Photo by Antoine Clement / Getty Images
Getting outside and cleaning up what was hiding under the snow all winter while preparing for a busy summer is a sure sign of spring. But starting out too early – or not paying attention to subtle clues left by nature can lead to negative impacts on wildlife, pollinators, birds, and the environment.
It’s baby season for many fur-bearing animals like raccoons, squirrels, skunks, foxes and mink. They’re often looking for warm, quiet spaces to raise their young, and these spaces sometimes overlap with our yards and homes.
Here are a few tips that can help you protect local fur-bearing animals and make your spring cleaning wildlife friendly.
Check Before You Start
- Brush piles, around trees, woodpiles and under sheds or decks are common places you may find nesting animals.
- Do a quick wildlife check by looking for tracks or scat, nesting materials (twigs, leaves and insulation), sounds of movement or vocalizations, and fur tufts or visible entry points.
- If you come across any of these, hold off and give the animals a bit of space – or call a local wildlife rehabilitator or humane wildlife removal service for guidance.
- Note: Some of these areas are also common overwintering spaces for essential pollinators; leaving leaf piles woodpiles, and tree trimming until the summer months gives these insects time to grow and enter the ecosystem.
During Clean Up
- If you encounter a nest or den site, stop working and observe the area from a bit of a distance. Give animals time and space to relocate on their own before contacting a humane wildlife removal company for assistance. Never attempt to remove wildlife on your own.
- If you encounter a baby of any species, do not touch or approach them. Contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or animal control for best practices for the species and what to do next. Often, mothers have temporarily left their babies and will return for them.
- Never relocate wildlife or attempt to raise babies yourself. It’s often illegal and many animals have very specific needs (and supplies that aren’t available to consumers).
- Never use poison, glue traps or lethal control. These cause unnecessary suffering not only to the target species, but any others that may encounter them. Using humane deterrents and prevention are the best ways to manage unwelcome visitors.
Photo by Daniel Jara / Getty Images
Prevention
- Use a trail camera or smart monitoring device (like a doorbell camera) to determine if any animals are visiting overnight, or if any are coming and going from specific entry points.
- After checking to be sure that no animals remain, seal up access points. Use wildlife-resistant materials like hardware cloth to cover spaces but only after confirming no animals are inside.
- Do an attractant checkup and remove pet food, and ensure compost, garbage, and recycling are inaccessible and secure.
- Supervise pets. Especially at dawn and dusk when wildlife are most active, keep dogs on leash and remember their presence may be threatening to other animals. Keep cats indoors.
- Educate the community. Let your neighbours now what you’re up to and share this post on community groups online to help spread the word.
