Tag: wildlife

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: Red squirrels under the cottage

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Our cottage has no foundation. It sits on cement blocks. We have never had pests until squirrels moved in underneath us. We’ve seen them zipping in and out, but we can’t get under the cottage to see if they’re causing damage. Can we just leave them be?—Willa Stevenson, Fredericton, N.B.

That’s a kind-hearted notion, but heck no. You don’t want anything living under your cottage “as a general principle,” says Alan Vaudry of Professional Ecological Services in Victoria. (You also don’t want anything living in the wall, attic, cellar, barn, or sewer. Watch some horror movies.)

Just because the squirrels aren’t making noise or causing any obvious damage doesn’t mean that this isn’t happening. “Squirrels are some of the most destructive creatures out there,” says Brad Gates of Gates’ Wildlife Control in Scarborough, Ont. “They chew all the time. And they will chew on things that you really don’t want them chewing on.” This includes wires, waterlines, and support posts. They could start to nest in your insulation. “They could even penetrate the floorboards,” says Gates.

Wild Profile: Meet the red squirrel

Not cool. The standard banishing strategy is to—when the squirrels are out—block access to the underside of the cottage with galvanized steel hardware cloth. Dig a trench, extend the cloth down six inches and out six inches at 90 degrees, and backfill with dirt.

This article was originally published in the May 2017 issue of Cottage Life.

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How to protect hummingbirds during a spring cold snap

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However much we want spring to come, it often drags its feet. But no matter our frustration with reluctant above-zero temps, imagine a tiny Anna’s hummingbird, the only species that waits winter out in its territory along the west coast of North America, delighted to return to a favourite feeder only to find that sweet nectar encased in ice and completely inaccessible. Hummingbirds can consume half their body weight in sugar daily and have the highest metabolism of any warm-blooded animals on earth. With most of their food sources unavailable to them in the winter, they need that food.

Cottage Q&A: Feeding hummingbirds

The unpredictable weather this time of year has prompted a few wildlife groups to ask bird lovers to carefully monitor their hummingbird feeders. “These long winters are hard for Anna’s hummingbirds,” says Jackie McQuillan, the support centre manager with the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC on Burnaby Lake. “All of the other hummingbirds take what I would call the easier route and fly south for the winter,” she says, “but these birds, since about the 1940s, have stuck around the Lower Mainland and other areas of southern B.C.” Researchers theorize that various flowering invasive plant species provided food sources into cooler months, which kept the Anna’s hummingbirds from heading south with their avian associates. Whatever the reason, the hardy little birds stay put. And these days, many Anna’s hummingbirds rely on feeders as a winter food source.

How to photograph hummingbirds

McQuillan urges anyone with a feeder to commit to keeping it filled and paying particular attention during cold snaps to ensure that feeders are accessible. The easiest thing, McQuillan says, is to have two feeders and swap them out for each other during below freezing temperatures. You can also purchase a feeder warmer at a bird supply store or online. (It looks something like a lamppost with a feeder incorporated.) Some people attach hand warmers to their feeders. If you’re a truly enterprising DIYer, you can also jury-rig incandescent light bulbs to feeders. Google can guide you to instructions.

How to keep birds safe from Avian bird flu

Cleanliness is crucial too, McQuillan says, as diseases can spread easily at feeders. Once a week, wash your feeder with a 10 per cent bleach solution (nine parts water, one part bleach). Give it a good rinse and then refill it. And McQuillan leaves us with a heartbreaking caveat: avoid feeders with metal parts as the birds’ tiny tongues can get stuck when the metal gets cold.

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Cottage Q&A: Is feeding chipmunks okay?

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I’ve always wondered: is it okay to feed chipmunks?—Nerissa Jones, via email

Yes. At least, it’s okay assuming that you’re feeding them food similar to what they’d eat anyway. 

“Natural foods such as unsalted nuts, fruits, and vegetables will do them no harm,” says David Hackett, a small mammals specialist with Nipissing University in North Bay, Ont. “In the fall, chipmunks are busily hoarding food in preparation for the potential hardships imposed by winter. Presumably, they will find enough wild food to last through the season, but they will also gladly accept help from humans.”

Wild Profile: Meet the chipmunk

Peanuts in the shell? Go for it—watch them stuff their wee faces! Cheetos and gummy worms? Hard no. Keep that stuff for yourself.

