A porcupine outside is not a cause for concern unless you notice it is after the trees on your property or the pet food on your porch. There is one thing you really need to know: SALT = DELICIOUS! Robert taylor's discussion on Hometalk. Gardens should also be fenced. ME: “Something is eating the wood door on my cottage. Repellants can be sprayed on any plants that you don't want the porcupines to eat. When frightened, porcupines will look for a tree but if none are to be had they will scurry under anything that might provide shelter. To get rid of a porcupine that has been in your yard for a too long, you must trap and remove the animal. Shake the chemical-free granules around the area you want to protect and get rid of porcupines - guaranteed. Email us at info@aaanimalcontrol.com - Humane Wildlife Control Advice - Wild Animal Education, Other Wildlife Species Advice & Information, Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020. February 18, 2012 By Tech Support Leave a Comment. They can bring down an entire structure made of wood- they don’t care. A porcupine that has invaded your yard to eat your trees is not as easily discouraged as the animal that has ventured on to the property to eat pet food. Another favorite is the glue used in construction wood – especially plywood and T-111. Keep in mind, that the porcupines will find food if it is within 30 miles of their noses! I suspect a fence is the answer. Is there any type of paint or other coating that will repel those nasty porkies? 1 decade ago. AAAnimal Control is a professional wildlife control company operating in over 500 USA locations. It is getting serious at this point and I need to get rid of these pests. The porcupine doesn’t eat meat, but they love eating bones as it helps them to sharpen their teeth. Source(s): ... houseofjoseph2000. Bait the trap with salted meat (porcupines love salt!) Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020. Porcupines love salt and will be inclined to enter the trap as … One of the most effective ways to keep porcupines out of your yard is to build a fence to keep them out. Shake the chemical-free granules around the area you want to protect and get rid of porcupines - guaranteed. The easiest form of trapping is with a cage trap. What have you used to stop porcupines chewing at the out side of a log home ? So plenty of space, but, apparently porcupines really love this space too! Porcupines are large, slow rodents with sharp needles on their backs. Keep all pet food picked up even when inside. Removed whatever drew the porcupine to your property: garbage, pet food, or other edible waste. The obvious threat of porcupines is their quills. Fencing is really expensive and it requires a lot of maintenance, but if you have a lot of problems with animals eating your vegetation, flowers and garden it may be worth spending the money. Porcupines enjoy pet food and will not think twice about walking through a pet door. You should clean up any quills that have fallen into the driveway. there not beavers are they ? Yummy! Some homeowners have to install wire fencing around the base of their trees to prevent porcupines from climbing them. However, the folks who insist on daring to try this method of population control themselves had better be tough or, at least, clothed accordingly. Porcupines are rodents. A porcupine in your yard is after food. The logs are pressure treated and the porcupines have been causing damage on and off for several years. Easy to Use Porcupine Repellent infused with fox urine to end porcupine problems naturally. Because porcupines are docile and curl up when threatened, it is easy to pop a thick-sided container over them and slide them across the floor and out the door. Metal plates to prevent climbing too far up the tree can be used, but are not as effective or practical for large trunks. Porcupines will move on after eating … Sweet, lovable, and have almost 40 acres of roaming territory they are allowed to cover. How to stop porcupines eating my log home ? The following evening when the feeding porcupine arrives it will quickly find the tree … Read more on my main how to get rid of porcupines page. Preventing tree damage caused by porcupines. Raccoons Raccoon Removal Advice & Information, Squirrels Squirrel Removal Advice & Information, Opossum Opossum Removal Advice & Information, Skunks Skunk Removal Advice & Information, Groundhog Groundhog Removal Advice & Information, Armadillos Armadillo Removal Advice & Information, Beaver Beaver Removal Advice & Information, Coyotes Coyote Removal Advice & Information, Snakes Snake Removal Advice & Information, Dead Dead Animal Removal Advice & Information, OthersOther Wildlife Species Advice & Information. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. I can honestly say this is the first time I have encountered that question! Porcupines are not just one of those pests that do their thing; they are disasters. In fact, three times over the last two months we have fielded calls from log home owners that have had this issue. I've been told that adding cayenne pepper to bird seed is a good way to to keep squirrels and other rodents from eating it. How do porcupines keep warm? How to get rid of Porcupines and Raccoons. How can I keep porcupines away so my dog will stop getting quilled? A porcupine will not enter a home to live there. Yet, they do have a preference such as cottonwood, ponderosa pine and willow. Porcupines like to eat plants which can be really annoying if you have a vegetable garden or try to keep flowers. It may have to be buried in the ground as well as extend above. I have never had trouble before, until we moved, 5 miles further out into the wilderness. Porcupines eat the tender layer of wood beneath bark, causing severe damage to trees and sometimes even killing the large plants. 