Pigs are a non-native species that can cause large amounts of damage to vineyards, pasture, agriculture and landscaping. These animals generally move in larges groups (sounders), these sounders can range from 6-10 animals and up to 30. Pigs focus the majority of their attention on the best food and water sources in the area. They can cause damage year-round which makes them one of the largest problem animals for farmers and ranchers in California. Not only do pigs cause crop loss due to consumption and damage to the plant but, they also disturb irrigation ponds, pumps and water mains.

When dealing with an issue we will come up with a plan that doesn’t affect the day to day operations while handling the situation in a timely manner. Most of the pig removal is done by trapping which allows us to deal with large groups at one time.

Deer can cause damage to vineyards throughout the growing season causing large amounts of crop loss. The majority of the damage occurs during spring when the vines are in bud break but can and does continue though out the summer.

When dealing with deer we will need to come up with a deer management plan that lays out a hazing and harassing plan as well as other non-lethal options to get the deer out of the area prior to any action can be taken with CF&W to pursue a depredation permit. This also means dealing with any and all fence issues as well. Once a management plan is in place we will begin the process of solving the problem and because of the steps that must be followed planning ahead and starting long before the growing season is key in minimizing the damage done.

Bears cause damage to both agriculture and livestock, bears commonly cause damage to bee hives as well as grapes. They tend to do most of the damage to the grapes right about harvest when the sugars are high. Bear damage can be difficult to spot because they don’t generally cause damage to the vines, bears just go down the rows eating the grapes right off the stems. Early signs that bears are interested in the grapes are sections of the fence are bent at the top like someone climbed in and the bunches of grapes at the end of the rows are being eaten.

Bears, being apex predators, can and will go after livestock and are known to take down sheep, cattle, goats, etc.

When dealing with bears we will work hand in hand with CF&W during the entire process.

All woodpeckers are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 as migratory insectivorous birds and are classified as non-game by the state. There are 17 species found in California, two of which are California-listed endangered species. Woodpeckers vary in size and range from about 7 to 14 inches in length, usually with brightly contrasting coloration.

Wildlife Conflict Solutions can aid in the deterrence of woodpeckers from your home or other structures by installing a variety of devices to scare them from the areas in which they are damaging. These devices work great in areas that the woodpeckers have not become overly attached to. In certain cases exclusionary netting may have to be installed to prevent the woodpeckers from getting to the areas they are damaging.

Coyotes can be a problem with both livestock and agriculture. Being a predator, they often cause problems with sheep, cattle, goats and other stock as well as domestic pets. In and around vineyards most of the damage that occurs is to the irrigation system, coyotes chew through the irrigation lines daily costing both man hours to fix it and damage to the crops do to loss of water.

Turkeys & geese can cause extensive crop loss in vineyards by consuming the grapes as they ripen. The problem is due to the large number of birds that usually occur between these two species.

Bats are nature’s best pesticide. Each of these small animals can eat between half and 100 percent of their body weight every night. Some California species consume as many as 600 insects per hour. Imagine living with all the mosquitoes, flies, midges, moths and agricultural pests that are now consumed by bats! With that, we don’t want them living in our structures causing damage.

Bat exclusion:

Exclusion is conducted by positioning one-way devices at key locations to allow bats to exit the structure. The one-way devices allow the bats to exit, but prevents them from re-entering. 

Maternity Season: 

Most bat species only have one baby a year. We cannot perform bat exclusions during maternity season, June through mid- August. If you are experiencing bat problems during bat maternity season, please don’t hesitate to call 

Bat Hibernation:

This can run from November 1st until February depending on your location and the weather. Although no bat-proofing may be performed during this time, don’t delay! 

Bats have protections and guidelines both within the state of California & the Federal Government (some bats are federally protected.) We follow fish and game’s guidelines and regulations.