wildlife

Andy Rogers
/
Flickr via Creative Commons

Sometimes the nature that shows up in our backyard is beautiful, but uninvited.  Wildlife can set up shop on your property, and it's best if you know how to handle your uninvited guests.

  • There are laws to guide us in dealing with wildlife in our space.
  • The Illinois Department of Natural Resources guides us in dealing with the variety of protected critters that may take up residence in our backyards.
  • Not only can you not disturb birds, but their eggs are off limits, too. No picking up feathers, either.
  • To remove an animal from your property, you'll need a permit. Do not shoot or harm animals to push them off your property -- you can be fined.
  • And it's best to hire a professional to trap critters like skunks and raccoons.
  • While you shouldn't boot wildlife from your property, you can make your yard less attractive to animals.  Fence trees that attract nibbling deer, close off holes around your home to discourage raccoons, bats and squirrels, and don't put in plants that are too tasty for wildlife to resist. 
Reporter, content producer and former All Things Considered host, Laura Kennedy is a native of the Midwest who occasionally affects an English accent just for the heck of it. Related to two U.S. presidents, Kennedy appalled her family by going into show business.