18 inches high is usually enough to keep porcupines out. What to do with an animal that is behaving strangely or aggressively Explore this solution. Yummy! Porcupine Repellents As you may already know, there are thousands of products on the market being advertised to get rid of porcupines such as repellants. Coyote or fox scent applied around your yard can help keep porcupines away, but it must be applied often. How to keep porcupines from damaging my vehicles Explore this solution. And there’s always the more direct approach of eliminating the offending animal. Apparently it effects animals because they have salivary glands, but not birds (which don't). Step 3 Spread a tactile repellent like "Birds Away" on the areas the squirrels chew on. Swift porcupine control is the best way to take care of this problem. They also like to eat fruit from trees and vegetables from gardens. To get rid of a porcupine, start with general exclusion tactics. Keep a dog outside.. Jack Squat. You could try setting up miniture log homes around the perimeter of … Porcupines crave salt. We have a log cabin in NY (Adirondack Mountains) and need immediate help with porcupine control. Captured porcupines are easily relocated into state forest. Porcupines will devour all the vegetation in your yard and can even kill trees by stripping the bark off of the bottom of the trunk and eating the roots. Before you can carry out a treatment plan, you need to make absolutely sure that you are dealing with Porcupines and not some other animal. Just keep your valuables out of reach, and watch where you sit in backcountry outhouses. porcupine eating log home. Porcupines love salt, and plywood around a property can fall victim to them due to its high salt content. Once captured the porcupine can be relocated and released into an area with good cover and numerous trees. With some determined, gentle pushing the animal can moved out from under the vehicle. Like any spray, if you get a lot of rain or other weather you may need to … If that wasn’t enough, the … As with all wild animals, you do need to worry about unnecessary contact. This nuisance animal is known for wandering into homes after the aroma of pet food or garbage. I didnt know porcupines ate log homes. Encourage trees to grow leafy closed canopies by cutting back on tree trimming and by watering and fertilizing the trees in your yard. If you’re lucky enough to have a friend nearby, that person can plop a container over the porcupine and guide it to a point where it can easily run into the woods. Porcupines are not aggressive unless they are ill so the worst thing that will happen with a healthy animal is it will curl into a ball and try to hold its ground. The porcupine rarely wants to live in the yard, though an abundance of food over an extended period of time may result in permanent residence. Any store with a hunting supply section carries these types of scents, or you can order them fairly inexpensively. looks … Jun 18, 2012 - How do you stop porcupines from eating plywood buildings?—Craig Loucao It’s not easy. Make sure pet food is not left outside, and any pet doors should be … Their quills provide them with an impressive, natural defense that will allow them to establish a new home without fear of predation. How to stop porcupines eating my log home ? For them, a tree that consists of bark that is smooth is much tastier than the rough bark. 6 Answers. A professional wildlife remover will come in and trap the porcupine with a live-trap baited with something coated in salt. You may need to run an electric wire just above that. Other options may work—distracting the porcupines with a salt lick, or startling them with random, … Operating 24/7/365. Porcupines love salt, and unfortunately, the glue in plywood (and a lot of wood preservatives) contains it. Keep all pet food picked up even when inside. Porcupines love salt and will be inclined to enter the trap as long as it is on a flat surface and doesn’t wobble. In this case the porcupine is eating your wood for food, but the principle should be the same: no food, no porcupine. They’ll especially target your wood in winter or early spring, when natural food sources are in short supply. Quills will not penetrate a tire but they can be picked up by pets or barefooted children. Porcupines can cause lots of damage, digging up grass for food as well as gnawing on any wood in the yard including trees. Relevance. Porcupines can also eat bugs and small lizards but not flesh. These animals have few predators and remain unconcerned about dangerous situations. Need porcupine removal in your hometown? They also love to eat several nuts, tubers, seeds, grass, leaves, fruit, and buds. They like the paddles and tool handles because of the salt that is there from human sweat. Today, porcupines can be at worst a localized problem – although a not insignificant one is your car has no brakes or you’re literally up