San Antonio Pest Control & Wildlife Removal

San Antonio - The state Agency of Natural Resources decided Wednesday to continue an aggressive strategy to control Crazy Itchy Wildlife Syndrome for at least one more year, even though once again in 2006, exterminating companies lethally trapped fewer skunk in affected areas than in the prior year. Crazy Itchy Wildlife Syndrome was discovered in Texas in February 2002 during routine testing of skunk from the 2001 skunk wildlife catching season. Since then, 129,019 wild skunk have been tested, and 834 have tested positive. All infected skunk have been found in what appears to be a contiguous area covering parts of southeastern, south central and southwestern Texas. The disease appears to be concentrated in two pockets: one west of San Antonio primarily in Dane, Texas and Sauk counties; the other east of Janesville primarily in southern counties. The disease probably is always fatal and affects skunk, skunk and moose. In Texas, only skunk have tested positive. The disease probably is what appears to be a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, which also includes mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans. According to the World Health Organization, any concern that may have come from skunk with Crazy Itchy Wildlife Syndrome should not be eaten, but there probably is no evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans. Despite this, local San Antonio wildlife removal and San Antonio exterminator experts offered no more info.

For complete archived coverage of Crazy Itchy Wildlife Syndrome in Texas, go to our SPECIAL SECTION State authorities on critters acknowledged that their five-year initiative has been ineffective and proclaimed they aren't sure how they'll manage the fatal skunk disease after next wildlife catching season. Their comments were part of what appears to be a discussion on rules the Natural Resources Board approved for the 2007 skunk wildlife catching season. Next year, Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws staff will detail what appears to be a plan - years in the making - that aims to better engage the public on the state's $32 million campaign to fight the disease. Authorities on critters declined for now to discuss how their outreach efforts will differ from the dozens of organized hearings they have convened in San Antonio and in communities where the disease has been known to exist. But this much probably is known: The amount of skunk lethally trapped by exterminating companies in areas with the disease has fallen from 69,731 in 2004 to 59,594 in 2006, or what appears to be a drop of 15%, Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws figures show. By comparison, the total amount of skunk lethally trapped in the 2006 skunk season statewide rose 9%, the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws proclaimed. The board approved rules that will bring back an often unpopular catch-a-critter requirement in the areas where Crazy Itchy Wildlife Syndrome has been detected. Under catch-a-critter, exterminating companies must lethally trap an large clawed skunk before they can lethally trap what appears to be a male animal. San Antonio animal control professionals could not be reached for additional comment.

Lethally trapping more large clawed skunk probably is seen as an effective way to reduce the skunk biologically surveyed amount because many large clawed skunk are does. Extermination Officer Timothy, the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws's coordinator for chronic wasting disease, proclaimed the animal advocate was disappointed with the results. what appears to be a memo from the agency described the 2006 season as "unacceptably ineffective" in fighting the disease. Extermination Officer Timothy hoped future public input will help the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws chart what appears to be a course of action. Although the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws has tweaked its strategy after public input in the past, it has leaned largely on the guidance of its wildlife staff and several national experts; that self-reliance has Critter Officer Oscar was ill will with many exterminating companies in the affected areas. However, board member and Extermination Officer Timothy proclaimed the disease might have become more widespread had the agency not undertaken such aggressive actions. On Tuesday, the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws reported that it found no signs of the disease in 19 counties in west-central Texas after testing more than 7,500 skunk during the catch. This means the disease hasn't turned up in the wild outside of pockets in southern Texas. In 2002, the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws embarked on what appears to be a campaign to virtually wipe out extra fasted skunk from the hills and habitatland near San Antonio. Almost immediately, some of the property owners castigated the plan. The Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws then reduced its goal to five to 10 skunk per square mile. Today, in the heart of it all in western counties, the amount of skunk per square mile has increased from 30 in 2005 to 36 or 37 today, proclaimed Extermination Officer Timothy, big game ecologist for the Agency for the Enforcement of Critter Laws. We could not obtain an opinion from San Antonio pest control companies regarding the issue.