Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference

 Alameda County Vector Control Services District (ACVCSD) responds to requests for service regarding mesocarni­vores due to their proximity to humans and potential as a rabies vector. Mesocarnivore related calls are the most common wildlife related calls with striped skunks, raccoons, and Virginia opossums being the most common species. They are adapted to suburban and urban environments and readily exploit human resources. We investigated these requests for services and categorized them by call type. We looked at the frequency of call types related to potentially seasonal behaviors and created a histogram to determine if certain types of calls are seasonal and if they are seasonal, to determine the temporal range and peak frequencies. We then compared the frequency and temporal range of these call types with information from academic institutions. We used this information to create an estimated timeline when these behaviors occur in Alameda County.