Dana Sanchez

Dana Sanchez
she/her/hers

Wildlife Specialist

541-737-6003
[email protected]

Expertise: Wildlife , Nuisance wildlife

Links: Extension Wildlife

Department/Unit: Fisheries and Wildlife

Content by Dana Sanchez

Can I use coffee grounds for mulch without attracting bears or cougars?

Q: I'd like to use my organic light roast coffee grounds to mulch my acid loving landscape plants, but I have read that bears love coffee grounds. We have deer, bears and cougars where I live. Is this known to be true or am I safe to use the grounds without baiting bears or other critters?

A: View answer | View all featured questions

OSU Extension updates public on avian influenza in poultry and livestock

Oregon State University Extension Service quickly recognized the importance of alerting the public about the outbreak.

Dana Sanchez, Jenifer Cruickshank, Candi Bothum | Jan 2025 | Impact story

Extension field day highlights use of canines to detect voles

The goal is to use dogs to be more efficient at vole trapping.

Francesca Lear | May 29, 2024 | News story

Nesting boxes invite birds to hatch babies in home gardens

Don’t hang it and forget it. Check the box regularly to see if birds are being stalked by predators.

Kym Pokorny | Mar 31, 2024 | News story

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, 2024 | News story

Should I keep filling my hummingbird feeder in frigid temperatures?

Q: I’m wondering if it’s OK here in central Oregon to leave our hummingbird feeder up a little while longer. I just noticed a hummingbird hanging out on the feeder this morning when it was 16 degrees.

A: View answer | View all featured questions

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, 2023 | 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, 2023 | News story

Beneficial bats help control insects in the garden

Their voracious appetite for insects turns them bats into a living pesticide that saves farmers billions of dollars a year and helps rid our backyards of insects like mosquitoes, moths, grasshoppers, flies and beetles

Kym Pokorny | May 12, 2023 | News story

How to dispose of roadkill?

Q: There is a dead deer near our home. What should we do with the body? Can someone check out if it’s diseased and if it’s a health hazard? We are not sure if we should touch it or what the procedure is.

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Getting to Know Oregon’s Bats

There are 15 species of bats in Oregon. These small but mighty mammals play a vital role in our ecosystems. Learn simple things you can do to support our furry flying friends, as their habitats and species are threatened now more than ever.

Rowan Fay, Dana Sanchez | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Bats in my attic—what should I do?

Q: Before sunrise, I sit on 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.

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Big Game from Hunt to Home

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

Dana Sanchez, Joy Waite-Cusic | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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

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

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

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 ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Salmonella in 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, ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Will wildlife damage 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 ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

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 ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Nonlethal bird deterrent strategies: How to reduce fruit crop losses in Oregon

Bird predation is a significant threat to marketable yields in fruit crops. There are many avian deterrents on the market. In most cases, the best results come from a multi-pronged approach.

Scott Lukas, Logan Clark, Amanda Davis, Dana Sanchez, Linda Brewer | Nov 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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...

Dana Sanchez | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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

Rodents tunneling under my house?

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!

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Is this a gopher snake?

Q: Please identify this snake that I found on my property. I am hoping it is a gopher snake.

A: View answer | View all featured questions

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