There have been record breaking snowfalls all across the country this season and there may be more to come. It’s not only humans who need to dig out, some wild critters do too. The Humane Wildlife Services captured this great little video of a squirrel digging out, which helps us realize that we’re not the only ones affected by the weather. http://youtu.be/SF15v5Hzw6A?rel=0 … [Read more...]
Animal Tracks
Animal Tracks If you happen to be one of the lucky ones (of course that depends on who you ask!) to live in a snowy climate, you may not realize the riches that come along with a nice blanket of snow. They are tracks… animal tracks from your neighboring wildlife. Looking for and identifying tracks is a great winter activity for the whole family, especially on “snow days!” No snow? Animal tracks will also appear in wet sand and soil for those of … [Read more...]
Black Bears and Backyard Food Conflicts
Bears… what’s not to love about them? They’re amazing, intelligent, and charismatic. Bear moms are wonderful parents. Bear cubs are absurdly adorable. But, bears can also be a challenge for homeowners in some areas. Usually the conflicts occur when they’re attracted to foods found in the yard. They get into gardens, pet food, birdfeeders, grills, compost piles, and garbage cans, creating a mess and damaging things. Not surprisingly, complaints … [Read more...]
Need to Get Rid of Beaver?
There’s a popular saying in real estate—“Location, location, location!”—capturing the message that something can be wonderful in one place, but not so great in another. So it is with the engineering work of beaver. The dams they construct in some places can cause flooding that threaten human structures and or damage to ornamental trees—most likely one of the reasons you’re reading this article. Ironically, though, the dams they build in other … [Read more...]
How to Keep Wildlife Out this Winter
As temperatures drop and winds pick up, it’s easy to understand why raccoons, skunks, squirrels, bats, mice, and other small creatures are looking for safety and warmth. But, why, you may ask, must it be in your attic, chimney, or basement? Or, perhaps, someone’s decided to make the space under your porch or deck their winter home. If you want to know how to keep wildlife out this winter, this article is just what you’re searching for. You’ll … [Read more...]
Christmas Tree Pests? Don’t Panic!
Ah… the wonderful woodsy, evergreen scent of a live-cut Christmas tree. It stirs happy childhood memories as it fills your home with the alpine freshness of a forest. What you probably didn’t anticipate your Christmas tree adding to your home is an army of tiny insects—mostly aphids, spider mites, or tiny mantids. Unlike the pests that Christmas tree growers must ward off to get a tree to market size—voles, pocket gophers, pine grosbeaks, and … [Read more...]
How to Get Rid of Sparrows
Whether we deserve it, or not, European house sparrows seem to love us. While most birds seek only the seed and other things we intentionally offer, house sparrows choose to live as close to us as possible, benefiting from unintentional offerings around our homes and eateries. As their name suggests, the European house sparrow is not native to the U.S. During 1890 and 1891, some hundred birds were brought over and released in New York, to … [Read more...]
Squirrel Baby Season – Part II
Did you know that unlike most urban wildlife, gray squirrels have two baby seasons; one in the spring, the other in late summer to early fall? Depending on where you are, this is the time of year that young squirrels start venturing out on their own and can sometimes find themselves in difficult situations. And where you find one in a predicament, there’s always a chance that his or her siblings are also in trouble, so it’s important to do a … [Read more...]
Finding a Squirrel Deterrent for Bird Feeders
Squirrels and bird feeders—it’s a match against wits and will. We try to outwit them and they have the will (and the skill) to overcome whatever we do to stop them from getting into our bird feeders. It can be a love-hate relationship. On the one hand, it’s fun to watch them scamper about, but on the other, it’s frustrating when they empty out your birdfeeders. It’s time to stop the hate and share the love by using some easy, relatively … [Read more...]
The Problem with Coyote Traps
Thinking about using a coyote trap to remove the coyote(s) hanging around your yard or neighborhood? There are a few things that you should know first before setting a trap or hiring a professional trapper. The wily coyote Coyotes are notoriously smart, elusive animals with a very sensitive sniffer. Even a trace of human scent on a coyote trap or near a trapping site will keep coyotes away. A trap set with the intention of catching a … [Read more...]