SHREW CONTROL

    This article is about SHREW control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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   Shrews are a small, mouse sized mammal which have long
snouts, small eyes and a five clawed toe. It's head is
much more narrow than a rodents and they many times have
dark tipped teeth. This is a mineral pigmentation which
serves to protect tooth wear. Unlike rodents, shrews do
not grow teeth that can stand to wear down. The commonly
found house shrew lacks this pigmentation but other
traits make it easy to identify. Shrews have cork screw
shaped feces and like flying squirrels, will many times
choose one or two locations which they readily use over
and over as a kind of "bathroom". Shrews are commonly
mistaken for either mice or moles but are entirely
different. There are similar qualities between mice
and shrews but one could argue that shrews are more
closer in relation to a mole. Like moles, shrews are
mostly insectivores and they have a ferocious appetite.
This is due to their rapid metabolism which is similar
to a moles. However, shrews are commonly mistaken for
mice. This happens when shrews move into vacated nest
sites that used to house mice. Since they will do the
same with vacant mole burrows, shrews are commonly
misidentified for both mice and moles. Watch this
short video to see just what one looks like close up.



   Shrews are found all over the world with over 30
species living in North America alone. They are amongst
the worlds smallest mammals and can exist where it is
very cold, rainy or arid. Furthermore, it has been hard
to determine which species, if any, are regionalized
or inclining or declining in population. This is due to
the limited amount of research and data available. It
is widely known that populations appear to be stable
and cyclical. Since shrews can have 2-4 litters a year,
they are not as prolific as rodents. However, their
average life it longer and quite commonly exceeds two
years in the wild. Most litters will have 2-10 young
and it will take about one month for a female to
birth the litter.
   Shrews live primarily on insects. They will readily
eat grasshoppers, wasps, crickets, snails and earthworms.
However, they will also eat mice, small birds, snakes
and slugs. Shrews will also feed on seeds around bird
feeders, eggs in bird houses and all kinds of flowers,
fruits, vegetables and plant bulbs. This type of feeding
is why most people do not like them around the home.
Since they have a fast metabolism, shrews will generally
feed every few hours and don't ever rest. Like moles,
they can consume their body weight 2 or more times every 
day! This makes them a menace in and around homes.
   Though shrews have a great sense of smell, they have
poor vision. Certain species actually use echo location -
more commonly used by bats - to navigate the terrain
in which they live. Their sense of smell is probably
what they use the most to move throughout their
territory. Shrews have pungent smelling glands which
are used to mark these territories as well as set up
social order regarding colonies, courting and reproduction.
In fact, this odor is another reason why shrews are
not a welcome guest in the home. Shrews will commonly 
follow mouse trails looking for a meal. Once inside
the home, shrews will prey upon the mice they find and
then live where the mice once lived. In a short
period of time, their odor will become quite apparent.
And even though shrews can navigate during the night,
they are not truly nocturnal. Shrews will readily feed
during the day and basically will become active as
their dietary needs demand going about to feed whenever 
the local environment will best provide a meal.
   Shrews can become a pest to people many ways. As
explained above, once inside the home, shrews will
leave a strong pungent odor where they are active. It
is quite easy to smell this outside in the yard and in
the home it can become quite overpowering. Since Shrews
like to feed on small birds and eggs - including both 
wild birds nesting as well as chicken eggs - they can
be quite damaging to local bird populations. Many farmers
experience a lot of damage which is hard to imagine 
something as small as a shrew could have caused.
However, their rapid metabolism will cause them to feed
more like an animal 3-5 times as large. Hatcheries are 
amongst their favorite places to feed as are private 
fish ponds, crayfish farms and just about any small
body of water which harbors fish or other marine life.
Around the home, shrews will find or create living
areas close to bird feeders, pets and gardens. Since
they will eat nuts, pet food and just about any type 
of fruit or vegetable, shrews can find plenty of
food supplies around the average home. If the
supply of food dwindles, they will forage into
homes and start to pilfer pantries and other food
storage areas. 
   
