How does behavior of animals change in the spring in Northern VA
With weather changes, comes changes to animals and their habits and behaviors. As the weather becomes warmer and the sun stay out longer, you might notice an increase in animal activity. Some of these animals will be nuisance animals and tear up your yard, cause destruction or disrupt the health, happiness and wellbeing of your home and members of your household. While some people notice animals in their attic and other parts of their home in the winter to keep warm, your attic is still a spot for animals to dwell and keep cool during the warmer months.
Waking from hibernation: Some animals in Northern Virginia are waking up from their winter slumber. Animals that hibernate include: groundhogs, bats and snakes. Some animals that are less active in the winter, but are not true hibernators are foxes, opossums, raccoons and deer. Hibernation is a process that some animals or even amphibians take part in to conserve their body fat during a time that is cold and offers less food. Hibernation typically starts in mid to late fall and lasts through the early spring. Plants are flourishing in the spring and food sources are widely available which means animals have abundant food sources. Animals might even be drawn to the fruits and vegetables you have growing in your garden.
Spring migration: In the spring, birds will begin to migrate back to where they came from. They will fly back North in the late spring. It might seem like there are more birds than usual, but it is the population returning home. During the migration south for the winter many birds in the population did not make it for various reasons or died from natural causes. What was left of the population has returned and they will begin mating to rebuild their population. There is usually an uptick in woodpecker activity as well. Woodpeckers are nuisance birds, while it is illegal to touch them or interfere with their nests or eggs, there are ways to deter them and exclude them from your property.
Mating/baby animal season: Some animals will begin to mate during the spring and some will have their offspring, adding to the population that might have experienced some losses during the cold, harsh winter. It is important when you see baby animals you do not try to touch them, even if they are displaced from their nest or separated from their
Squirrels and chipmunks are especially active during the spring. Although they don’t truly hibernate and instead just spend more time resting than usual, they are active during the spring and you will see more than you have in the previous months. Squirrels and chipmunks might nest in your attic during the winter and you will see them outside the home, in trees nearby and even on your roof line. They will chew on parts of your home and cause damage and destruction.
What can you do about wildlife on your property?
There are different things you can do to help combat an excessive amount of wildlife on your property. When animals are becoming an issue and you need to resolve the conflict between nature and your environment, Summit Wildlife Removal can help. Some of the options we can provide for springtime pests and wildlife on your property are pest control, trapping, abatement, exclusion, seal out, barriers and deterrents. The most widely chosen method for animal and pest removal is trapping but there are methods that can provide long term and lasting effects. The effects that are most long term are barrier walls, seal out and exclusion.
Trapping: We offer trapping for a period of five business days. Trapping is the most widely used wildlife solution and works well with some animals while some animals do not trap well such as foxes, which are cunning and sly and are often too smart to be trapped. Trapping doesn’t carry any guarantee or warranty because animals are unpredictable and there is no guarantee they will be receptive to the traps or not.
Exclusion/ seal out: Exclusion and seal out is actually the same thing. Exclusion is when the technician will thoroughly inspect the property to make sure that no other pests or wildlife will get in. Seal out and exclusion typically happens after trapping. Usually a one-way trapping device will be installed if you have had animals in your home to ensure that they are all properly removed. Once all of the animals are removed from the home, they will work to seal out the area to make sure that the animal is unable to come back in. We guarantee our work, so if you need to have it fixed later and it is under warranty, we can complete the repairs necessary for your job and contract.
Barriers: Wildlife barriers can be used for mice, snakes, raccoons and other animals that might be present in your yard and might try to get into your home. Barriers are made by digging out a certain amount and installing a wire screen that will prevent animals from burrowing and getting into your home, or trying to live under a porch, deck or shed. Wildlife barriers might cost significantly more than some of the other methods, but it provides a long-term solution that can help for years to come.
Deterrents: Deterrents are devices that scare or distract wildlife and will help to keep them away from your home. The most common deterrent is a woodpecker deterrent. The kind of deterrents we use are shiny owl deterrents. There are many different types of deterrents and some work better than others. Part of deterrents are chemical repellents. Repellents are used similarly to deterrents but they are topical sprays that have scents that the animals don’t like. An example of this is coyote urine which can be used to scare away foxes.
If you need pest control or wildlife removal for your home, make sure to call Summit Wildlife Removal. We can help you keep your home and yard pest and wildlife free. In addition to providing pest and wildlife services, we can also help with insulation, crawl space repairs and encapsulation, and roof repairs and replacements in addition to some other general construction or home improvement projects. For more information about the services we can provide or to schedule an estimate with us, contact us today.
