Field stories from Gavin
Whatcom Wildlife Watch
What we're finding in attics, crawlspaces and yards around Whatcom County, and how we deal with it.
Heads up: these job stories may include photos of real pests and wildlife. Not for sensitive viewers.
North Bellingham
Two doors, two problems: the crawl space vents that let everybody in
One crawl space vent had a torn screen. The one next to it had no screen at all. Skunks, rats, opossums and raccoons were all using them. Here's what to check at your house.
Puget, Bellingham
Squirrels chewed a door into the attic. We installed a screen door.
Little round attic vents are prime real estate for birds and squirrels. This Puget-neighborhood vent had squirrels. Here's the before, plus a simple, effective fix with a bit of screening.
Downtown Bellingham
Downtown Bellingham's busiest wildlife highway (and the deer who ignored the roadblock)
A narrow gap between two downtown buildings turned out to be a wildlife expressway. We blocked the whole thing with traps. A deer stopped by, said hi and hopped right over.
Whatcom County
Follow the ant: how carpenter ants give away their own hideout
Carpenter ants clock in around dusk. Sit and watch for a minute and you'll see one, then another, then another. Follow the line and it leads right to their nest.
Lake Whatcom, Bellingham
Lakefront property, hedge views, all-you-can-eat lawn: the Lake Whatcom voles
A crew of voles scored prime Lake Whatcom real estate: a hedge on one side, a lawn buffet on the other. They put in their own roads and front doors. We ended the lease.
Whatcom County
He evicted the squirrels. We evicted the squatter.
First came the squirrels. Then a raccoon kicked them out, took over the roof and made some very unauthorized renovations. That innocent face in the trap? Meet the squatter.
Birchwood, Bellingham
The Birchwood skunk who declined our invitation
A skunk living under a concrete patio came out, ignored the traps and went right back to bed. The camera showed us what to change — and we caught him the next night.
Geneva / Sudden Valley
Raccoons tearing up a new lawn in Geneva, near Sudden Valley
A deer fence kept the deer out of a brand-new lawn, but raccoons kept getting in. This guy was the third and final troublemaker caught.
Lettered Streets / Columbia, Bellingham
Raccoons and opossums drawn to a plum tree in Bellingham's Lettered Streets
A plum tree dropping extra fruit brought raccoons and opossums into a backyard near the Lettered Streets and Columbia neighborhoods. We caught several of each.
Lakeway Drive, Bellingham
Sounds in the wall near Lakeway: not a squirrel, a northern flicker
The homeowners thought a squirrel was in the wall. It turned out to be a northern flicker, a native woodpecker. We freed the bird, cleared out the wall and sealed the opening for good.
Ferndale
A Ferndale attic full of live bats, and a one-way door out
Lots of live bats were roosting in a Ferndale attic. We sealed the entry points and installed a bat valve so the bats could leave on their own but not get back in.
Birch Bay
Beavers, a blocked culvert and flooding in Birch Bay
Beavers kept damming a culvert that drains a Birch Bay neighborhood, flooding the area. Removal was needed here, but most of the time the goal is to live alongside beavers.
Sudden Valley
Bats moved in after a tree hit a Sudden Valley home
A tree fell on this Sudden Valley home a few winters ago. While repairs dragged on, the house wasn't sealed up tight, and bats moved in.
Cordata, Bellingham
Rats along the green belt: a Cordata crawlspace inspection
Rats were being seen along the green belt and fence line in Cordata. We inspected the crawlspace and set bait stations around the home.
Whatcom County
Baby raccoons out of the crawlspace, and back to the wild
Two baby raccoons came out of a crawlspace, and once the adults were caught too, the whole family went free.
Lummi Island
A great blue heron out by Lummi Island
No job here, just a great blue heron fishing in the shallows. One of the perks of working around Whatcom County.
Bellingham
A deer on the raccoon trap camera
Our night camera caught a deer strolling past the raccoon traps. You never know who will stop by.
Alderwood, Bellingham
A baby skunk in a squirrel trap in Alderwood
Catching skunks and squirrels in Alderwood, a baby skunk walked into the squirrel trap. A first for Gavin, and no spray.
Whatcom County
How to move a skunk without getting sprayed (don't try this at home)
The most nerve-wracking part of skunk work: getting a caught skunk off your property without the smell. Here's exactly how we do it, step by step, on camera.
Whatcom County
The one that got away: a very curious dog vs. our trap line
Our trap camera caught a neighborhood dog giving the traps a thorough inspection — and nearly signing up for a ride. This is exactly why we watch every trap live.