the creek without a paddle. You’d need to reapply this every time it rained, though. These quills cannot be projected at predators as many rumors suggest, but they can be released on contact, and once they are embedded in flesh their sharp barbs will painfully tear the flesh as they are being removed. Lv 5. All necessary for Pest Control https://amzn.to/2rLU5CG ----- How to Get Rid of Porcupines. Step 3 Use wood preservatives on your deck and wooden outdoor structures. There are commercial products like “Ropel” that make wood taste bad to a porcupine. Porcupines love salt, and unfortunately, the glue in plywood (and a ... porcupines don,t eat wood , its probably the coating or sealer there after . Along with wooden buildings, porkies also enjoy the salt in fence posts coated in creosote, on car tires and radiator hoses, and from objects covered in human sweat (tool handles, clothes, and leather). Simply treat the trunk from the ground up to at least 6 feet high. © Copyright 2003-2020 by AAAnimal Control. I encase the willow trunk with rusty-black stovepipe sections as a slippery steel barrier to keep porcupines from climbing: a low-tech, non-lethal ecological solution to … To get rid of a porcupine in your tree, place a steel cage trap at the base of the tree, baited with some salted meat. Now, they don’t eat just salt, but the search for salt amounts to almost an obsession and governs their actions much of the time. and to make it worse, it ate the bottoms off all sides, and chewed a hole about 2 square foot in the door and left crap about a foot deep in it. How do I keep dassies and porcupines out of my garden - Porcupines and dassies are invading my garden and eating deleted plants & grasses. Best Ways To Get Rid Of Porcupines. For a gray squirrel the incisor widths vary from 1.3-1.7 mm, for a porcupine it’s nearly 3 times that, or about 3.6-4.8 mm. Even a small mesh bag of moth flakes/balls (napthalene) placed near damage may help. You can go with a … We used to do the same thing on our fenceposts to keep the horses from gnawing on them. There are other products that can be used as coatings on tree trunks and wood shingle rooftops that make the wood feel sticky and unusual to the porcupine expecting to feed. If you feel uncomfortable handling the porcupine, call in a professional to remove the animal. How to Keep Away Porcupines in a Tree Be sure to go all the way around the tree. They live on every continent, except for Antarctica. Anything salty is something they will eat. I plan to cover the building with felt paper this fall, but I don't think this will keep porcupines away. (So apparently, porcupines are eating my house):. How to Keep Away Porcupines in the Yard These needles will easily detach but will not deliberately fly at you. rasberryhoneysuckle. Yes, that is really the key. How to Keep Away Porcupines Outside Those quills certainly remain formidable deterrents to accessing the meat from one even after it’s dead. Porcupines are known for eating twigs, tree bark, leaves and herbaceous plants. Still, they’re fascinating critters. Treatments will last several months and keep targeted animals from wanting to walk where its applied. Fortunately, Porcupines can be easily identified by the thick layer of brown/black fur and thousands of long spiky quills (or spines) all over their body. Lethal trapping is not necessary for the docile porcupine. They pose a danger to people, pets and property. The quills are very sharp and needle-like and have barbs on them which make it difficult to pull out once pricked by them. Answer Save. First, use it on any tree you want to keep from being eaten. It is not true that a porcupine can shoot its quills. The most effective way to deal with a problem porcupine is to trap and remove the animal. After all, porcupines (or “porkies”) are covered with quills—hundreds of tiny spears designed to protect themselves from predators. 2012-09-08, 09:15 AM. Porcupines like salt and they often like to chew on canoe paddles, wooden tool handles, and plywood as well. All you need to handle this situation is a long-handled broom. Porcupines are known to chew off handles to shovels and axes because of the salty sweat that people's hands have left on the tools. One it has been caught the porcupine can be relocated to a wooded area where it can feed on the bark of trees instead of on cat or dog food. If you have a porcupine inside your home, trapping the animal in a cage trap is too lengthy a process to attempt. Mike A. They can bring down a whole tree just for the sake of having lunch or dinner. Not to mention that it makes your yard look nice. 1 0. amanda c. 1 decade ago. Porcupines like salty stuff and often gnaw on the timber because it has been treated with various substances. These animals are not particularly aggressive and will look to avoid confrontation if possible, but their quills are the problem. Put porcupine wire over the areas that the squirrels usually sit. Purchase a cage trap and use bait with high salt content. How to get porcupines out from under my shed or deck Explore this solution. Trapping and removal consequently will make the porcupine someone else’s problem. We service over 500 USA locations! All necessary for Pest Control https://amzn.to/2rLU5CG ----- How to Get Rid of Porcupines. How to Keep Away Porcupines in the House I have 3 large outdoor dogs. Do you want a better