As the dark and cold turns to warmer, brighter skies, many animals and pests wake up from their winter hibernations. Their arousals can impact humans in many ways, as they exit their winter habitats, build their new homes and search for food.
Often, the spring awakening and heightened activity sparks discoveries that animals or pests are in or around your home. Sometimes they will pass through and go on their way, other times they may get trapped or find shelter on parts of your property that are problematic and may require expert help.
From racoons, skunks and foxes to bats, honey bees, salamanders and kittens – spring around Princeton means migrations, awakenings and a lot of activity.
The Amphibian Migration
When one thinks of salamanders, they often think of deep forest or mountain areas. If you travel to Florida, frogs and salamanders often jump or crawl onto the sidewalks. But it is important to know that each spring, there is a migration of frogs and salamanders right here in Princeton.
The municipality has put out an alert, asking all drivers to use caution and avoid travel on Herrontown Road between Bunn Drive and Snowden Lane on nights when the temperature is above 40°F and it is rainy, or the roads remain wet. That is when amphibians migrate from their winter homes in the forest habitats of Autumn Hill and the Lanwin property to the ponds and pools found in Herrontown Woods. Of most concern are the Spotted Salamander, Woods Frogs and Spring Peepers.
Activity in Your Attic
Unlike the amphibians that are low to the road, bats like to roost in high, dark building areas such as in barns, garages and attics of the house. As flying insects start to reappear, bats want to make their way out to eat them. Little Brown and Big Brown bats are the most common in this area, and you are mostly likely to see them from now into August.
“If you see one in your house flying around, the best thing to do is try to isolate it. If it is in a bedroom or bathroom, close the door first! Put a towel under the door to prevent the bat from crawling out, as they can compress themselves very small,” explains Princeton Animal Control officer, Jim Ferry.
Unless you saw the bat fly into your home, there are likely others inside. So, calling local animal control or a wildlife removal company should be your first step (bats are a protected species, so cannot be exterminated). The isolation is also important, to avoid contact. If you were asleep and wake up to find one, it flies by and touches you or you actually get a bite or scratch, it will be collected for rabies testing. There is a very low rate of rabies in bats in this area, but better to be safe.
In addition to bats, racoons can make great use of attics as their seasonal warmth and shelter can create a perfect location for a den. They do not hibernate, but mating season usually occurs between January and March, so now is the time litters will start to emerge.
“Once raccoons make their way indoors, they can cause significant damage, so early detection is key to preventing costly repairs. It’s crucial to avoid creating conditions around your home that might attract skunks or raccoons,” details Pete Riccobene, Western Pest Services Princeton Branch Manager. “One of the most common mistakes homeowners make is leaving garbage outside regularly, which provides an easy food source for these animals. To deter them from nesting on or near your property, it’s essential to eliminate any available food. Secure trash bins with tight-fitting lids, avoid leaving pet food outdoors, and clean up fallen fruit or birdseed promptly.”
To avoid any harm from these potentially aggressive animals, you will also want to contact pest control or an animal control expert. For both bats and racoons, points of entry can also be sealed up, and often a one-way door can be placed to enable any remaining animals to exit and not come back in.
Wildlife at Your Doorstep
Similar to racoons, foxes are wrapping up their mating season and are now starting to den. The foxes will find underneath your porch or shed as their ideal location. Traditionally, they will live in those spaces until the end of summer, so if they are not bothering you then you can leave them as they are not inherently dangerous. Simply talk to yourself and make your presence known, and they will likely leave you alone. Adult foxes will stay nearby if there are babies (known as fox kits), and by May or June you should start seeing the kits around. Ferry says there has never been a recorded fox bite in Princeton, but if you have young children or are finding them a nuisance, you may want to urge them to leave. Noise and lighting will create enough of an annoyance to get them to relocate.
“Most foxes have a backup den. If you can put out speakers, put them face down on the floorboards so it resonates underneath and turn on talk radio. Human talking annoys them most. Leave it on for a couple of days, and you’ll see mom move the kits,” Ferry shares. “You can also shine work lights underneath the shed, that works too. They want a dark, quiet space for the little ones.”
If none of the above works, a wildlife removal company can trap the foxes for you. It is not recommended to do so on your own.
Outside your home, you may also discover pregnant feral cats this time of year. If you see one, you’re advised to call animal control right away so they can be taken before the litter is dropped and there are up to a dozen more kittens to catch. Feral cats and their little kittens can kill a lot of birds, and with bird flu around, containment is key (read Wake Up! Be Alert to Changes Happening in the Area this Spring for more detail on that). Wild cats in our area are taken to SAVE Animal Shelter where they can be adopted and loved. Older cats that have been living in the wild for a while can be harder to domesticate.
Buzzing Around
Outside of your home you are also likely to find honey bees this time of year, as they are usually one of the first insects to come out of hibernation. Don’t be alarmed if you see a large number of them nearby, it does not indicate an infestation. Rather, they are simply trying to get sustenance for their colonies.
“Honey bees are primarily focused on pollination, which is crucial to the environment. As they collect nectar and pollen from flowers, they help fertilize plants, ensuring the growth of fruits, vegetables, and wildflowers. This, in turn, supports biodiversity and strengthens ecosystems,” Riccobene describes. “Nesting typically doesn’t begin until late June or early July, so the bees you see earlier in the season are simply going about their vital work.”
The work of these early honey bees sets things up for the local ecosystem. Their pollination efforts are important, and therefore best to leave them undisturbed.
Taking Advantage of the Spring Awakenings
Of course, as the animals and pests come out of hibernation, humans also tend to want to get outside more and enjoy their homes. You can always seek advice or help from a local pest expert or animal control if they are feeling like a nuisance or threat. Otherwise, you can sit back in the sun and enjoy watching life evolving outside your door.
Lisa Jacknow spent years working in national and local news in and around New York City before moving to Princeton. Working as both a TV producer and news reporter, Lisa came to this area to focus on the local news of Mercer County at WZBN-TV. In recent years, she got immersed in the Princeton community by serving leadership roles at local schools in addition to volunteering for other local non-profits. In her free time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, play tennis, sing and play the piano. A graduate of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Lisa was raised just north of Boston, Massachusetts but has lived in the tri-state area since college. She is excited to be Editor and head writer for Princeton Perspectives!