Did you know that winter is mating season for raccoons?
If they haven’t already, animals will try to enter your home in the winter, seeking warmth, shelter, and food. To prepare an adequate response, you should know what kind of animals you may have to deal with during the coldest months of the year. Unwelcome critters will cause damage to your electrical wiring, structural wood, insulation, and other building materials. They also create an odor from droppings and urine, not to mention the health hazards that those waste materials can cause. Since different species are repelled by various scents and products, being able to identify your unwelcome guests will help you keep them out. What critters will try to enter my home this winter?
Mice
Depending on where you live, mice might be a problem throughout the year. But especially in the winter, mice are looking for ways to get out of the cold to survive and store food in the winter. All mice need is an opening the size of about a dime to enter your home.
Racoons
Winter is mating season for raccoons, so they are primarily looking for a warm and safe place to prepare for the arrival of little raccoon babies. During this time, juvenile raccoons are also beginning to leave the nest in search of places to create dens. Raccoon gestation usually lasts about 63 days, between January and March.
Squirrels
As with raccoons, squirrels also mate in late winter. They start mating in February and are, therefore, also seeking warmth and shelter to prepare for the delivery and arrival of new squirrel kits. Once they enter your home, squirrels will chew and destroy insulation and other building materials.
Skunks
Probably the most unwelcome intruder on this list is the skunk. Skunks aren’t known for creating their own dwellings but rather taking over dens created by other animals. On the quest for warmth, skunks will sleep under porches, decks, stoops, sheds, foundations, and other similar structures. They are quite difficult to find and remove because they spend a lot of the winter dormant.
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Shumaker’s Animal Control has over 25 years of experience in the animal and pest control field. Whatever your problem, we can help remedy the situation and restore your home (or yard) back to normal. Give us a call at (443) 854-8072 or contact us online today to see how we can help you! For more information on household and neighborhood pests and how to protect your family, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.
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