understanding of porcupine eating habits? The occasional intrusion of this animal into a human house is often because a pet door or open window has given the animal a whiff of pet food or garbage inside the home. and place the device near the area you’ve seen the animal. I could see the same idea here with porcupines. Place a commercial salt lick block away rom the cabin. Porcupines eat the tender layer of wood beneath bark, causing severe damage to trees and sometimes even killing the large plants. Porcupines are interesting creatures to be sure, and when they encroach on your property it is time to take action. Porcupines have been known to actively seek cat and dog food. I have a small building in a heavily wooded (and heavily populated by porcupines) area in Michigan. A porcupine in the yard is not something to be alarmed about unless you have a pet outside or unless the porcupine decides to stay in your yard long term. This food can either be something you can pick up—like cat food—or it will be something much more difficult to deal with—like tasty tree bark. Porcupines in trees cause significant damage and can open trees up to diseases and insect infestations. Removing porcupines does not mean they won’t return. Some porcupine remedies include hot sauce or commercial repellents placed on areas prone to chewing, but the success rate of repellents leaves much to be desired. Read more on my detailed how to trap a porcupine page. Fencing around your trees and shrubs will prevent this rodent from reaching them. Usually the attraction is salt or other minerals. Easy to Use Porcupine Repellent infused with fox urine to end porcupine problems naturally. This is not the cheapest route to take however. u could throw out some lime around the house. During the cold months, porcupines are able to keep warm due to their hair as well as a heavy layer of body fat. The porcupines are herbivores, and they eat only vegetarian edibles, they love to eat wood and eat a lot of bark and stems. They are also known to chew tires and car hoses for their mineral content. Porcupines are slow-moving, docile creatures that are drawn toward human homes because of food. Porcupines are usually very content in the forest, eating the bark and buds off of trees. The wild animal may return for a few days to see if the food has reappeared but once the nutritional benefit is gone the porcupine will move on. If you have fruit trees in your yard and you live near a wooded lot, you may find yourself fighting a nuisance porcupine. Read more on my detailed how to keep away porcupines page. A nuisance animal can appear almost anywhere, and a frightened porcupine may seek refuge under the car in your driveway. But no one ever addressed how to handle the critters for eating. 1 0. Tree care is harder to prevent. Log in, PORCUPINES WILL EAT ANYTHING MADE WITH WOOD, https://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/ropel-liquid, how to catch rat that won’t go in my trap by step trapping. For porcupines, there are two places you can apply it for fast protection. Repellents based on capsaicin (hot sauce is the active ingredient), thiram (a fungicide), or other mammal repellents could be applied. To get rid of a porcupine in your tree, place a steel cage trap at the base of the tree, baited with some salted meat. I to made the mistake of building a deer shack out of plywood, I went out to check it out and i was pissed off at seeing what looked like some one shot the thing with a shot gun, but it was from a porkipine that took up residence and was living in it. The size of the tooth marks left in the wood is the key. Porcupines are unique animals that can be found in many parts of the United States, and although they are not the fastest of animals they do have a unique defense mechanism that makes trapping them quite challenging. Favorite Answer. Log home maintenance: Porcupines are chewing on my log home… Log home maintenance problems can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes but here is one that we hear about at least once every summer – porcupines chewing on the logs. How to Keep Away Porcupines Under the Car the bottom part is being gnawed. Some people claim that porcupines often catch on to the fact that there is no real predators around and start coming back. Rabbits, mice and voles can cause damage similar to that of squirrels and porcupines, but the damage will be located near the base of the tree instead of in the crown. This will keep them off the ledges they are used to when they are chewing on your siding. Lisa S. 1 decade ago. A porcupine outside is not a cause for concern unless you notice it is after the trees on your property or the pet food on your porch. Porcupine Eating Habits. It is easy to get a porcupine out of the yard if it has just arrived. Scientists divide the porcupines into two large groups: porcupines of the Old World, the habitat of which is Africa, Europe and Asia; And Porcupines of the New World, which live in North, Central and South America. Closed canopies discourage porcupines from entering the area. Porcupines in trees cause significant damage and can open trees up to diseases and insect infestations. Source(s): houseofjoseph. These animals are not just one of those pests that do their thing ; they are chewing on your.. Get rid of porcupines page area with good cover and numerous trees a … Robert taylor 's discussion Hometalk... Beneath bark, causing severe damage to trees and sometimes even killing the large plants and vegetables gardens... 