   
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE SHREWS, TAKE SOME ACTION.....

   If you think you have shrews active in and around 
the yard and don't want them getting into your home, 
there are some things you can do. First, you can
try setting out some repellent. Though nothing has
proven to be all that effective at keeping shrews
entirely away, COYOTE URINE or FOX URINE may be
enough of a warning to send them along their way.
Both coyote and fox are natural predators of shrews
and are drawn to the pungent smell and odor found
where shrews are active. Shrews know the distinctive
odor of these predators and will tend to avoid
areas where they think either may be living or
feeding. Make urine placements around your property,
about every 10 feet, setting out 1-2 oz at any
one location. Coyote and fox use their odor and
urine for scenting their territories. Such locations
serve as a warning to other local animals and will
generally alert small animals of prey which know
the scent. Shrews rely on their acute sense of smell
and will usually avoid turf where coyote or fox
appear to be present. If you reside in regions that
experience a lot of rainfall, consider making your
urine placements with LIQUID GUARDS. These protective
containers will enable urine to last 1-2 months per
application thus making it all the more cost 
effective to use. 
   If you had a lot of mole activity and are now
finding shrews taking over the abandoned burrows,
apply some WHOLE CONTROL over the turf which has
the nesting. This material is generally used for
moles and voles but it will work on any burrowing
type animal. For shrews, the best way to use it
is to spray it out over all the yard which has
burrows you think may be occupied. Next, take some
time to walk out over the turf and try to step
on all the burrows causing them to collapse flat.
Any shrews that are nesting in the ground will
then try to resurrect the burrows by digging back
through them. This action will cause them to come
in contact with the soil treated with the Whole
Control and it's bad taste will cause them to 
relocate. Whole Control is not a poison and won't
hurt any non-target animal. However, it is bad
tasting and does a good job of stopping animals
which like to burrow or dig in the ground.
   Another natural way to keep shrew populations in
check is to help promote the welfare of local owls. 
These magnificent birds of prey are one of the few 
which will readily feed on shrews. Due to the shrews
pungent odor, many prey animals and birds will ignore
them. However, owls don't seem to mind. Set out 
either a SCREECH OWL or a BARN OWL house if you have
some in your region. Such houses, when properly made
and installed, have high occupancy rates. Once you have
either species living in your offering, they will
undoubtedly give something back to you by feeding on
unwanted shrews, mice and rats. Owls are mostly
nocturnal and cover a large area so try to make your
house placement where it is dark and near the woods.
This will insure they are both comfortable and able
to find enough food for themselves and any offspring
should they reproduce.
   Lastly, take some time to make sure your home is
adequately rodent proof. Shrews, like mice and rats,
are good climbers and will access homes from both
low and high points. If you have shrew activity 
around your home, it is only a matter of time before
some get inside if you have easy access points.
Such locations are usually found where pipes enter
the home, poorly sealed windows or doors as well
as misfitted vents. Take some time to seal all
these areas and use materials that won't break
down easily. COPPER WOOL is a great way
to quickly and effectively seal up such holes.
It's easy to work with and won't rot away like
regular steel wool. Its made from copper so it
will last a lifetime. Furthermore, animals don't
like to gnaw at it so once its installed, there
it will stay. Use it for a quick and permanent
way to close all entry points to your home. Such
gaps and holes are sure to lead to something
unwanted getting inside so don't give them the
chance. Inspect your home twice a year to insure 
no new settlement crack has formed that needs to 
be sealed. Houses will become vulnerable over time 
and the best way to prevent any local infestation 
is most easily accomplished when entry points are 
kept to a minimum.


