Dana Sanchez

Dana Sanchez
Photo: Hannah O'Leary
she/her/hers

Wildlife Specialist

541-737-6003
[email protected]

Expertise: Wildlife , Nuisance Wildlife

Links: https://fw.oregonstate.edu/fisheries-and-wildlife/extension-wildlife

Department/Unit: Fisheries and Wildlife

Content by Dana Sanchez

Bats in my attic—what should I do?

Q: Before sunrise, I sit in my deck and a couple of times recently, I've seen a bat fly into the eves and not come out. I can see there is a separation where a bat could squeeze in. I am wondering what to do to get rid of the bats and not put my family at risk of disease.

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Big Game from Hunt to Home

Describes techniques to handle game in the field, to butcher, and to store meat.

Dana Sanchez | Aug 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

How do we help our backyard hummingbird?

Q: I am wondering if I can get more information on the hummingbird that has decided to nest outside my Portland window. Can you tell me what kind of hummingbird it is and are there any interesting facts about their nesting ...

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Why are we finding so many dead birds?

Q: In the past week I have found 5 dead golden finches in our yard. We do not have a cat nor do our neighbors. It’s been cold obviously. No sign of harm or foul play, just whole and dead. We get suet, cylinders, ...

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Are squirrels killing my old growth juniper?

Q: We have an old growth juniper on our property, and it has been taken over by squirrels. They have made their homes underneath the tree. I am afraid they will weaken the root structure, and the tree could fall over in ...

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When I can move a robin's nest?

Q: We have a robin currently building a nest right outside of a busy in and out entryway into our backyard. They've been here before but this is the first time they put their nest directly in the walking path. It doesn't ...

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Nonlethal Bird Deterrent Strategies: Methods for reducing fruit crop losses in Oregon

Bird predation is a significant threat to marketable yields in fruit crops. Loss estimates are about 10% to 20% in blueberries, 5% to 30% in cherries, and 5% to 10% in grapes. However, some vineyard sites have reported up ...

Scott Lukas, Amanda Davis, Dana Sanchez, Linda Brewer | Sep 2020 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Oh Rats! Dealing with Non-native Rodents in the Garden

Join Dr. Dana Sanchez (Oregon State University Extension Wildlife Specialist) for a special session on managing rats in yards, gardens, and compost piles.

Dana Sanchez, Brooke Edmunds | May 2020 | Video

Coyotes: Wild & Free

Coyotes have continued to expand their range in Oregon and thus human vs. coyote issues have been multiplying. Understanding the coyote’s ecology is critical to learning how to manage both the animal and ourselves in order to...

Dana Sanchez | May 2020 | Video

Dueling with Diggers: Gophers, Moles, Voles, and Ground Squirrels

This presentation will increase your understanding of the biology of common digging pests including gophers, moles, voles, and ground squirrels.

Dana Sanchez, Brooke Edmunds | Apr 2020 | Video

How can we help our captive fawn?

Q: A new fawn has been born in our horses 7 acre "dry lot" turnout. I have seen the mother and the little one looks healthy. We live in Central Oregon and the dry lot is primarily Juniper trees and Mustard weed because ...

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How do I move a shrub with a nest?

Q: Arborvitae line my back fence and I want to remove them and replace them with fruit trees. However, a pair of scrub jays is nesting in the arborvitae. I am not in an imminent hurry, but how can I eventually remove the arbor vitae with minimal disruption to the jays?

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How can I keep crows and jays from being hogs?

Q: Do you have a seed type recommendation or other techniques and strategies for discouraging crows and jays from monopolizing my feeders. These corvids scratch all the seed out onto the ground and chase away the songbirds I'm trying to serve.

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Manage Wildlife Conflicts in Your Home and Garden

Our homes and gardens often overlap with spaces and resources used by wild animals, both native and non-native. A "shared habitat" situation can pose some challenges when the animals' day-to-day activities come into conflict with ...

Dana Sanchez | Mar 2019 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Shared habitat: How we can unpack potential wildlife conflicts

Presentation about avoiding conflicts with wildlife in the garden.

Dana Sanchez | Jan 2019 | Presentation

How can we save the squirrels?

Q: Recently, when I drove on the road, I saw a squirrel died in the road almost every day! How can we help them avoid being hit by cars?

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Extension Wildlife

General wildlife info, preventative measures and managing human-wildlife conflict, encouraging wildlife use of your area, pathways into the wildlife profession, etc.

Dana Sanchez | Sep 2018 | Online resource

What is munching my chickens?

Q: I had a bunch of my chickens get their heads bit off while in their gated area and inside their coop when the door was left open. Any idea what animal eats the heads off chickens and how do I eliminate this creature?

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How do I handle sparrow bullies?

Q: We have been trying to attract swallows back to our neighborhood, and after 15 years we have a nesting pair in our yard. We have noticed sparrows trying to evict our family of swallows. The babies have not yet fledged, and we are concerned. What can we do?

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My patio has an uninvited guest, how do I get her to duck out?

Q: I live in a second floor condo overlooking a man made lake. I have window boxes on my deck rail containing geraniums and sweet potato vine. On the deck I have pots containing basil, thyme, and million bells. A female ...

