Winter in New England is a special time.
All year long, families look forward to holiday traditions and cozy nights spent by the fire. There’s plenty of cold-weather fun to be had, like skating, skiing, and snowshoeing. Picture perfect snowfall provides the ideal backdrop for bundled walks.
But the peaceful, seemingly quiet landscape can also be deceiving, leaving many people to think that the troublesome pests of summer are long gone.
It’s true, many animals and insects can’t easily be found in the winter, which is an evolutionary trait designed to keep them alive in the harsh, near-freezing conditions. Some take on physical adaptations, like growing extra fur or camouflaging their coats against the snow. Others change their behavior to help them survive until the ground has thawed and their food sources are abundant again.
The most important thing for you to know is that a wild animal is just that – wild – regardless of the temperature outside, and they should be treated accordingly.
Out of Sight Shouldn’t Mean Out of Mind
Just because you aren’t seeing many animals out and about this winter, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. While it’s true some species migrate south when temperatures drop, many other forms of wildlife simply curl up and hide out until the last frost has gone.
To prepare for the frigid temperatures, the first thing they look for is a shelter where they can keep warm. Suitable winter dwellings include holes in the ground, tree stumps and fallen logs, or – closer to home – under porches, in basements…even in your walls.
The best thing to do when you think your home has become the shelter of choice for one or more wild animals? Find a reputable pest management expert who practices safe and humane wildlife control.
Into the Lion’s Den – or Bear, or Raccoon, or Skunk….
To retain as much warmth as possible, many animals will burrow or huddle together in dens during the cold winter months.
What does this mean for you?
If you find or suspect you have an animal nesting somewhere in or around your home, you won’t want to disturb it. There’s a good possibility one inhabitant could turn out to be many, which could cause substantial risk to the unwelcome invader (you!).
Let Sleeping Bears Lie
It’s a common misconception that a hibernating animal is sleeping.
Instead, animals that hibernate – including bears, squirrels, skunks, groundhogs, raccoons, bats, and chipmunks – are actually slowing their metabolism down to conserve energy.
Disrupting an animal’s hibernation can be fatal for both sides. If woken or aroused, bears can quickly and instinctively come out of hibernation and strike. Meanwhile the animal now has to use much needed energy to respond to the disturbance, which puts them in danger of surviving until spring.
When in Doubt, Call a Professional
Need help with rodent control? Boston and greater New England have been relying on Bain Pest Control Service for over 90 years.
Before you put you or your family in harm’s way when dealing with unwanted pests this winter, learn more about Bain’s Quality C.A.R.E commitment and preventative programs.