Although the Ground Hogs prediction seems to be incorrect, spring is approaching, which means babies! What kinds of babies do you ask, wildlife babies: squirrels, raccoons, woodchucks to name a few. Prior to winter, wildlife prepared by finding a safe and warm habitat to nestle for the winter.
Wildlife do not go dormant during the winter as they continued to be a nuisance for many in the Albany NY area. Squirrels in their in attics and basements, raccoons in their crawl spaces, skunks under porches to mate and build nests to deliver their babies during the spring months kept us busy this past winter. Spring, a time for new growth offers an abundance of food for wildlife to grow and become a nuisance if they enter your home or property (especially when one or two grows to five or six).
RACCOONS:
- Raccoons’ give birth to a litter of two to seven babies on average, typically in April and May.
- Around ten weeks old, they begin to go out with their mother’s to forge for food. Many will remain with their mothers well into the fall and some into the winter.
GREY SQUIRRELS AND FLYING SQUIRRELS:
- Squirrels have a long mating season, typically ranging from February through May.
- Squirrels give birth to a litter of two to four squirrels. If there is an adequate food source, females can give birth to a second litter during the summer months.
- A female squirrel will choose the strongest male to mate with during the season, but will most likely not mate with that male again to avoid in-breeding.
- Baby squirrels typically remain with their mothers for eight to ten weeks.
- The breeding season for Flying Squirrels is from March to May.
- Females will have one litter per year of two to five young.
- The babies are weaned from their mother’s at about two months of age and are able to glide when they are three months old.
SKUNKS:
- Skunks’ gestation lasts approximately sixty to seventy days, with usually one litter per year.Clifton Park NY Skunk Removal
- A female skunk is capable of storing the male’s sperm to delay initiating pregnancy for several weeks.
- Very often a female nests in groundhog burrows or under porches of homes.
- Older females tend to give birth in early May. Younger females give birth in early June to approximately two to ten young or kittens.
WOODCHUCKS OR GROUNDHOG:
- Squirrels, raccoons and skunks do not hibernate, but the groundhog does.
- Woodchucks begin to emerge in late February to early March and their breeding season begins.
- Groundhogs give birth to two to nine pups in March and April, with one liter a year.
- Once they have ventured out of they nest, they begin to dig their own burrows within close proximity to its natal burrow. They will remain close to their birthplace for the first year before they go out on their own and establish their own series of burrows.
- The average groundhog digs over seven hundred pounds of dirt to create just one den and establishes between four to five burrows. Depending on the litter size, this presents and possibility of an intricate series of holes spanning across your yard in just a short period of time.
As most of these animals above are just looking for food and shelter, most agree it should not be in your home or business. Before headed out to your local store to purchase traps, think again. Nuisance wildlife animals are dangerous! Wildlife transmit diseases, leave behind hazardous droppings/urine, cause damage, harm you, your child or pets. If you notice an animal burrowing, an animal on your property or need animal removal services, contact Thomas Pest Services. Thomas Pest Services is a licensed wildlife removal company who humanely removes animals from properties and prevents their re-entry. Contact us for a free home evaluation.
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