WESTCHESTER COUNTY #
WESTCHESTER COUNTY #
When the cooler nights and shorter days of Autumn arrive, nuisance wildlife like squirrels, raccoons, bats, and rodents will search for safe, warm places to spend the winter. Fall is often the most active time for wildlife problems across Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess Counties, as these critters begin breaking into attics, basements, crawl spaces, and more. This blog will help you determine what types of animals to look out for, and how you can protect your property.
During the fall, nuisance wildlife will begin preparing for winter, searching for places to nest and storing food to retrieve later. There’s also a drop in natural food sources, as berries, insects, and crops become scarce, pushing animals towards homes that are full of easy food sources. Additionally, the plummeting temperatures will drive wildlife into warm attics, crawl spaces, and basements.
During the fall, homes are attractive to raccoons, bats, squirrels and more. Attics are similar to tree hollows and caves, and crawl spaces and basements provide shelter from cold and predators. Chimneys, vents, and gaps in roofing act as easy entry points, and our properties often provide reliable food sources in the form of trash, pet food, and bird feeders.
When nuisance animals invade your home, they can create serious health risks. Squirrels and raccoons can spread diseases like tularemia and leptospirosis. Bats and raccoons are both common carriers of the rabies virus, and mice can spread hantavirus. They can also create serious property damage, chewing through wires and contaminating your attic insulation. Raccoons can tear through HVAC ducts, and rodents will gnaw through drywall and wooden support beams, potentially weakening crucial support structures. Nuisance animals can also disrupt your sleep and your peace with their consistent scratching, thumping, and odor problems.
In order to prevent nuisance wildlife from getting into your home, make sure all the entry points and potential entry points are sealed and fortified. This can include seemingly minor cracks and gaps in your roofline and soffit. Installing chimney caps and vent covers is also important to keeping out nuisance wildlife, as these are some of the largest, most obvious entry points. Secure your trash cans with tightly fitting lids, remove birdfeeders, and don’t leave bowls of pet food overnight to limit the food sources on your property.
Attempting to remove animals from your attic by yourself is never recommended, as wild animals are unpredictable and may lash out with sharp claws and teeth when confronted, especially if they are with their babies. Additionally, bats are protected under New York law and must be handled safely and humanely by professionals. Westchester Wildlife can help, our expertise and experience with local species and their seasonal behaviors means we can provide you with long-term solutions to your wildlife problem.
Remember: fall is the most important season to stay proactive about wildlife prevention. Act now before the cold weather really begins to set in, or you might end up sharing your attic space with a mother raccoon or a colony of bats for the winter! Westchester Wildlife is here to help, our team can carefully inspect your attic for nuisance wildlife, humanely trap and remove any critters we find, and then perform exclusion work to ensure that they can’t come back. If you think you may need wildlife removal services in Westchester, Putnam, or Dutchess Counties, call us today to get started at (800) 273-6673!
Toll Free: 800.273.6673
Phone: (914) 760-5713
PO Box 579 Brewster,
NY 10509 USA
* Westchester Wildlife, LLC is not affiliated with the County. All services are fee based.
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