Local Wildlife Removal provided by Wildlife Removal Services of Florida

Winter Wildlife in South Florida

Bats hibernate to survive the cold winter months. They do so because there are not enough insects flying around in the winter to support their active metabolism. Bat hibernation requires specific temperatures ranging from 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Big Brown bats have adapted to hibernating in attics rather than cave systems since attics are at the perfect temperature required for their survival.

Raccoons will become less active and den up during the winter, although they will not hibernate completely. Their dens can usually be found in hollow trees, rock crevices, or other animals’ nests. But sometimes they might choose a home’s attic or chimney as their winter den. They are known to intrude on homes at the roofline by the use of downspouts, tree branches, or pushing their way through louvers or soffits, or they might just climb directly up the siding.

Raccoons have also been known to cause damage when trying to create or enlarge entry holes, bend gutters or downspouts, chewing holes in the siding, ripping off shingles and boards, and damaging vent louvers or soffits. A raccoon can tear up insulation and might rip insulation off of pipes or ducts to use for nesting material when they are inside a house. The raccoons munching on wires and cause a fire hazard. Dedicated areas in the attic as a latrine and the accumulated urine will cause foul odors and leakage in the ceiling below. Remember to use special precautions before cleaning a raccoon’s latrine.

Squirrels may live in trees without central heating, but they like to snuggle up to something warm during the long winter months like the rest of us. Like a house. It is harder for a squirrel to find nesting material during the winter. Tree leaves that a squirrel uses for constructing a new nest have fallen from the trees. Squirrels will sometimes improvise in finding a new home. They may end up in sheds or barns, old and broken cars or trucks, covered porches, patios, or an attic belonging to a neighbor. A squirrel will often simply settle for squeezing through the louvers that are used to keep the attic cool in summer, or crawling down the chimney.

As winter approaches, rats will be seeking out warmer places to nest; its time to ensure your home is as rat-proof as possible. Trim the trees, check your window screens, vents, doggy doors, any gaps between the floors and doors, and put away fruits and nuts, which is their favorite food. Rats often cause structural damage to your home, they damage insulation in the attic with urine, chew on electrical wires, and they carry a plethora of parasites and diseases. The saliva, droppings, and urine rats leave behind can cause Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) when inhaled by humans, a rare, but potentially deadly virus.

Iguanas tend to be a whole other story. When the temperature drops, so do the iguanas. You will see iguanas falling out of trees when temperatures drop only as low as 70 degrees. They just cant handle the cold! Kinda like some Floridians. Whether you are in need of iguana control or any other form of wildlife removal services. Contact Wildlife Removal Services of Florida to know that your nuisance wildlife problems will be taken care of in a professional and humane fashion.