WHAT TO DO ONCE SHREWS ARE FOUND INSIDE YOUR HOME

   Once you have a local infestation, don't do any
closure till the problem is under control and no
more activity is present. The job can usually be
finished in 1-2 weeks but ultimately will depend
on just how many shrews are presently active and
how many trapping devices you employ. Remember, the
more traps installed, the faster you will be 
able to get the problem under control. However, we
cannot over emphasize how important it is to NEVER
seal any holes until all activity has ceased. Only
at that point should you do closure. If you do, the
shrews will simply chew new holes in other areas.
It is far better to leave the current trails and entry
points in place. By knowing where they have been active
you can then watch and monitor such locations as
well as use them for making trap sets. In other words,
such locations are good to know and will prove to be
helpful in getting any local population under control.
   There are two types of trap styles which work
on shrews. You will have to decide which type to
use; either a kill trap or a live trap. There are
two kill traps which are quite effective when set
in the right location. The first is the common
Mouse Trap. However, don't use any which are old
or employ the metal trigger design. You will get
much better results with the EXPANDED TRIGGER TRAP.
Place these along any wall, behind appliances
or anywhere you are finding evidence of activity.
The most important thing to realize when using 
this type of trap is that you must make a set
using a lure or bait that will be readily
accepted by the local shrew population. Since
shrews will feed on just about anything, it really
helps when you are able to match the bait used
in the trap to what the shrews are already finding
in or around your property. There are several
choices that could work and if you are not sure
which to try, get as many as possible and use them
all. This will always get results. If you are
finding fruits or vegetables in the garden or
kitchen being attacked, use some LOGANBERRY PASTE.
If you have a lot of nuts on the property from
trees or bird feeders, PECAN PASTE would be a
better option. Since shrews like insects, the old
reliable bait is our GRUB LURE. But if you believe
the shrews have been feeding on a population
of established mice, use our SNAKE BAIT. Don't
let the name mislead you; since snakes commonly
feed on mice, this lure is used when trapping
them. However, it will work well on shrews too.
If you are not sure what they have been eating, 
then either the Grub Lure or the Snake Bait 
should do the trick. Both insects and mice are 
amongst any shrews favorites when it comes to 
eating so either attractant will get good results. 
Once you have the trap and the lure, the next key
is proper placement.
   When using Expanded Traps, there are two
things you need to accomplish for successful
trapping. First, use as many as possible. Though
setting out 6 might seem like a lot, the use
of 12 would even be better. The placement of these
traps should be where you have either found
holes, trails, damaged food in cabinets or pantries,
droppings or where shrews have been seen. Which
ever lure you end up using, the next key is to
use enough of it on the trap. To insure you do,
you must coat the entire square trigger of the
trap with the lure. Use your finger or cotton
swab to smear the chosen lure all around the 
trigger of the trap making sure to get the bottom
side of it covered. Next, smear some underneath
the trigger directly onto the wood of the trap.
This will cause the wood to soak up the scent of
the lure being used and make it that much more
irresistible to any passing shrew. Once baited,
make sets along walls and against solid objects.
Remember, shrews don't see well and need to have
something solid along any trail or pathway
they follow. This could be behind a couch, 
refrigerator, stove, back side of a cabinet or
pantry, along a basement or garage wall, etc.
Lastly, make sure the trigger side of the trap
is closest to the wall and not the side of 
the trap. In other words, make the set with the
trigger up against the wall so no matter which
side the shrew may approach from, it will encounter
the trigger first and not the jaws of the trap.
This will enable the trap to do it's job even if
the shrew just walks right in without seeing where
it is walking. You won't get the same results 
if you have the trap laid sideways along the wall
so make sure this set is utilized. Be sure to
inspect your traps at least once a day but not
more then twice a day as this could get any local
animals a little shy.
   The second type of kill trap that works well
for shrews is the ELECTROCUTING DEVICE. These
box like traps are very effective because they
have wide open entrances which are comfortable for 
shrews to enter. Bait is placed at the back of
the trap and in order for the shrew to reach the
bait, it will have to step on the mid section of
the device. Make sure you use one of the lures
listed above and place a teaspoonful at the back
of the device WITH THE DEVICE TURNED OFF AND THE
BATTERIES OUT. This insures you won't get "stung"
by accidently grounding yourself out. Next, place
a dab or two at the entrance way, around the 
edges, to help funnel target animals inside. Shrews
that enter will meet their demise when they get to
the mid section of the trap. It is at this point
where a "ground out" pad will cause the trap to 
complete its circuit which is powered by batteries.
When the circuit is complete, there is a small
electric charge which will power through whatever
causes the ground out. This charge is enough to kill 
mice, shrews and rats but can't hurt animals which 
weigh 10 pounds or more. Grounded animals will
receive enough juice to die quickly and painlessly. 
Each trap has a light on top for easy monitoring so 
you will know when it is on and when it has gone off. 
Shrews which are killed in the trap will remain 
inside and will easily slide out for fast and easy
removal. All you have to do next is turn the unit 
back off and back on again for reset. Electrocuting
Devices are quick, easy and very effective for
shrew control.
   If you prefer not to kill the target shrews, you
can live trap out existing populations. About the
same size as the Electrocution Device, the LT3310
should be set in all the same places with the same
kind of bait placed in the back of it. Place some
small dabs at the entrance as well to help get the
shrews headed inside. However, this trap won't kill
targeted shrews that enter. Instead, a door will
close behind them trapping them inside. Once trapped,
you can either destroy or relocate the animal. Be
sure to take any you intend on releasing at least 
one mile from your property to insure they won't
return. If you release them on a wooded lot, there
will assuredly be enough food for them to survive.
Live trapping is easy and can be done both inside
and outside. Use the same locations for making
a set as you would if you were using Kill Traps.
Such areas should be along walls, in basements,
in crawl spaces, behind appliances or along the
foundation wall outside. Remember too that the
more traps you set out the faster you will be able
to round up all the shrews which are active.
In other words, trapping with just one trap 
will get you results but could take several weeks
to remove all which are around your home and
property. 2-3 traps working at the same time will
provide much faster results as well as help to
identify good locations for making sets. If you
have 2-3 traps working at the same time and only
one seems to be catching shrews, be sure to move
the others close to the one which is working best.
Pathways which are identified as being active should
be targeted and sets should focus around them if
you want to get fast results.


