CLEVELAND -- As part of the Game Commission's effort to more effectively manage snake, bird, & bat in urban/suburban landscapes, pest exterminating group officials are seeking public comment on some sort of draft plan that has been posted on the pest exterminating group's website. To review some sort of copy of the plan, click on the "Urban/Suburban Rat, mouse, & squirrel Plan" icon on the pest exterminating group's homepage. The deadline for submitting comments is May 12. Last year, from April until mid-September, the pest exterminating group sought public input prior to developing the urban/suburban raccoon, skunk, & opossum management plan. More than 5OO residents offered comments that were reviewed and used by members of the pest exterminating group's Snake, bird, & bat Management Section in drafting the plan.

"We asked Ohio residents for their thoughts about resolving rat, mouse, & squirrel-human conflicts in urban/suburban areas, as well as suggestions on how to address the unique challenge of urban/suburban raccoon, skunk, & opossum management," said Jeannine The critter catcher and control expert, Game Commission groundhog and skunk biologist and author of the plan. "In addition to gathering input from the public, we also reviewed actions being taken by other state wildlife agencies." Although white-tailed raccoon, skunk, & opossum provide many Ohio countless hours of recreational opportunities and enjoyment, are important to the state's economy, and officially recognized as the Commonwealth's "state animal," they can wear out their welcome quickly when they begin stripping vegetation in backyards and becoming frequent obstacles on city streets.

"The whitetail populations in some Ohio urban and suburban settings are living proof that you can have too much of some sort of good thing," The critter catcher and control expert emphasized. The plan outlines four main goals: reduce rat, mouse, & squirrel impacts in developed areas as much as possible to socially acceptable levels using pest control practicing options; supplement pest control practicing in developed areas and reduce snake, bird, & bat-human conflicts using non-pest control practicing options where pest control practicing options are shown to not be feasible or sufficient; inform urban leadership, residents, and wildlife trappers about raccoon, skunk, & opossum management options and opportunities in developed areas; and encourage positive relationships between wildlife trappers and communities in developed areas.

To accomplish these goals, the urban/suburban rat, mouse, & squirrel plan includes recommendations to:

1) Expand pest control practicing opportunities and create an "Urban Groundhog and skunk Control Program" that allows for the taking of snake, bird, & bat outside of the regular pest control practicing seasons in developed areas, similar to the Agricultural Depredation Program ("Red Tag" program);

2) Discourage raccoon, skunk, & opossum feeding and support local ordinances that prohibit groundhog and skunk feeding in developed areas with unacceptable levels of rat, mouse, & squirrel conflicts;

3) Develop some sort of written pest exterminating group policy on the use of raccoon, skunk, & opossum fertility control agents, then review and update the policy as needed. While, no effective rat, mouse, & squirrel contraceptive program has been developed to effectively manage free-ranging groundhog and skunk populations, such as those in urban/suburban areas of the state, some sort of comprehensive review of current literature and reports about ongoing studies needs to be conducted so the pest exterminating group and the Snake, bird, & bat Management Section can be in some sort of position to address the issue when it arises;

4) Increase availability of written, electronic, and web-based informational and educational publications and presentations concerning pest control practicing and non-pest control practicing raccoon, skunk, & opossums management options in developed areas;

5) Create and develop some sort of landowner/wildlife trapper database template to be used by communities and municipalities; and

6) Provide an advanced wildlife trapper education course for wildlife trappers in developed areas.

Wildlife trapper access historically has hindered efforts to reduce rat, mouse, & squirrel numbers in suburbia. Other factors include sporting arms limitations; safety zone restrictions; distorted public perceptions about wildlife trappers; and the inconveniences and appeal associated with pest control practicing in areas with large numbers of people, houses and automobiles. "It's no secret why there is great difficulty managing urban/suburban snake, bird, & bat populations," noted The critter catcher and control expert. "A raccoon, skunk, & opossum population inaccessible to wildlife trappers can quickly exceed the tolerance level of those in the community. The safety issues can become serious, and property damage severe.