Nuisance Wildlife Control and Removal

• Never feed wild animals.
• Don’t leave pet food out at night.
• Secure trash can lids and compost heaps.
• Don’t leave domestic animals that may be potential prey loose or in shoddy or weak shelters.

• Seal any holes that may give wildlife access to your attic or the interior of your home. Some species of bats can fit through holes the size of a dime. Keeping your home well-maintained is imperative for keeping nuisance animals out.
• Install skirting under mobile homes to prevent animals from going underneath. Use chicken wire or lattice used under raised houses.
• Keep grass mowed to eliminate cover for wildlife.
• Eliminate piles of wood or debris that can be used as shelter.

• Louisiana Administrative Code Title 76 (PDF) outlines the rules for live trapping and releasing wildlife without a permit.
• It can be dangerous to handle trapped animals. It is often easier to get an animal into a trap than to get one out. Wear heavy leather gloves and use extreme caution when releasing animals. Always stand behind the trap and point the open end toward a clear area when releasing the animal.
• Should you get bitten, don’t release the animal if it hasn’t already been released. Contact the state public health veterinarian at LDH for instructions on having the animal tested for rabies and contact your doctor. If you have already released the animal and can’t immediately recapture it, still contact the state public health veterinarian and your doctor. Animals that appear healthy may be sick. Certain mammals, including bats and skunks, may be infected with rabies and can transmit it to humans. Rabies is fatal to humans if not treated before symptoms develop.
• Release trapped animals at least five miles from where they were trapped to prevent their return.
• Avoid trapping in the spring and early summer, which are breeding seasons for most wildlife. Removing adult animals may result in orphaning young animals. If orphaned young are in an attic or under a house, they could die, which could cause additional issues as they decay.
• LDWF does not loan or rent traps. Traps are available from some parish animal control offices. You can also purchase traps at hardware stores and lawn and garden centers.

See the Outlaw Quadrupeds and Nuisance Nutrias and Beavers pages for additional information.