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Wolf Hollow, Est. 1983
One of the most common questions people ask is "What should I do if I find an injured or orphaned wild animal?" This is a very difficult question to answer because so any factors influence any decision on the best course of action. Is the animal large or small, a youngster or an adult, injured, sick or orphaned? Where is it? How long has it been there?
The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler, and it is tempting to put off yard work and outdoor building maintenance till spring. But, there are reasons why it is better to do this work now if at all possible, rather than leaving it till spring or early summer. Each year we receive numerous injured, orphaned or homeless young wild creatures for care because people have cut down trees, cleared brush or had their house painted during the peak of nesting or baby season. We know that some work is weather dependent and can only be done at certain times of the year, and that the outdoor working season can be short in some parts of the country. All we ask is that you consider the possibility. Would it be possible to do this work in September, October or November rather than May or June? Here are some examples of the types of work we mean:
Many nests are destroyed and nestling songbirds killed or made homeless when houses or decks are pressure washed during spring and early summer.
A standard part of the preparation for exterior painting is to knock down the nests of birds such as swallows and to fill in gaps in siding etc., which may be entrances/exits to the nests of cavity nesting birds. Also, it is not unknown for nests full of baby birds under the eaves to be spray painted along with the rest of the house!
Again, many nests can be destroyed when this type of work is done in spring and early summer. Usually people don't realize the nests are there until they rip off old boards and a bunch of dry grass, moss, feathers and baby birds comes tumbling out. Could this work be done in late summer or early fall instead?
Tree felling, brush clearing and bush trimming done during spring and early summer takes a terrible toll on nestling songbirds and animals such as owls, squirrels and raccoons, which can have nests in tree cavities. Sometimes the nest is destroyed and the youngsters killed or injured, and sometimes the parents are frightened away by the noise and disturbance, leaving the young unprotected and starving. Even if the nest itself is not destroyed, removing the vegetation that was screening it leaves the young birds much more vulnerable to predators, including domestic cats. Leaving lots of natural vegetation in your yard is a good way to provide food and shelter for wildlife, but, if you need to cut back bushes from the edges of your driveway, or clear some brush from near your house for fire safety, please consider doing this in fall rather than spring and summer.
Another good reason for doing work on the outside of your house, garage or outbuildings during fall is that it is also a great time to do what we call "preventative maintenance." This means taking a critters-eye view of your buildings from top to bottom to see if there are any holes, broken vent covers, or other points of easy access that might look very welcoming to wild critters in search of a home. It is better to do this in fall, because you then have time to fix these things before wild critters are looking for nice safe places to give birth and have their young in spring. If you leave it till spring you may be too late. These parents-to-be start looking for likely den or nest sites very early in the year, and its far easier (and kinder) to prevent them getting in, than to evict them once they have a nice cozy nest and tiny youngsters. So, what are you waiting for? Put down the book, finish that nice warm mug of coffee, put on your jacket and get out there! I know it's not the most tempting proposition when its cold or rainy, but just think of all the little critters that you won't be disturbing in spring.