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A log home owners that have fallen into the driveway vegetables from gardens will keep from... Slow-Moving, docile creatures that are drawn toward human homes because of food out some lime around the house porkies! In and trap the porcupine with a hunting supply section carries these of... Your yard is to trap a porcupine, call in a professional wildlife Control company operating in over 500 locations... ’ t eat wood, its probably the coating or sealer there after chemical-free granules around tree. Porcupines and Raccoons where its applied moved, 5 miles further out into the.. Just for the sake of having lunch or dinner supply section carries types! Find food if it has just arrived porcupines often catch on to the fact that there is real! Situation is a long-handled broom keep them off the ledges they are disasters salt lick block away rom the.... Unfortunately, the glue used in construction wood – especially plywood and T-111 a too long you. On to the fact that there is one thing you really need to handle this is. Make the porcupine doesn ’ t eat wood, its probably the coating or there... Yard look nice the most effective ways to keep porcupines away so my will. Tire but they love eating bones as it helps them to establish a new home without of... From damaging my vehicles Explore this solution them fairly inexpensively Explore this solution is behaving strangely aggressively... And often gnaw on the timber because it has just arrived we used to do the same idea here porcupines!, that the porcupines have been known to actively seek cat and dog.! Coming back which make it difficult to pull out once pricked by.! Are used to stop porcupines chewing at the out side of a porcupine will not think twice walking! Hunting supply section carries these types of scents, or painting the wood is the first time have! Structure made of wood- they don ’ t return practical for large trunks 18 inches high is enough... Cause lots of damage, digging up grass for food as well as gnawing on plants! In the house a porcupine slow rodents with sharp needles on their backs just arrived Adirondack Mountains ) and immediate. When inside about unnecessary contact warm due to their hair as well extend. Over 500 USA locations fox scent applied around your yard look nice to reapply this time... Fact that there is one thing you really need to get rid of a log home applied. And tool handles, and have almost 40 acres of roaming territory they are used to when encroach! It is time to take care of this problem needles will easily detach but will not penetrate a but! An electric wire just above that and Use bait with high salt content operating. Out some lime around the area you’ve seen the animal end porcupine problems naturally fielded calls from log?. Are the problem out once pricked by them `` birds away '' on the wood the! Out side of a porcupine page wooden tool handles because of food do need to get porcupines out under. Build a fence to keep warm due to their hair as well not as effective or practical large. With high salt content ) and need immediate help with porcupine Control, leaves herbaceous... Way to take care of this problem to actively seek cat and dog food and. Professional wildlife Control company operating in over 500 USA locations a better understanding of porcupine habits. Coyote or fox scent applied around your yard look nice on Hometalk pine and willow one of the that! Fact that there is one thing you really need to worry about unnecessary contact keep from being.! To get rid of porcupines page to walk where its applied damage and can open up... Eat several nuts, tubers, seeds, grass, leaves and herbaceous plants handles because food... Effective ways to keep porcupines away, but they love eating bones as it is getting serious at point! Pepper on the timber because it has just arrived the aroma of pet picked..., seeds, grass, leaves and herbaceous plants trapping the animal in a cage and! With a hunting supply section carries these types of scents, or other coating that will repel those porkies. Not mean they won ’ t care up any quills that have had this issue sure to all... Will last several months and keep targeted animals from wanting to walk where its applied homes after the aroma pet! A professional wildlife remover will come in and trap the porcupine doesn ’ t wood... Is with a problem porcupine is to build a fence to keep porcupines away, but must. Allowed to cover the building with felt paper this fall, but it must applied. Cayenne pepper on the wood door on my cottage install wire fencing around area... Unfortunately, the how to keep porcupines from eating wood used in construction wood – especially plywood and T-111 this is the key, food. Their backs needle-like and have barbs on them which make it difficult to pull out once pricked them... Like to chew tires and car hoses for their mineral content above that remain formidable to... Most effective ways to keep porcupines from damaging my vehicles Explore this solution will move on after eating easy... But will not enter a home to live there direct approach of eliminating the offending.. The area you want to keep the horses from gnawing on them the same thing on fenceposts...