By Connie Mertz
It can be a challenging, sometimes dangerous, dirty and time-consuming job. But someone has to do it.
Joe Mast of Mazeppa is the man. As a wildlife pest control agent, he is licensed throughout the state to remove nuisance wildlife from just about anywhere on private property.
It was his love for animals that led him to take mandatory training in learning all he could about animal behavior and diseases.
"About 20 years ago, I caught my first (nuisance) groundhog in a cage. Since I knew how to do this, word got around, and I was the guy to talk to," he said.
Mast must abide by regulations set forth by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and file monthly reports to his Wildlife Conservation Officer in Union County. "My permit can be revoked if I do something boneheaded," he admitted.
Of course, Mast only removes unwanted wildlife species upon a homeowner's request.
He is the one who has the knowledge and ability to remove skunks from under porches, bats from belfries, and birds from chimneys. "My busiest months are February through September, but in the hot months animals are less active."
Woodchucks tend to be the most bothersome. "They burrow under porches, sheds and woodpiles. I usually remove them using cages." When gray squirrels enter attics, they can be difficult to remove and can cause lots of damage for the homeowner," he said.
"I have seen squirrels remove all the attic insulation for nesting. Here again, he cages them for removal.
"People think that if we take squirrels far enough away, they won't return. They don't understand that a squirrel will return even if he's relocated 10 miles away. In fact, gray squirrels are able to swim the Susquehanna River from Danville to Riverside."
He told of an instance where a man living in Riverside took a half-albino squirrel to a location in Danville. A short time later, he'd take notice to a squirrel whose coloration matched the one he released. He thought it was an offspring, when in reality, it was the same squirrel returning.
The downside is that once a species is trapped in a cage, it soon learns to avoid it. This makes them twice as hard to capture when Mast is called to intercede.
Skunks cause yard damage. "People are finicky with their yards. If they spend a lot of money on it, they don't want skunks grubbing. I have seen yards that look as if they've been rototilled," he said from experience.
"People will set their own traps for skunks, but when they catch one, they don't know how to deal with a skunk in a cage. It's easier for me if I do the prep work."
Raccoons are notorious for digging up certain kinds of worms in mulch. "A mother raccoon also teaches places to go to her little ones."
Mast says his most dangerous and challenging species of wildlife to remove are bats. "It's not that the animal is dangerous, it's the working conditions." Before he takes any action, he watches for entrance points into a building. "I want to build a door to allow them to get out, but not back in. In order for a bat to fly, they swoop down about 18 inches. I build a door to take advantage of that." Most times he does his work from a ladder.
Sometimes when he enters an attic, for instance, the guano can be several inches thick. "I must wear a face mask, and take precautions for health reasons." He has not seen the dreaded white-nose syndrome on any of the bats he's removed, but his nuisance bat calls have declined.
Birds in chimneys are yet another nuisance call he receives. "I always use a mirror first to see what is in the chimney. I'm not about to put my hand in not knowing what's up there."
Once he was challenged to remove mallard ducks from a swimming pool. "They would make the water green," he recalled. "We'd think we had the problem solved, and then they'd return when the homeowner wasn't there." He was finally successful at solving the dilemma, however. "I spent two weeks doing research," he admitted.
What is the most common mistake homeowners make? "Waiting too long -- until the problem turns ugly."