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Crows are eating my slug bait, what can I do?

Q: I have been using slug pellets to control the slug and snail population in the yard with great success. Now the crows are eating every bit of it. The moment I put it out and go inside the crows are in the yard eating it up. Have not found a sick or dead crow in the area. Any suggestions?

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Skunk! How do I get my stinky house guest to leave?

Q: I have a skunk which has set up house keeping under my house and I hear it digging in different areas in my walls (under the shower, around lines of heat pump etc.) its been here about 2 months. How do I get it out from under my house and go somewhere else?

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My foundation is squirrelly, is this bad?

Q: We live next to a hazelnut orchard. Squirrels have tunneled under my house. Should I be concerned about this, what damage can they do and what can I do to get rid of them! During an inspection under the house a year ago I was told that there was a lot of nuts but very little damage!

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We have a cougar crowding our space, how do we get him to move along?

Q: How can I get a cougar to leave the area behind my home. We have young children and pets. My animals are afraid to go out even during the day. A friend of mine got on my roof tonight and spotted the Cougar with a flashlight.

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Oregon has so many ants, where are the anteaters?

Q: Oregon has lots of ants. Why aren't there any anteaters (or aardvarks)?

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Where have all the possums gone?

Q: We are noticing fewer possums either alive or dead on the roads or roaming at night as compared to when we lived here in the valley 30 years ago. Has something changed?

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We are losing the battle of the bird feeder, how can we call a truce?

Q: I have a very active wild bird feeding area about 15' and about 30 yards from our house next to the Deschutes River in pines with an open meadow across the river. Hawks have discovered the birds and are attacking them. Any suggestions?

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Getting hit high and low: Options for managing bird and vole damage

Blueberry growers must manage several vertebrate pests that pose risks for fruit yield, fruit quality, and plant survival. Many concerns derive from damage by deer, birds, and voles. Basic tactics to manage wildlife conflicts fall...

Dana Sanchez | Mar 2015 | Article

How can I keep cougars from eating us?

Q: We are looking to buy a house in Corvallis. We are looking at a property near the NE boundary of the OSU lamb barns property. I'm looking for information about cougar/human interactions in that area, specifically with the ...

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Feel the love, gopher snakes!

Q: Please ID this snake ...I'm hoping it is a gopher snake.

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Frog serenade not appreciated.

Q: I am new to the area and we bought a house in the city with a water feature that has attracted loud frogs. What might I do to get rid of them as they are disturbing our needed sleep.

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Exotic Dog Treat Safe?

Q: We walk where nutria are living and my dog loves to eat their scat when she finds it. Can this give her a disease ?

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Back to Capistrano Please

Q: What can I do to keep the birds (barn swallows I think) from building the mud nests under the eves--the birds do not bother me but the poop they drop on arrival makes a mess of the side of my shop.

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Tasty hummingbird feeder recipe.

Q: What is the best homemade solution for a hummingbird feeder?

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Wildlife on your land: Boon or bane?

Useful concepts and reminders, How conflicts might arise, Basics on how we can manage conflicts, Usual suspects and some specific strategies, How we can provide opportunities

Dana Sanchez | Jul 2011 | Presentation

Feed birds in winter with berry-bearing plants

Birds eat berries in winter for food to give them the energy they need to survive the prolonged stress of cold and wet weather.

Kym Pokorny | Jan 16, 2021 | News story

Nesting boxes invite birds to hatch babies in home gardens

There's more to think about than just hanging up a birdhouse

Kym Pokorny | Mar 31, 2017 | News story

Picking up baby birds can do more harm than good

Identifying the age of a bird is crucial in how you deal with one that's on the ground.

Kym Pokorny | Apr 9, 2021 | News story

Beneficial bats help control insects in the garden

Bats can eat their weight in insects in one day, providing important pest control.

Kym Pokorny | Jun 15, 2018 | News story

Moles, voles and gophers dig the garden

Moles, voles and gophers all create tunnels and are active underground, but what they eat and the damage they cause varies. They all improve the soil by aerating it and mixing nutrients, but sometimes their habits get them in trouble with gardeners.

Kym Pokorny | May 16, 2022 | News story

Barring wildlife helps get your space back

Sometimes, it's best to learn to live with the animals that also call our gardens home.

Kym Pokorny | May 17, 2019 | News story

Experts: It’s OK to leave up bird feeders as avian flu outbreak reaches state

Currently veterinarians say there is very low risk to native songbirds from the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain.

Kym Pokorny | Jun 3, 2022 | News story

Tips for keeping rats out of home and garden

When neighbors work together to discourage rats, the results are better than going it alone.

Kym Pokorny | Aug 16, 2019 | News story

Releasing non-native fish to control mosquitoes is often ineffective and harmful to environment

"Do-it-yourself” solutions aren’t effective for mosquito control, and they aren’t good for the environment.

Chris Branam | Jul 29, 2022 | News story

Put out the welcome mat for birds in winter

If you are feeding backyard birds, be sure to continue through winter when they need the nutrition.

Kym Pokorny | Oct 25, 2019 | News story

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