Hibernation Habits

As we progress into the colder months, it’s important to be aware of animals to look out for. Some animals will be entering hibernation and searching for warmer spots to migrate to. On the other hand, some animals do not hibernate at all.

We’ll go over common animals we see in the winter, their hibernation habits, and telltale signs to watch out for.

Opossums

To start off, opossums do not hibernate due to their low body fat content, but they do search for warm shelter. This includes venturing indoors into your attic, chimney, or crawlspace.

Opossums move around throughout the winter to avoid predators. A male opossum, fitted with a tracking device, visited over 19 different dens in 5 months according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Bats

Bats such as little brown bats and big brown bats can hibernate for more than 6 months waiting for the return of insects. They prefer caves, mines, rock crevices, attics, and chimneys. However, bats do not stay asleep the whole time. A common sign of bats in your attic includes noise or rustling. If an area gets too cold, it’ll move to a warmer area or vice versa.

Moles

While it may appear that moles have disappeared from your property, they have only burrowed further below the frozen surface during the winter. Their molehills may not be present, but as the ground thaws in the spring, the mounds will reappear.

Raccoons

Similar to the opossum, raccoons do not hibernate but search for warm dens. However, in extreme temperatures, they can sleep up to a month. Although they are usually solitary creatures, some will den in groups during the coldest days of the winter.

Squirrels

During the warmer months, squirrels gather and stash their food for the winter season because they do not enter hibernation sleep. Throughout the day, they are active outside. However, they do stay in their nests during extreme weather conditions. If you hear rustling coming from your attic during the day, squirrels may be nested in your attic!

Groundhogs

Groundhogs are one of the few critters we deal with that do hibernate from the first frost until April. The first frost usually happens between October and November, they then retreat to their burrows. The colder weather triggers a hormone that helps them sleep for the duration of winter.

Removal and Preventative Services

While winter is a less active season for animals, it is the perfect opportunity to have your home inspected and sealed prior to their reappearance in springtime. Chimney caps, vent guards, and custom screening protect their most common entry points.

If you believe animals have made their way into your home for the winter, give us a call or use our contact form for removal and remediation!

Squirrel Removal in Harrisburg Pa

Squirrel removal Harrisburg

Damage from squirrels is extremely common in Harrisburg and surrounding areas. Their damages to your home and property can be extreme. For squirrel removal, we always use traps and methods approved by the PA Game Commission for indoor and outdoor issues. After we remove the squirrels, we repair your home and use preventative methods to ensure the squirrels don’t return.

What do they do?

As cooler weather approaches, they begin searching for warmer areas to nest. Unfortunately, these warmer places are often in homes because they provide a shield from the elements. Squirrels are skilled climbers that investigate homes from top to bottom, searching for weak spots. If your home isn’t fully sealed, they will end up in your home!

Squirrels usually enter through unprotected vents and chimneys. Moreover, most vents with built-in screens fail to protect your home as squirrels can easily chew through them. With uncapped chimneys, a faulty damper could allow a squirrel to end up in your living room!

They also chew through a variety of materials including wood, vinyl, and aluminum. A small gap will quickly turn into their front door!

What damage do they cause?

The longer squirrels have access to your home, the more damage they cause. They nest in insulation to stay warm. During nesting, they move the insulation around, flatten it out, and destroy the “R” value.

Furthermore, their damage extends to wiring. They chew on the electrical wires, which creates a large fire hazard! In some homes, they will chew through walls and ceilings to enter the living spaces.

During our experience with squirrel removal, we have seen severe and expensive damage to windows and door trims. This is usually caused by trapped squirrels that found their way in, but couldn’t find their way out.

Our Preventative Services

To protect your home from squirrels, we offer a variety of services. chimney caps, custom screening, and other custom exclusion methods ensure your home is squirrel free.

Backyard Wildlife Solutions will solve your squirrel problems. We offer removal of squirrels and other animals in Harrisburg Pa, and surrounding areas such as Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, and Reading.

