Baby season arrival!

Living Harmoniously with Wildlife by William McIntosh Are you waking up in the middle of the night, hearing noises above your bedroom? Quiet chitters that get louder and louder? The sounds of rummaging and scurrying at all hours of the day? These are things one may not be ready to consider as a possibility in the day to day, and yet, suddenly you’re thrown into this situation with no warning or preparation.

What is it? Babies! A mother raccoon or squirrel has invaded your safe space, and they have decided your dwelling is perfect to rear their young ones. Or an invasive bird has found a weak point on your structure and has built a nest. At the outset, this seems to be a charming and even fun situation. However, shortly, this situation can and will prove to be, not only a major hindrance to your sleep and regular life patterns, but detrimental to your home and/or your health. This column’s discussion is baby season: its patterns, warning signs, risks, and ways to avoid this situation.

First of all, baby raccoons, baby squirrels and baby birds usually start to appear in late March or early April through to the end of May. Before this, there are some potential signs of an appearance of a new mother-to-be: broken or chewed roof vents, pieces of soffit randomly lying on the ground, damaged wall vent covers, or even pieces of shingle scattered about (despite a lack of inclement, windy weather).

Depending upon your dwelling type there may be none of these signs evident. Then the first inkling of an issue may be a sudden noise in your attic, in the ceiling, through the soffits, or in the wall or maybe, a bathroom, kitchen or dryer vent suddenly is plugged. Perhaps you start noting a massive amount of bird droppings on your house wall, or surrounding areas. All of these are clues of a potential animal invasion. Oftentimes these early signs are completely undetected. Typically, the first known telltale signs for a raccoon and starling spring invasion are the cry of their young ones. Squirrels, on the other hand, you hear more and more scratching noises during the day as babies start to move around.

What might be seen as a bit an of annoyance will quickly turn into a major headache. Baby raccoons, in particular, have a tendency to be extremely exasperating for homeowners. The mother raccoon will typically leave every night to find food and water. The baby raccoons, losing the heat of their mother and eventually feeling hungry, will start to feel uncomfortable. This leads them to start to whimper, and the longer she is gone, the louder they will get. As they get older, their cries become unbearable for homeowners as their vocals develop and get stronger, leading to sleepless nights and extreme frustration for the people involved. This situation can last upwards of seven to eight weeks until the kits follow their mother into the outdoors to find food.

Another aggravating animal issue in the spring is the European Starling. An invasive species to North America, these birds have become a commonplace sight in our communities. Capable of having two clutches of eggs every spring, they are a very messy creature when it comes to their nests and practices. Unlike most birds who carry away empty eggshells, their chicks’ droppings, and deceased chicks, starlings do not bother with this behaviour.

The problem? This creates a horrendous odour. Starlings nest typically in air vents, which means the room associated with that vent can have a pungent, unpleasant smell. Another issue with starlings is that they typically are covered in bird mites. These mites will naturally swarm the nesting material so when the birds eventually leave, the mites depart out of the nest looking for a new warm host… humans! This, unfortunately, has been the uncomfortable experience of some homeowners to discover!

The last early spring babies that can cause trouble are squirrels. They are typically the hardest to detect due to their lack of vocalization, and squirrels usually are also the least annoying to the senses. Do not let this fool you as the damage a squirrel can do to your home or cottage can be enormous. The longer they are allowed to roam, the worse the damage can be. In my experience, I have uncovered damage to roofs, drywall, ceilings, electrical wiring, windows, flooring, doors and more. All of these issues arose from squirrels being allowed to exist in a structure for a long period of time. They are able to have two sets of young with the second set typically arriving in August, providing additional potential for damage.

Baby animals are very cute and charming in their own habitats, but nature needs to be in nature. Housing any animal, big or small, can put your dwelling, and yourself, at risk. This coming spring, as all things come back anew and fresh, if an animal decides to start that process in your home, make sure to contact your local wildlife professional. They can remove momma and babies safely, and return your home back to you and your family to enjoy in safety and comfort.

William is the owner of Exit Wildlife and Pest Control Inc., and you can contact him at help@exitwildlife.ca or by calling 705-438-5445.