Airdrie is home to a wide variety of native wildlife that has adapted as the City has grown, often finding food and shelter in the urban environment.
Sometimes, wildlife activity can impact safety or disrupt daily life. This may lead homeowners to look for ways to make their property less attractive to animals. Common strategies include setting up barriers, using deterrents, removing food sources or modifying habitats. Addressing wildlife issues often requires a combination of these methods, with ongoing adjustments as animals adapt to their environment.
Homeowners can usually manage preventative and reactive measures themselves, though professional help may be needed in some cases.
For emergency situations where there is an active attack or an immediate danger to public call 9-1-1.
Contact Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation at 403.946.2361
Call Alberta Fish and Wildlife at 403.297.6423 for concerns about large wildlife - badger, bear, bobcat, cougar, moose, wild boar wolf.
Contact City of Airdrie – Parks Department 403.948.8400 or parks@airdrie.ca for concerns about small wildlife - beaver, birds, Canada goose, crow, coyote, deer, gopher, jackrabbit, magpie, pigeon, pocket gopher, porcupine, raccoon, Richardson ground squirrel, skunk.
If your property is near a body of water, you may want to consider protecting your vegetation.
Fences can be effective in not allowing a beaver access to the vegetation on your property. Consideration for a beaver being able to burrow under a fence or chew through wood may be necessary in creating an effective barrier.
Protecting trees can be achieved by using a durable wire mesh. The mesh can be securely wrapped around the base of a tree or grouping of trees, leaving space from the stem of the tree for the tree to grow and to prevent beavers from biting through the wrap. Consideration for a beaver pushing the wrap up may also require anchoring wrap to the ground.
Shrubs and perennials may also be seen as food to a beaver. While these plants often recover well from being foraged by beavers, it may be preferred that beavers don’t forage on these plants all together. This protection can be achieved by creating a wire mesh barrier that would keep a beaver from being able to access these plants.
If a beaver has entered your property, provide them with space and open gates to provide them routes to exit. While beavers are not aggressive by nature, a beaver feeling threatened can be unpredictable – give them space for their safety and your own.
Many birds fall under the Migratory Birds Act of Canada. Because of this, there may be rules around what a resident can do. It is important to contact Alberta Fish and Wildlife before implementing control of birds that are actively nesting on your property.
Eliminating roosting and nesting sites can be effective to prevent birds from taking up residence on your property. Sites that can be attractive for nesting or roosting are protected overhangs, underside of solar panels, crowded branches in trees and openings into structures.
Food sources may also attract birds to your property. Most birds feed primarily on seeds/fruiting bodies of vegetation and insects. Some birds are attracted to accessible waste, so it's important to ensure that waste is stored in a secure location.
Where preventative options are not available, deterrents may be necessary. Audio deterrents emitting calls of predatory birds can be effective in some situations. Visual deterrents that provide periodic flashes of light or simulated predators may also deter birds from a location. It is important when using these deterrents to occasionally change how they are set up as birds will become accustomed to deterrents otherwise.
Bobcats are naturally timid towards human activity, which means that they are most likely in search of food if they're on your property, with denning being less common.
To help make your property less appealing to bobcats, remove food sources that may be attractive to bobcats. Some of these food sources include pet food, bird feeders, fallen fruits, loose waste and small unattended pets.
If a bobcat is on your property, it is imperative to give them space and ensure that the bobcat is able to exit your property through open gates.
In the case of an emergency where there is an immediate danger call 9-1-1. For further information on bobcat activity, Alberta Fish and Wildlife may be contacted.
To be coyote smart, it is important to both prevent coyotes from being attracted to your property and properly respond to coyotes if they have entered your property.
Exclusion and removing deterrents are the two key tools for preventing coyotes from accessing your property. Fences greater than 1.8m(6 feet) tall are effective in making it more difficult for coyotes to access your property. Things that may attract coyotes to your property include: pet food, bird feeders, fallen fruits, loose waste, sheltered denning sites and small unattended pets.
If a coyote has entered your property it is important to give it space and ensure the coyote is able to exit your property by opening gates. A coyote that has been cornered or feels threatened naturally becomes defensive and may attack any perceived threats.
In the case of an emergency where there is an immediate danger call 9-1-1. To report non-emergency coyote activity, or for further information contact The City of Airdrie Parks department at 403-948-8400
Most damage caused by rabbits is a result of their feeding habits. Approaches that can alleviate these concerns are to take away food sources from rabbits.
Plant selection can be helpful in preventing concerns over rabbits feeding on vegetation in your yard. Local garden centres and gardening publications may help in determining what ‘rabbit resistant’ plants would work in your garden.
