You may have noticed a flurry of activity as we lead up to winter. Squirrels scampering around carrying nuts or leaves, raccoons ripping up lawns or the scampering of feet in your attic.

Depending on the species these activities may differ but essentially it is to ensure that the individuals involved can make it through the winter: surviving the elements with enough food.

Increased foraging ensures that fat reserves are built up in animals which go into various states of hibernation allowing them to conserve energy during extreme cold, while wildlife which don't hibernate and rely on a food cache will be actively seeking out high value food items to store or hide for the leaner months ahead. 

Finding shelter to overwinter may be in natural dens or nests but more often than not, wildlife living in urban and suburban environments will seek out spaces which are in close proximity to people. 

What to look out for: 

- ripped up lawns will indicate raccoons and crows foraging for food sources in the soil 

- activity heard in your walls or attic space. Noises heard at dawn and dusk tend to be squirrels as they enter or exit at the start and end of their days, while activity heard late at night or really early hours of the morning may be rats. Raccoons tend to be much louder and can easily rip open soffiting or roof vents to gain access into tight spots. 

- insulation found on the ground below your roof or adjacent to your home generally indicates that an animal is actively pulling this out in preparation for a den or nest site 

- accumulated food piles close to or on structures 

- rarely used garages and sheds provide ideal spaces away from people for wildlife to hunker down for the winter sop have a look in these to ensure they are not easily accessible

- burrowing under porches, sheds or decks 

- nesting materials/vegetation sticking out of soffiting/venting 

- bulging soffiting which may be supporting wildlife and nesting materials 

I have some of these problems, what now?

The first thing that needs to be figured out is what species of animal are you dealing with so the best way forward can be determined.

Contacting a wildlife professional to provide an informed assessment will be able to be tell you who is in your yard or structure, and what to do about it.

For additional information read our species specific blogs to find out more: squirrels in roofs, raccoons ripping up lawns, rats chewing into homes, and wildlife tunnelling under structures