Lynden
Say cheese: a Lynden raccoon up close
Not every catch needs a long story. Sometimes you just get a really good-looking raccoon.
Alabama Hill, Bellingham
Silverfish on Alabama Hill: the real problem was water
Silverfish in a garage led us to an old flood that never fully dried out. Fixing the moisture fixed the bugs.
Fairhaven, Bellingham
Raccoons running on the roof in Fairhaven
Raccoons running across the roof were keeping Fairhaven homeowners up at night. Here's the trap setup we used, right next to their hot tub.
Eliza Island
Bats in a custom cabin on Eliza Island
A trip out to Eliza Island to find how bats were getting into a custom-built cabin. The culprit: an old tree-damage repair along the roofline.
South Bellingham
The squirrel gang of South Bellingham has no idea what's coming
Five squirrels throwing a seed party right next to our multi-catch trap. Spoiler: the party is about to move indoors.
Bellingham
Taking the traps to the roof: raccoons, dogs and a tight attic in Bellingham
Several loose dogs wouldn't leave ground traps alone, so we took the traps up to the raccoons on the roof, right by their attic entry.
Barkley, Bellingham
Birds in the attic in Barkley: a loose vent screen
Birds moved into a Barkley attic through a loose vent screen. We scared them out and put in new screening.
Bellingham
Carpenter ant in Bellingham: how to tell it apart
A carpenter ant on a Bellingham floor. Here's how we ID them, and the damage they can do to your home's wood.
Whatcom County
Raccoons stop by the squirrel trap to say hi
While catching attic squirrels, two raccoons stopped by the trap to say hi. No need to catch them, but they sure ate the nuts.
South Hill, Bellingham
Sunflower seeds do the trick: a South Hill squirrel moments before the catch
Catching squirrels on Bellingham's South Hill. This clip is right before the catch, with a little food outside the trap doing its job.
Whatcom County
Lights on, raccoon in: a rare color trap video
Leaving the light on didn't keep this raccoon away. It walked right into the trap, and the light gave us a color video instead of the usual night vision.
Barkley, Bellingham
Peekaboo! A raccoon family in a Barkley carport
A mother raccoon in a Barkley carport peeked out at the homeowner every time they got into their car. She had several babies up there, and they were loud.
Whatcom County
Too cute not to snap: a squirrel all by himself
Our squirrel traps can catch several squirrels at a time, but this little guy was all by himself, and too cute not to take a picture of.
Downtown Bellingham
A rabbit visits the squirrel traps in downtown Bellingham
While we trapped squirrels that were wrecking an attic in downtown Bellingham, a rabbit stopped by to check out the traps.
Blaine
Raccoon or cat? A curious visitor tips over the camera in Blaine
One raccoon was already caught when a curious visitor came up and tipped over the camera. Was it another raccoon, or a neighborhood cat wondering what was going on?
Lynden
Five raccoons on camera, and a home sale saved, near the Lynden Fairgrounds
Raccoons turned a beautifully landscaped Lynden backyard into a latrine right while the owners were trying to sell. Trapping them let the yard shine for showings.
Everson / East Whatcom County
Bats sheltering in a wood shingle roof in Everson
Bat droppings kept showing up by the front door of an Everson home. The bats were living in the gaps of the old wood shingle roof.
North Whatcom County
Orb weaver spider season in North Whatcom County
Every fall, orb weaver spiders show up all over Whatcom County. This one was hanging from a porch roof in North Whatcom.
Sudden Valley
Bat guano in a Sudden Valley attic: the new roof already solved it
Bats used to live in this Sudden Valley attic. Our inspection showed the new roof and ridge vent are keeping them out. The droppings were left over from before.
Lakeway / Bellingham
Overgrown plants invite rodents off Lakeway Drive in Bellingham
Ferns and shrubs packed against the house gave rodents a hidden highway right to an open gap. A good reminder to keep plants trimmed back.
Bellingham
Dampwood termite swarmers under a basement shower near WWU
Pacific dampwood termite swarmers were coming out from under a shower in a basement apartment near WWU. The real culprit: water getting into the wood.
Whatcom County
A praying mantis on the jobsite
No action needed. Just a very cool praying mantis that stopped by the jobsite.
Whatcom County
Just a cool moth on the window
No treatment needed. Just a beautiful moth resting on a window that we had to stop and admire.
Whatcom County
Just passing through: deer on the job
No trapping, no treatment. Sometimes the best wildlife sighting of the day is one we simply get to enjoy.
Seeing something similar?
Text Gavin a photo and he'll tell you what you're dealing with.