ONCE THE ACTIVE SHREWS HAVE BEEN REMOVED...........

   Once you start trapping out shrews, at some point
you will be able to start sealing up holes and doing
closure to insure they won't get back inside. Do
this only after you are able to note at least a two
week period with no activity in the home. At that
point it will be safe to say you have removed all
that were currently active and can now safely seal
any entry points. Use the Copper Steel Wool described
above for small holes along with some caulk and
hardware cloth where applicable.
   If you have areas that need disinfection due to
the extreme pungent odor left by shrews, use some
ODOR DESTROYER. This material is enzymal in nature
and does a great job of breaking up organic odors
like that left by dogs, cats and other animals. Just
spray it out over the areas where you smell old
trails and within a few days the odor scent particles
will be broken down and metabolized. Odor Destroyer
can be mopped out, sponged on or applied with several
different SPRAYERS. Use it outside on mulch and long
foundation walls where they left their scent; such
areas will continue to carry the odor for a year or
more if you don't do something to remove it. More
importantly, these same odors will attract new
shrews to the area - especially if you had a female
on the property. To prevent this from happening,
remove all scents.

   Shrews are a hardy and persistent pest once they
establish themselves on your property. If you have
a natural landscape which is rich with nuts, seed,
insects and wildlife, chances are high that shrews
will like to live there as well. Once they move into
the neighborhood, their feeding habits will have
an immediate impact on all the local animals. If 
left unchecked, they will commonly move inside any
home. Keep them out by doing extensive closure around
the structure sealing off any entrance holes you find
around pipes, windows, doorways, etc. Reduce infestations
using either kill traps or live traps along with some
of the special baits available. Deodorize scent trails
and nest sites with Odor Destroyer to insure other
shrews won't find your home quite as easily. 

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