Located east of the Connecticut River, Fairfield and New Haven Counties are
relatively flat with some of the largest towns in the state. Connecticut is one of the most densely populated states in the U.S., and this area is one of the most densley populated in the state. People live here because of the proximity to Manhattan, the shoreline, or the excellent education.
Generally, wildlife will make a home out of your home in the spring and winter. During the spring, mammals seek shelter to safely rear their young. During the winter, animals seek shelter from the cold, dry winters of Connecticut. Attics, crawlspaces, and basements make ideal shelters for animals.
Wildlife in your home will affect your quality of life and your health. Active animals will keep you up at night. Most mammals can introduce additional pests and diseases into your home. If an animal is in the house, it causes damage. The longer the animal cohabitates in the house, the more damage it causes.
Raccoons are active at night. While you sleep, they are out scavenging for food. Raccoons eat just about anything, from restaurant scraps and pet food to garden crops and chickens. Their hands resemble human hands and allow them to turn doorknobs, open storage bins, and climb trees, chimneys, and poles.
Raccoons have a permanent mask and banded tail. They would be cute if they weren’t so destructive. They will do what they can to get into parts of your house they see fit to sleep and give birth to pups. If they must rip, tear, or break something to get to that spot, they will. Raccoons make lots of noises, like whimpers, growls, and screams. They leave feces and urine nearby their shelter.
Before trying to remove a raccoon from your home by yourself, remember they can carry diseases, and if threatened, they may bite. Calling nuisance wildlife animal control experts is recommended. Critter Control's three-step process works well for raccoon removal.
Like most areas in the United States, property owners in Connecticult has its share of rodent issues. Cities like New Haven, offer plenty of habitats favorable to rats and mice. Please do not try to handle rodents, nor attempt to clean up after them yourself, as rodents in the area are known for spreading illnesses. Instead, call your local Critter Control office as soon as you notice any signs of a rodent infestation, and we will send one of our trained technicians to establish the best rat extermination program for you.
Gray squirrels and flying squirrels are prevalent in Connecticut. The most noticeable difference between the two species is when they are active. Flying squirrels are nocturnal. Gray squirrels are active during the early mornings.
Squirrels readily take up residence in
sheltered areas like eaves and attics. Nest and young may be totally concealed within eaves and wall spaces. The trapping of squirrels can temporarily solve a persistent problem but will not help in the long run. Other squirrels will soon come into an area to replace the removed animals.
The little brown bat and big brown bat are the two most
common nuisance bat in Connecticut. Little brown bats do not winter in buildings. Big brown bats occasionally will spend the winter in your attic.
Smaller colonies can go unnoticed. When colonies grow, you can hear the bat noises or smell the accumulation of guano.
One of the most common nuisance wildlife in Connecticut, skunks dig up yards and gardens in search for insects and grubs.
Skunks can undermine structures by burrowing under them. Not only that, a startled skunk will spray (a skunk can accurately spray over 10 feet!).
Skunks mate in late February to early March. Born between April and early June, a litter can have up to six blind pups.
Woodchucks are the largest member of the squirrel family in Connecticut. Groundhogs create extensive burrows with multiple chambers and entrances. Breeding season starts in early March after hibernation. You’re most likely to experience woodchuck problems in late spring and early summer.Woodchucks cause problems when they damage gardens and crops, destroy landscapes with their burrows.
Canadian Geese
Largest native water fowl in Connecticut, their habitat is near water bodies and also open grassy areas like lawns, golf courses, fields, airports, or farms. Effective
geese control requires the implementation of several strategies for long term solutions.
Noise and visual deterrents provide a short term benefit to scare away the geese. Barriers and habitat modification like planting shrubs along the water’s edge can keep geese off your property. There are chemical repellents topical treatments to grasses that make the turf unpalatable.
Pigeon Control
Pigeons are one of the few birds
not protected by the Migratory Bird Act. Their acidic feces corrode gutters, erode stone buildings, and burn lawns. The droppings also harbor diseases. Repellents provide a short term solution because the birds usually get used to it.
Pigeon-proofing is the most effective and permanent method- physically exclude bird from roosting or make it difficult for bird to rest comfortably. Exclusions include bird netting, wire screening, sheet metal, and bird barriers.
Woodpeckers
There are seven species of woodpeckers in Connecticut. The pockets of spruce-fir forests, orchards, and city parks provide plenty of trees for woodpeckers to drum. Woodpeckers are attracted to natural, dark-stained, unpainted cedar and redwood siding but may also damage pine, fir, and stucco-sided homes.
Trapping woodpeckers is only legally be done with a federal depredation permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Visual deterrents supplemented with loud noises can scare away woodpeckers. Installing bird netting on eaves and angled backwards are a permanent long-term solution.