Do Coyotes Eat Small Dogs & Cats? What’s a Good Way to Get Rid of a Coyote in Ocean City, NJ?
Coyotes closely resemble a small collie dog and are a brownish gray in color with light gray to cream-colored bellies. They can also be almost completely black to red or almost entirely white in some populations and their back and tail usually have black guard hairs. They have erect pointed ears, a slender muzzle and a bushy tail. In New Jersey and in the East of the United States, male coyotes weigh about 45 pounds and females around 30 pounds. Coyotes do well in all habitats and do well surviving around people because of their adaptable behavior and social system. They are most active at night and in the early morning hours when they live around people and in areas with hot climates. If there’s isn’t a lot of human behavior, they will be active throughout the day. Coyotes have very good eyesight and they also have a great sense of hearing and smell. They will use dens to breed in February and March with litters being born in April and May.
What Do Coyotes Like to Eat the Most?
Coyotes like all kinds of food. Their favorite being rabbits, along with rodents, fawns and insects, like grasshoppers. When fruits are available, they will eat them. Coyotes will feed on our leftovers in the trash and at dump sites. They will also eat poultry, livestock and even pets such as cats and dogs. Coyotes take prey that is easy to get, and they will take particular advantage of old, sick, weakened and inexperienced prey. It should be noted they are more than capable of taking on heathy and able prey too.
What Kind of Diseases Do Coyotes Carry?
Coyotes can carry distemper, hepatitis, parvo and mange. Rabies can be transmitted to humans and other animals and pets. They can prey on our pets and because they can carry rabies, become a danger to them and us. Parasites also like to hang out on coyotes and include mites, ticks, fleas, flukes and worms. Take care with your pets if you live in an area that has coyotes.
What Will Keep Coyotes Away?
If you have coyotes frequenting your yard on a regular basis, you are providing them with what they are looking for. Eliminate sources of food and don’t leave pet food out overnight. If you can stop them from killing just one time, the chances are they won’t keep doing it if given opportunities to do so. If they have started killing, immediate action is required to stop them. Good exclusion methods combined with effective control methods will be successful. Net-wire fencing and electric fencing can be effective but coyotes are smart and will learn to jump higher or dig deeper with fences. Good fences will work well with other control methods in place. Motion activated lights, sprinklers and noise can be effective in scaring them and can cover large areas. They might catch on though; they’re clever! Odor deterrents like wolf urine, moth balls and rags soaked with ammonia can work in keeping them away. Place these where you suspect they’re entering your property or in the trash cans outside your home to mask the smell of the garbage. Outside trash cans need tight fitting lids along with bungee cords to keep them closed if they’re knocked over.
Coyote Trapping & Removal
It’s not practical or wise to kill coyotes, but you will need help controlling them. There isn’t one control method that is effective in each situation, so an integrated approach most often needs to be taken. Ross Environmental Solutions offer custom coyote and wildlife control services. Contact us to come up with the best solution for your property today.