Barricades can be used to prevent rabbits from having access to a food source. These barricades can be seen in the form of fences which rabbits are unable to jump over or dig under. Netting draped over vegetation may also be used to impede rabbits’ ability to feed on soft vegetation such as flower or a vegetable garden. For soft barked trees the use of corrugated pipe or wire mesh wrapped around the base of a tree can prevent rabbits from feeding on the bark of younger trees.
Scented deterrents are an option for making gardens less desirable for rabbits. These deterrents can be commercially made, or home remedies found in gardening publications. While there is validity to the theory behind the use of scented deterrents there are mixed reviews as to the success of them. Factors that make scented deterrents less effective include being washed away from rainfall or watering and animals becoming accustomed to the scent.
Most damage caused by rabbits is a result of their feeding habits. Approaches that can alleviate these concerns are to take away food sources from rabbits.
Plant selection can be helpful in preventing concerns over hares feeding on vegetation in your yard. Local garden centres and gardening publications may help in determining what ‘rabbit resistant’ plants would work in your garden.
Barricades can be used to prevent rabbits from having access to a food source. These barricades can be seen in the form of fences which hares are unable to jump over or dig under. Netting draped over vegetation may also be used to impede rabbits’ ability to feed on soft vegetation such as flower or a vegetable garden. For soft barked trees the use of corrugated pipe or wire mesh wrapped around the base of a tree can prevent rabbits from feeding on the bark of younger trees.
Scented deterrents are an option for making gardens less desirable for rabbits. These deterrents can be commercially made, or home remedies found in gardening publications. While there is validity to the theory behind the use of scented deterrents there are mixed reviews as to the success of them. Factors that make scented deterrents less effective include being washed away from rainfall or watering and animals becoming accustomed to the scent
Northern pocket gophers become apparent on your property through the presence of dirt piles with no noticeable hole. These piles appear to be shaped like a seashell with a defined central point. Concerns over pocket gophers is a result of their burrowing/mounding practices as well as feeding on the roots and occasionally greens of vegetation.
Sound deterrents have been known to have some success in keeping pocket gophers from entering your property. These can be purchased at local hardware stores and manufacturer instructions should be followed.
Where the need for physical intervention is required, the use of box traps is an effective measure for control. This can be conducted by following manufacturer instructions or by contracting a local pest control company.
Richardson ground squirrels are commonly called gophers. Their conflict comes in the form of their burrowing habits and to a lesser extent feeding habits of desired vegetation.
There are opportunities to prevent the establishment of ground squirrels on residential properties. Providing a space where ground squirrels do not feel safe can help to lessen a ground squirrel’s desire to burrow in your yard. Preventing a ground squirrel from seeing potential predators or environments with pets may cause ground squirrels to be uncomfortable in an area.
Stimulant deterrent for ground squirrels have mixed reviews for success. Scented deterrents to simulate the presence of predators and sound emitting deterrents to create an unpleasant atmosphere are options for ground squirrel prevention.
Physical intervention through trapping or gassing ground squirrel burrows are commonly used in removing ground squirrels from a property. When conducting these control measures, it is imperative to adhere to local legislation and follow manufacturer instructions for use.
The use of poisons to control ground squirrels is frowned upon as it may lead to accidental or secondary poisoning of other animals.
Skunks are key contributors to the local ecosystem. Conflict may arise when resident activity and skunk activity intersect.
Opportunities to reduce potential for conflict on your property can be achieved by removing food sources and preventing denning opportunities. Food sources can be found in the form of unsecured garbage, available compost, pet food left outside, and accessible urban bee hives. Locations skunks may find attractive for denning include brush piles, stacked lumber, and enclosed areas from decks, sheds or other structures.
If you ever come across a skunk that is growling, hissing, stomping its feet, or raising their tail, this skunk is feeling threatened and is ready to spray. It is best to calmly back away and avoid any actions that may make the skunk feel threatened.
Local pest control companies may be able to assist in addressing skunks on your property. Beyond removing a skunk from your property, it is important to take measures to ensure that food sources and denning site are inaccessible once a skunk is gone to prevent further skunk activity.
Tree squirrels thrive in urban environments where there is an abundance of food and shelter options. Conflict with squirrels occurs when squirrels make their way into buildings for the purpose of denning.
Preventative measures that keep squirrels from nesting in buildings include making access more difficult and securing access points. Ensuring that tree limbs are pruned away from buildings and keeping other climbing structures such as fences are set back from buildings can be helpful in preventing access to denning sites. Using wire mesh or solid barriers to physically block off access points to denning sites can help to eliminate potential conflicts.
In instances where action is required to address squirrel conflict on your property, contacting a local pest control company may help in determining your next steps.