Reasons You Want the Shrew to Shoo Away

The Southern Short-tailed Shrew lives in most parts of Alabama. And if you find one in your home, you have a big problem. Homeowners all over Alabama are saying “Shoo Shrew,” and here is why shrew removal is critical.

What is a Shrew?

A funny little thing, the shrew, is not very well known. That may be because they are often confused with other mammals. Not to mention, they are nocturnal, so you would only spot them in the evening or early morning hours. Here are some of the ways you can identify a shrew.

Fun Fact #1: Did you know the term shrew is used to describe a woman with a violent, scolding, or nagging temperament?

Fun Fact #2: The Ancient Egyptians considered the shrew to be the spirit of darkness.

Appearance:

Specifically, a southern short-tailed shrew is a small, gray, short-tailed mammal. They look like a tiny mouse or a little rat (the rodent family.) However, they are not in the rodent family; they are in the Soricidae family. The southern short-tailed shrews of Alabama are around 2.8-4.2 inched in length and weigh less than an ounce.

The shrew’s furry tail is shorter than half of the length of their head and body together. They have a long pointy snout, small eyes, and tiny ears covered by their thick fur. As tiny diggers, they have powerful front feet that are a bit bigger than the back feet.

Shrew Habitat:

The Short-tailed shrew is most commonly found in moist, drained forests where burrowing is plentiful. Their burrows lie two levels deep and are often beneath a log.

As insectivores, the shrew likes any area full of juicy grubs and insects. In the winter, they will eat seeds, nuts, fruits, and fungi when the insects aren’t as apparent. As long as they eat an amount equaling their weight each day, they are satisfied with anything they can overpower.

The Damage Shrews Can Create

Homeowners definitely want to shoo away a shrew when found. Some may think it is a blessing to have a shrew in the home, as they will eat small mice and help with rident control. However, the negative is the pungent smell of the shrew. You can smell a shrew when it is near in the open air. So, imagine if one got into your home. The damage can be extensive.

In Your Home

You should know, these little mammals can fall into window wells, attack pets, birds, and other mammals with their venomous bite. While not dangerous to humans, they will bite people if they handle them. And let’s face it, most wild vermin carry disease with their bites.

Shrews will get into stored food containers, pet food, and bird feeders. But that is not the worst of what they can do to your home. A shrew will defecate in one or two areas of the house, creating a pile. They urinate and defecate where they live, so it builds up and seeps into the very fabric of your home. Shrews can be disgusting little pests, for sure.

In Alabama

The largest complaint about the shrew concerning the environment and the state of Alabama is with the feeding habits of the shrew. These little pests will climb trees and damage the eggs in a bird’s nest and eat all bird feeders’ seeds. If there was a large population, they could effectively damage the area’s bird population.

How to Control Shrews

Outdoors, homeowners can gain control over shrews through various common mole and mouse removal tricks.

• Castor Oil is a repellant, due to the intense smell, disliked by most moles and rodents.
• Owls, cats, and large dogs can scare the population away from the area.
• Keeping the yard clear of yard waste and overgrown brush allows no place for the shrew to begin the burrow.
• Set live traps in conjunction with oats and peanut butter or bacon grease as bait.
• Snap traps can be placed in the yard with careful monitoring so that pets and others do not get into the trap.

Indoors, eliminating the shrews swiftly, is critical, or the odor will take over. Small traps such as mouse or chipmunk traps can effectively capture the shrew and release them far away. Other traps like snap traps or electronic traps work as well, to eradicate the shrews for good.

Covenant Wildlife Removal Will Shoo the Shrews Away

At Covenant Wildlife Removal, we recognize the need for swift action when there is a shrew problem in or around a home. There is no shrew we cannot catch and remove. Once the shrew is gone, the area will be disinfected and deodorized.

There is no way you want to handle a shrew infestation on your own. Contact Covenant Wildlife Removal to shoo the stinky shrew once and for all.