Critter catcher

Les Brown baits a trap to catch an unwanted skunk making a home around a Tinker building. Trapping skunks, raccoons and other uninvited critters is part of the job for the pest control supervisor and a co-worker in the Pest Management Shop, under the Civil Engineer Group. The bait of preference? Fish-flavored cat food, the smellier the better to attract animals, said Mr. Brown. Besides loose cats, dogs and wild animals, the shop handles calls on mice and bugs too. They also fight ticks in the Glenwood Training Area, spraying before training exercises. The most unusual pest he’s relocated? “A five-foot rat snake from the seventh-floor of the Air Traffic Control tower,” Mr. Brown said. Most wildlife are relocated to places like the Urban Greenway or on private land off base. Besides keeping these animals out of buildings, it also keeps them off the runway and aircraft ramps, a very important reason for the shop, says Mr. Brown. Not all pests are native residents and keeping foreign bugs from relocating here is another aspect of Mr. Brown’s job. He regularly joins U.S. Customs or military agents to check planes landing here from overseas. (Air Force photo by Margo Wright)