Kitchener Waterloo residents are no stranger to wildlife in their backyards during the winter months. From squirrels scurrying up trees, to rabbits rummaging through gardens, you may be wondering how these furry creatures survive the cold, Canadian winter months. Every animal has their own routine and habits to hide from the cold and find food during the winter. While many of these routines are similar, each species has adapted unique survival skills that set them aside from the rest.

Squirrels

Squirrels are typically quite busy critters, but once the colder temperatures start to arrive their activity slows down significantly. During the winter months, squirrels don't go into hibernation. Instead they enter a physiological state called “torpor” - a deep state of sleep with the ability to wake periodically to eat and frolic. This is why many homeowners still spot squirrels scurrying across their backyard fence during the winter months. Squirrels will spend the summer, spring and autumn months preparing for the winter season, and will create several food stashes throughout the community.

When it comes to creating the perfect winter home, squirrels in the Kitchener Waterloo region will often find attic spaces to be the most ideal option. In an attic, squirrels can create a nest using insulation, providing both comfort and warmth. Once inside, they often chew electrical wires and structural materials to help keep their ever-growing teeth short. For homeowners, this means soiled insulation that carries bacteria, health and safety concerns and potential mold problems from the entry points they created, along with additional fire and safety risks. Squirrels often use their winter denning locations to birth and raise their babies in the spring. This is why it is important to hire professional removal service before the damage becomes more severe, and more costly for homeowners to repair.

Foxes

For foxes in Southern Ontario, the winter time is made easier by their thick winter coat, allowing them to stay active during the winter months. As the end of the year approaches, their fur will grow longer and thicker, giving them an extra layer to insulate their bodies against the cold. Unlike many other local wildlife species, foxes do not stay inside their den for the majority of the season. Although they will use their den to hide from the cold on particularly chilly days, they are incredibly active during the winter. They will spend a lot of time hunting, and will use their strong sense of hearing to detect animals through the snow.

Pairs of adult foxes will separate during the winter time, and then return to one another in the late winter or early spring when breeding season has begun. As nocturnal animals, spotting a fox in your community is rare, however you may see some on particularly warm winter days if they are in need of food. As a way to hide from the numerous snowstorms throughout the season, foxes are great at digging winter burrows. Fox dens are usually under stumps, brush piles or dirt banks. You can usually spot them by their typical hollowed out chamber in the ground.

Rabbits

Much like foxes, rabbits rely on their thick winter coat to survive the colder months. Since they do not hibernate, rabbits remain active in the winter as they look for food and shelter. Much of the vegetation that rabbits rely on has wilted and died prior to winter's arrival, which means rabbits will eat whatever they can find. This is why they will spend a lot of time looking for their food, coming out at dawn and dusk. However, on particularly cold days, rabbits will remain in their burrows surrounded by heat.

Rabbit burrows are not only designed to hide from cold days, but they also help to keep rabbits protected from predators. These dens are lined with twigs and grass for extra insulation and protection. Rabbits often make their burrows in fields, forests and backyards. They will dig into the ground and cover the top with grass to conceal themselves. This spring, before cutting your lawn for the first time, look out for signs of rabbit activity to avoid harming the backyard critters.

Raccoons

Raccoons are incredibly adaptable and they have found a way to locate food and shelter during the winter in many of the urban communities around them. Similar to squirrels, raccoons enter a state of torpor rather than hibernating, allowing them to awaken occasionally throughout the winter to eat. As nocturnal creatures, raccoons will spend winter evenings looking for food - usually staying inside on particularly cold days and nights. Much like foxes and rabbits, raccoons grow a thicker fur in the winter, which makes traveling through the snow much more comfortable for them. During the summer and fall months, raccoons will secure several den site, usually between seven and ten in their home community, that they will use until the spring arrives. They will travel from den to den though the winter months, providing them with multiple resting locations.

When it comes to creating their den site, raccoons have found that attics and garages are an ideal place that provide shelter from the elements, predators, and access to food as well. As great climbers with nimble hands, raccoons will climb and pry their way into these interior spaces with ease. The smell of food and sense or warm air often attracts raccoons to these denning locations. Raccoons will also build their dens in hollowed out trees and caves. A single raccoon can cause a tremendous amount of damage by trampling insulation and destroying roofing material, so it’s best to call a professional quickly at the first signs of wildlife damage to protect your home.

How To Help WIldlife During The Winter

One of the most important things you can do this winter to help wildlife is to maintain distance. Removing attractants from your property, and sealing your home against wildlife entry can encourage wildlife to find safer den sites in the wild. Keeping your distance from wildlife is the best way to keep them and yourselves safe throughout the winter season. If animals have broken into your home, trust the experts at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control to help safely remove animals and protect your home from damage without harming the animals involved. With the right amount of effort and education, we can coexist peacefully with the wildlife in the Kitchener Waterloo region this winter season.