Learning Center: Find Out What Type of Wildlife You Are Dealing With

Prepare to become a wildlife expert by reading up on the animals below and find out what type of wildlife you are dealing with.

Don't care what you're dealing with and just want it gone?
No problem...call us in the Nashville area at (615) 319-0433.

Squirrels

Typically what will tip you off to squirrel invasion will be scampering, running and gnawing sounds, mainly from 5:00 - 8:00 am and 4:00- 8:00 pm above your ceiling. Squirrels will build nests and have their young in the attic area. They will also store nuts in walls and sofit areas. Squirrels have 2 litters per year usually consisting of 4-6 young in February/March and again in July/August.

Skunks

Skunks live in holes in the ground and brush piles in the wild. They have found a better alternative with home crawlspaces. They can squeeze through very small gaps in the foundation and gain the safety of your crawlspace. This is where they spend the day sleeping. They usually exit every night to forage for food. If you find an opening that may be an entry point do not close it! You don't want to trap a skunk under your house. Push a plastic bag into the opening so that it blocks the hole but still allows an animal to push it aside to exit. If this bag does not get pushed in or out after 3 nights it is most likely safe to block the hole. If the bag is disturbed please call All Paws Wildlife Removal @ (615) 319-0433 to solve your problem safely.

Skunks also use crawlspaces for a safe place to raise their young. Mating season in Tennessee usually begins late January through February. If you smell a strong skunk odor in your house go outside and try to detect it there. If it is stronger in your house you may very well have a skunk taking up residence. The kits are born in April-June with the average litter size being 6.

Raccoons and Opossums

Raccoons and opossums will often live in the crawlspace under your home. The presence of fleas, foul odors or noises at night are the usual signs. Raccoons will also live in chimneys, and both will inhabit attics. Typically there will be loud noises at night as they leave to feed ( 8:00 -10:00 PM) and then as they return around 3-4 am. You may notice stains on your ceiling from urine and feces. Raccoons will have 2-5 young in May-June. Opossums will also give birth at that time and they can have 6-8 young.

Beaver and Muskrats

Beaver damage is relatively easy to identify. Gnawed and cut trees will usually give them away. Bark peelings and muddy slides leading to the water are common signs. Beaver won't always build dams. Often in Tennessee they will live in bank dens along creeks and rivers. They have been known to reach weights of over 60-70 lbs .

Muskrats are similar in appearance to beaver except they are significantly smaller (10-16 inches), and their tails are thin compared to a beaver's wide, flat tail. Muskrats live in bank dens or huts made of cattails and will eat vegetation, fish and small animals. Both beaver and muskrats can cause major erosion to dams and creek banks with their burrowing habits. Muskrats are very prolific breeders and have several litters per year. Please call 319-0433 for an estimate on beaver or muskrat removal.