If you believe squirrels are living in your home, feel free to call us or use our contact form.

Squirrel Removal in Lancaster Pa

We are experts for Squirrel Removal in Lancaster PA and the Vicinity

We receive calls for squirrel removal in Lancaster, PA year-round, but during the winter months indoor activity peaks. As temperatures drop, squirrels seek out protection from the elements. They often enter through chimneys, attics, and crawl spaces of homes.

Squirrels can enter these spaces of your home by accessing a variety of vents or finding a “weak spot” in your home. Trapping and removing the squirrels is the best way to ensure squirrels will not return. In addition, exclusion work such as chimney caps and vent guards prevent squirrels or other animals from returning.

Squirrel Removal from Chimney

We recently performed squirrel removal in Lancaster. We received a call from a customer who was experiencing noise in their fireplace. They suspected a squirrel. After inspecting the fireplace and chimney flues, we were able to confirm that a squirrel had accessed the open chimney.

Often, a squirrel that enters a flue-lined chimney is unable to crawl back out due to the smooth texture of the flue tiles. After removing the trapped squirrel from the fireplace, we verified no additional blockages were present in the chimney. Then, we installed stainless steel chimney caps on both of the open flues to prevent future issues for the homeowner. Aside from keeping out additional squirrels, the new chimney caps will keep out other animals and have other benefits such as fire prevention and more.

For help with squirrel removal in Lancaster Pa, give us a call or use our contact form!

Check out our other animal removal services.

We offer squirrel removal in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, and Reading, PA.

Flying Squirrels

What is a Flying Squirrel?

The term “flying squirrel” is a misnomer. They don’t fly; they glide from tree to tree or other higher structures. Flying squirrels also create a lot of noise, especially inside attics.

How are they different?

Flying squirrels are very different compared to other squirrels. They have a patagium which is basically a furry-like parachute that allows them to glide. Moreover, the membrane extends from their wrists to their ankles. Their broad, flattened tail provides stability, while the limbs allow them to steer during flight.

They are much smaller than a typical squirrel. Additionally, their fur ranges from a tan to rust color and their bellies feature white fur. Because of their smaller size, their eyes appear to be more prominent.

What Do They Do?

Their diet is very similar to other squirrels. They munch on acorns, seeds, and bird eggs. At only five weeks old, gliding is practiced. By ten weeks, they are ready to explore their surroundings.

Flying squirrels launch themselves from a high branch and spread their limbs to catch air. Furthermore, their slight movements are what allow them to steer. The wide tail is used for braking during landing. Surprisingly, they glide up to 150 feet in a single launch!

As nocturnal rodents, they are also active throughout the year. They prefer to live in colonies, which can contain up to 30 squirrels! Big hollow trees shield their colonies from extreme weather. Furthermore, mature trees that provide nuts and seeds are also ideal.

Common Damage Caused by Flying Squirrels

The smallest entry points are as big as a quarter. Often, entry is found through construction gaps, dormer and louver vents, chimneys, and fascia boards. Like most rodents, they will also chew through electrical wiring and cause fires.

Flying squirrels are some of the messiest rodents. They leave black stains on walls, ceilings, and soffit panels. Moreover, droppings are a noticeable sign of entry. Furthermore, their chewing and rustling create a lot of noise. Outdoors, they strip bark from trees, dig holes, and raid bird feeders and gardens.

Removal and Exclusion

Trapping is the most effective way to get rid of flying squirrels. Due to their communal living habits, it takes the time and patience of experienced wildlife professionals. In some instances, we use one-way doors so the squirrels leave, but are unable to return.

After removal is complete, we seal all entry points and offer methods of safe clean-up. Droppings can contain a wide variety of bacteria and should be handled by a wildlife technician.

If you believe flying squirrels are living in your attic, feel free to call us or use our contact form.