Don’t Need Wiarton Willie to Predict Early Breeding Season for Urban Wildlife

For release: February 2, 2006

Homeowners can expect noisy house guests sooner

No matter what Wiarton Willie predicts, it’s obvious to most Canadians that Spring-like temperatures are already here. As a result, we have been seeing urban wildlife such as raccoons and squirrels out mating much sooner than they usually do.

“The warm weather triggers the mating instinct,” notes Humane Wildlife Control President Bill Dowd. “With a gestation period of about 42 days for squirrels and 63 days for raccoons and skunks, we can expect to see babies being born a month early in February and March respectively,” he adds.

Best to Remove Animals Before Babies Are Born

Humane Wildlife Control recommends that homeowners remove wildlife from their houses and outbuildings before babies are born to reduce stress on the animals. Although wildlife technicians are careful not to separate newborns from their mothers, it does stress the family when they have to find an alternate den or nesting site. The cost of removing a single mother is also much less than an entire family of raccoons, squirrels or skunks.

Listen and Look for Signs of Wildlife Intrusions

Different animals exhibit unique behaviours as they prepare for birthing, but homeowners should check for the following signs of animals in the house:

Sounds of chewing or scurrying in the roof, attic, walls, chimney, vents or basement

Any damaged building materials (soffit, shingles, eavestroughs, roof/wall vents, foundations) that show signs of entry

Feces around entry holes or gathering in certain areas. Note: Raccoon feces are commonly infected with a roundworm known as Baylisascaris, which if ingested, can cause nausea, organ malfunction, loss of muscle control and even death

Increased activity of animals around the area, indicating mating behaviour or nest preparation

Expectant Mothers Can Be Aggressive

“Whether due to discomfort or the onset of the ‘mother instinct’, raccoons, squirrels and skunks can become quite aggressive this time of year,” warns Dowd. “They obviously don’t like to be removed from their warm penthouse or basement apartment,” he admits, “and they often put up a good fight.” But with 17 years experience in the wildlife control business, the technicians are well trained on how to remove the mothers humanely and help them move to their alternate den or nesting sites in the area.

These animals can also be quite persistent in getting back into their dens, and homeowners often become frustrated at not being able to keep the industrious animals from ripping up siding, flashing or vents. Humane Wildlife Control guarantees their exclusion services for 3 to 10 years.

Humane Wildlife Control (formerly AAA Wildlife Control Hamilton Inc. and AAA Wildlife Control Ottawa Inc.) has been an industry leader since 1989, and has pioneered several humane removal and exclusion techniques for a wide variety of urban animals.

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For more information:

Bill Dowd, President
1-877-222-3459 ext 220