4 Places Animals Might Build Their Homes Near Your Home

It’s that time of year when many of us are coming out of our homes to feel the warm sun on our faces and smell the fresh spring air. And while the good news is that winter is mostly behind us, the bad news is that this is the time of year when lots of animals emerge from their hibernation and are looking to have lots of babies.

As you get out and around your property after the winter, keep an eye out for these four most likely spots that you’ll find wildlife have built nests, dens or other types of homes.

What Animals Are Looking For

It’s quite simple what animals are looking for when they build their homes: protection and a nearby food source.

In the wild, animals build their homes in hallowed out trees, in holes in the ground, under rocks, and under fallen logs. They also build close to water sources like rivers, ponds, brooks and ravines, and near berry bushes, nut trees and other sources of food.

So even though the GTA is largely urbanized, the needs of raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums and other animals haven’t changed: they still need a safe place to live with a nearby food supply.

Where Animals Build Homes Around Our Homes

Fortunately for them, the homes that we build offer easy access to both. Here are four common places where animals will set up their homes in and around your home:

1. Attics – Attics offer great protection from the elements and predators, and there’s usually some garbage cans or compost bins containing scraps of food not too far away. Animals often cause expensive damage getting into attics by tearing or chewing their way through vents, covers or soffits. Once they’re in, they can damage wiring and pipework and a buildup of feces can be unpleasant and harmful.
2. Garages – Are you storing stuff up in the rafters of your garage and pretty much forgetting about it? Up in the roofs of garages is another popular spot for animals to set up a home. They get great protection up there, there’s plenty of material for them to make a home out of, and a good food source usually isn’t too far away.
3. Under Porches & Decks – Decks or porches provide great cover and protection for animals, and while they’re not as protected from the elements, animals will dig down into the earth and make themselves a home that’s more than warm enough. There’s also usually plenty of dead leaves and other loose scraps that they can use to make their home quite comfy.
4. Sheds – Backyard sheds are a great place for animals to build a home. Many people don’t go into their sheds very often, so the animal wouldn’t get disturbed much, and especially in the winter when many of us don’t go into our sheds at all. Sheds are usually close enough to garbage cans or compost bins which provide an almost endless supply of food scraps and leftovers.

If nothing else, animals are very adaptable, so it’s no surprise that as humans have developed so much of their natural habitat, animals have found plenty of places to set up their own homes.

As winter leaves us and spring comes and as you get outside and around your property again, keep an eye out for these and other spots where animals like to build their homes.

And if you do find that an animal has taken up residence in your home and you are looking for pest control or wildlife removal, always remember …

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