Soon it will be the time of year when the people of Albany will venture out in short sleeves, boots will be exchanged for sneakers, and gloves and hats will be packed away. But this isn't the only thing that will change. Other creatures will be venturing forth as well.
Here in this part of the country, there are four types of wildlife that are common problems when spring rolls around. These are skunks, woodchucks, squirrels and raccoons.
Skunks: No one likes to come face to face with a skunk, no matter what the season, but these creatures tend to become more active in spring, after a winter of being much less active. They can cause damage by burrowing underneath buildings. And not only will they spray their noxious fumes if provoked or cornered, they are the second most common carrier of rabies.
Woodchucks: Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, hibernate for the winter. So, in spring, they are raring to go to begin burrowing, sometimes under foundations and gardens. These are notorious animals for digging up properties and being difficult to eradicate. Sometimes they can even cause power outages by chewing on underground electrical wires.
Squirrels: Although the most common rodents to get into homes are mice and rats, squirrels sometimes can get into attic spaces and wall voids and cause problems. They most often do this in the fall when temperatures are dropping but, in spring, they may begin to venture out more, chew more holes, and have a litter of young squirrels in your attic. And even if they stay outside, squirrels have been known to cause serious damage to homes, electrical wires, and telephone cables.
Raccoons: Raccoons do not hibernate but are less active in winter. In the spring, they have their young and will begin their search for food and water. Being nocturnal, they often get into trash cans at night, strewing garbage all over. They are also known to be destructive to homes and are known carriers of the rabies virus.
Be sure all garbage is stored in tightly sealed trash cans. If lids don't work well, consider getting new containers or using bungee cords to secure the lids.
Remove any food sources from outside, such as pet food, bird seed, or more.
Block off entry to areas underneath your deck, porch, patio, garage, etc., by using wire mesh or chicken wire. This will help keep animals from nesting underneath those places.
Keep all windows locked to prevent raccoons from sneaking inside.
Trim back all tree branches away from your house so that squirrels and other animals do not have access to your roof areas.
Be aware that lattice and exterior pipes may give access to your roofline and upper windows.
If you are seeing wildlife or the signs they leave behind, please take note that these are wild animals and it is not safe to try to remove them using do-it-yourself methods. Wild animals can become violent if threatened or cornered, especially if they are protecting young. Reach out to the /wildlife-removal at Thomas Pest Services today for help.