Animal kingdom
In the wilds of your own backyard
One of the unexpected happenings during the pandemic shutdown was that people suddenly started seeing more wildlife. “We were getting so many calls from people surprised to see wildlife in their backyards,” notes Deb Humiston of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. As people were spending more time at home, they were spotting raccoons, rabbits, possums and other animals that they didn’t notice before. “We were telling people to calm down. It’s okay to have wildlife come through your yard. It is possible to co-exist with wildlife. After all, we built our homes on their habitats,” says Humiston.
The key to living with wild creatures is education, says Humiston. “You need to learn about the animals you see and take a proactive approach rather than a reactive approach.”
Moving in
Joanne Aul has worked with Naperville Animal Control for 30 years and currently is the supervisor. Most of the calls she receives are from homeowners concerned about wildlife who have decided to take up residence on their property. “Most of the calls are about squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks, rabbits who have gotten into attics or under decks.”
The first thing to remember is that wildlife needs food, water and shelter to survive. If a home or backyard can supply those things, wildlife may try to stay. “The biggest problem is that people do not animal-proof their homes,” says Aul.
For example, some homes have window wells without covers. “We had a coyote that fell in a window well and had babies,” she recalls. Most of the time, Aul says that lowering a board into the window well with a towel wrapped around it for traction will serve as an exit ramp for animals to escape. However, the best approach for prevention is to install covers.
Any opening or sheltered dark space can be appealing to wildlife, from uncovered chimneys on rooftops to cozy spaces under decks or sheds. Any size opening can mean trouble. Aul says bats can squeeze into a quarter-sized hole to get into a home. Installing hardware cloth around open spaces under decks and sheds discourages wildlife entry. Check for loose soffits, vents, exhaust fans or other openings that can provide access to the home. “It is amazing how raccoons can get inside really small openings,” notes Aul.
Some other preventative measures are to remove dead trees and brush from the yard since they can be appealing places for animals to call home. Trim tree branches so squirrels and other climbers don’t have access to your roof. Squirrels can jump distances of up to 10 feet so trim branches so they are no closer than 10 feet. Clean grills regularly so they aren’t sources of appetizing scents. Keep garbage cans closed and latched to keep animals out. Harvest or dispose of ripe fruits and vegetables growing in the yard since these can be delicious morsels for animals. Don’t place food scraps in your garden or compost bin so animals won’t be tempted by them.
Dealing with pests
If wildlife is present where it is unwanted, it can be challenging to chase it away. “We recommend trying to make the space less appealing by lighting it up and playing the radio during the day when the animals are in the space trying to sleep,” says Aul. “You have to be persistent. It will take at least five to seven days and even then, they might come back.”
Another approach is to pour coyote urine in the area where the animal is staying. Aul says that sports stores and online sources sell this and other deterrent tools.
There are professionals who will remove wildlife but they must be properly licensed with a Class A Nuisance Wildlife Control Operations for animals and a Class D Nuisance Wildlife Control Operations for birds.
Mixed messages
It can be challenging to attract only desired wildlife to your yard. A common nature attraction is a bird feeder. While bird feeders do attract birds, they may also attract other wildlife as well. Open bird feeders will encourage visits by squirrels. Bird seed that falls on the ground can attract mice. Mice can attract coyotes. Using a bird feeder with a spring that closes off the food when heavy squirrels come to eat can help. Cleaning up the spilled bird feed can also help. Buying thistle seed instead of sunflower seeds or corn will attract songbirds instead of squirrels and raccoons.
Even if you find deer and other wildlife appealing, remember that there are state rules prohibiting feeding many types of animals including deer. A better approach for an appealing backyard may be to grow native plants and shrubs that attract desired wildlife. For example, milkweed and columbine will attract butterflies. Hostas will attract hummingbirds. Birds love serviceberry and other berry bushes.
Learn more
If you are concerned about the creatures in your backyard, there are ways to learn how to live with them. Aul says the most calls she receives are about squirrels, raccoon, skunks and rabbits but “things change. Twenty years ago, we got a lot of calls about foxes. Then foxes seemed to go away. Maybe the coyotes chased them away. But now, they are back again,” she says.
To learn about local wildlife, visit wildlifeillinois.org where there is information on how to deter and attract wildlife to your backyard. There are even ways to help identify which creatures have been in the yard through pictures of the tracks left or types of scat found. The website provides insight into which animals need to be chased away and which are beneficial.
“I was very happy to have a possum in my backyard because they don’t carry rabies and they eat ticks,” says Humiston. “After you learn about wildlife, it is possible to learn to live with them.”