Autumn: When Critters Come in from the Cold

Autumn is known for many things. It is football season and sweater season. It is time for raking leaves and turning your HVAC from the A/C setting to heat. For animals, it is also time to find enough food to hibernate or fatten up for the winter and a warm, dry home in which to spend the winter months. In the wild, this would often be a hollowed out tree. In a suburb, it’s more likely to be your attic, outbuilding, or crawl space.

Here is a look at some of the creatures that you may see in the fall and some fixes with each.

Woodpeckers

Woodpeckers are cavity nesters, but they’re more likely to use your home as a food source than they are to find holes in which to nest. Instead, they will be searching the wooden parts of your home for grubs and other insects. This helps them gain a fat layer to protect them from cooler temperatures. They can cause annoying pecking sounds in search of this meal.
The best way to deal with woodpeckers is to identify any insect problems in your home and replace the wood. Wildlife removal companies can help you to find these spots.

Rodents

Rodents search for someplace warm to make it through the winter. If you have an attic or crawl space with access to the outside, you can be sure that they will find their way in and make a home. This can cause damage to wood, insulation, and electrical wiring. The best protection against this is a secure home. Work with your local professional to identify and seal areas of risk before the weather turns cold.

Stinging Insects

Colony insects like wasps will begin to look for a warm place to overwinter as the nighttime temperatures drop. They are likely to look in your home, attic, garage, or outbuilding if there is a way in. As with rodents, identifying these access points is the best way to prevent their access.

There is a lot to look forward to as the weather begins to turn cool. A little bit of planning that includes a late summer inspection with a local wildlife removal professional can keep your warm winter home from becoming a wildlife shelter.