Q: Why is it illegal to relocate wildlife? What can I do if I have a family of skunks or raccoons living on my property?

A: Relocating wildlife might seem like a humane solution when an unwanted animal (or animals) takes up residence on your property, but it’s not. When you take an animal to an unfamiliar location, it doesn’t know where food, water or shelter can be found. Most relocated animals end up dead shortly after being moved. If there is food, water and shelter available, it’s likely the new location is in another animal’s territory. The newcomer may be driven away or killed by the current residents. Additionally, diseases can be spread to new populations this way.

Sadly, too many baby animals become orphaned when their parents are trapped and relocated. Every spring, wildlife rescue groups take in orphans, many whose parents were “humanely” relocated. If an entire family is relocated, the parents can abandon or kill their offspring due to stress. Relocated animals will often return, or they will be replaced by a new set of visitors.

What should you do if you have unwanted critters residing in your yard? First, look for what may have attracted them in the first place. Is there readily available food, such as pet dishes or bird feeders? If you have fruit trees, you can remove all fallen fruit, but you may not be able to keep animals completely away. Netting or cages may work for small trees or bushes but are impractical for trees taller than 8 feet. Motion-activated sprinklers may be your best bet (these can also deter thieving neighbors).

Blocking access to nesting sites is only advisable once you are certain there are no current residents. You don’t want to seal animals in since this would doom them to starvation and create a worse problem if they die and decompose. Some people have been able to drive away animals by leaving a radio playing or leaving rags soaked with vinegar near the nesting site. Once you are sure that the site has been vacated — some recommend putting down flour to determine if there are tracks — hardware cloth that is half-inch or quarter-inch should be sufficient to exclude even mice. Smaller gaps should be filled with coarse steel wool since rodents will not chew through it.

Many years ago, an abandoned house in our neighborhood became home to a large family of barn owls. Every night felt like a scene out of “Harry Potter” as all these owls descended on the neighborhood. As I recall, nobody had a gopher problem that summer. Eventually, a family bought the house and moved in but left the nest alone because there were fledglings. Once the owls abandoned the nest, they removed it.

If you’re unsure what to do or have questions, contact your local municipal animal control service.

Have questions? Email gardening@scng.com.