Last week’s article on varmint control must have been popular because I had several people ask why I did not cover other varmints that are more of a headache for them. I apologize. I will address them today.

However, before I start I need to mention something important. At 9 a.m. on Jan. 22 at the extension office we will have a pesticide applicator training. Anyone that needs certification to spray any type of restricted pesticide needs to attend this training.

It lasts a little over an hour and cost $10.

Also, by popular demand, Mississippi State University will be offering a 12-week Master Gardener Training from Feb. 24 until April 2 lasting every Tuesday and Thursday.

This is a great way to expand your knowledge of all aspects of horticulture and gardening. Topics include: lawn management, propagation, entomology, ornamentals, vegetables, diseases and many more. Call the office at 601-445-8201 to register or receive more information on either program.

Opossums can be pests and headaches, but they are also very unique animals. They have 50 teeth which is more than any other mammal in North America, and they are also the only marsupial in North America. Like kangaroos the helpless young enter their mother’s pouch 13 days after mating and develop there for 7 to 8 weeks before entering the world.

Opossum’s primary damage in our area is invading trash cans searching for vegetable or fruit remains. They are not as destructive as the raccoon or armadillo in terms of destroying gardens or lawns. However like others they are easiest to control by trapping. Opossums are somewhat easy to trap and both the box traps and leg snares are efficient. I would recommend the box traps to reduce any physical contact between you and them. Box traps that work for opossums also work well for raccoons, armadillos, skunks, stray cats or other unwanted creatures of similar size.

Skunks have been a nuisance long before Warner Brothers ever created Peppy Le Pew. Skunks are primarily nocturnal creatures and even though they dig for insects and worms at times our greatest concern is their odor.

Skunks prefer to find shelter in logs or limb piles but often find your porch or shed just as comfortable. While in college working on the LSU farms we would spend many nights on skunk patrol removing them from feed sheds and hay barns.

Thankfully we do have better ways to handle them now if they are torturing your neighborhood. They are tough to find but there are fumigants and repellants labeled for skunk control. Using moth balls or an ammonium solution for a repellant can deter them from staying under your house. If they have burrows dug there are two different gas cartridges registered for fumigating skunks that simply fill the hole up with gas and result in death.

If you use a box trap to catch a skunk research has proven that having the trap completely covered with a thick tarp is effective in preventing an odor discharge during removal. Most animals mentioned last week and this week can be controlled by shooting, however, this is not recommend for removing skunks. Unless skunks are shot and the spinal cord is severed, they will discharge an odor that remains around for some time making you wish you would have done otherwise.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extensions Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.