But feed in moderation or else your kind gesture could backfire. Chipmunks were put on this earth to hoard food. This means that unlike some other wildlife, they’re not likely to become dependent on humans as a food source. But “if you’re constantly supplying them, there is almost no limit as to how much they will take,” says Hackett. “If the food is not durable, and they’ve collected more than they can eat soon, then that food will begin to rot—potentially contaminating their winter larder.”

Also—and this is probably going to be obvious—if you feed a chipmunk, it’ll begin to check back frequently, hang around you more, and generally try to get all up in your business. “Luckily, chipmunks are not dangerous to us in the sense that bears are,” says Hackett. “Still, you shouldn’t let them climb on you. They may harbour parasites and viruses.” Ew. Not cute.

This article was originally published in the Winter 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

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Deadly white-nose syndrome detected in Alberta bats

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The fungus responsible for white-nose syndrome, an infectious disease that’s decimated bat populations across eastern Canada, is making rapid gains across the Prairies. Pseudogymnoascus destructans was detected last summer along Alberta’s Red Deer River, says Cory Olson, the coordinator of the Alberta Community Bat Program with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada. The fungus expanded more than 500 km in a one-year span, setting the stage for wider distribution into prime bat habitat in the Rocky Mountains.

Pseudogymnoascus destructans was first identified in eastern North America in 2006, likely arriving from Europe on clothing or equipment or from an infected bat on a cargo ship. The fungus spreads from bat to bat and thrives in cool temperatures. The infection irritates bats’ skin and disrupts hibernation, depleting their energy reserves and leading to starvation. Populations of little brown bats, northern bats (a.k.a. northern myotis), and tri-coloured bats have plummeted more than 90 per cent in affected areas as the fungus spreads west across the continent. 

Wild Profile: Meet the little brown bat

But there could be hope on the horizon. European bats are resistant to white-nose syndrome, and Olson says there’s evidence that a small proportion of affected species in North America have tolerance as well. “Assuming their offspring are also resistant, these individuals could help populations recover, provided they can successfully reproduce,” he says. Meanwhile, little brown bats and northern bats were recently listed as endangered under Alberta’s wildlife act.

Study predicts which bats will survive disease outbreaks

Bats are critical in regulating insect populations, including mosquitoes and defoliators of forests and crops. Olson points to an American study which suggests bats provide the equivalent of billions of dollars worth of organic insect control each year. “Bats are important for the maintenance of healthy ecosystems and the loss of bats is likely to have important long-term consequences,” Olson adds. “We knew this fungus would eventually arrive in Alberta, and that a cultural shift in how people perceive bats, and manage them, was urgently needed. We need to do more to protect bats.”

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New attraction at Timmins, Ont. resort will allow guests to sleep next to wolves

Photo by Shutterstock/AB Photographie

It was the late-night howls of sled dogs that gave Richard Lafleur the idea for his latest attraction. Lafleur, who owns Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa in Timmins, Ont., used to offer dog sledding trips to guests around his 100-acre property. But at night, the dogs howled, keeping guests awake. After receiving complaints over the noise, Lafleur spun the story. He started telling guests that the dogs were part wolf. It was in their nature to howl. Suddenly, guests wanted rooms close to the enclosure. They wanted to hear the wolves howl at night. It became an attraction.

That was 10 years ago, but Lafleur has held onto the idea. With the sled dogs no longer around, Lafleur plans to bring real wolves to the resort. After receiving a $300,000 grant from the provincial government intended to stimulate business in Northern Ontario, Cedar Meadows has started building five “wolf chalets”.

These accommodations will include a bedroom with a glass viewing wall that looks out onto a 10-acre enclosure, housing between five to eight wolves, which Lafleur will buy from a zoo. “The enclosure’s fairly big. And considering these wolves will be from a zoo already, there’s not too many zoos that have a 10-acre park. They might have a one- or two-acre park. I’ve also added a big half-acre pond in there and there’s a creek running through it, so it’ll be very natural,” Lafleur says.

Is the wolf the most Canadian animal?

Legally, Lafleur could fit 22 wolves in the 10-acre enclosure, but to avoid any in-fighting, he plans to keep the group to a small pack of wolves. These wolves will be kept in a secure enclosure as the rest of the 100-acre property houses 43 elk, 18 fallow deer, and 16 bison, which can be viewed on wildlife tours.

Lafleur doesn’t have a date for when the chalets will open, but he expects it to be some time in the summer of 2023, with average nightly prices going for about $500 to $600.

The wolf chalets have drawn some criticism, though. Lafleur says some locals aren’t crazy about the idea of living next door to an apex predator. And there are questions around the ethics of housing wild animals for people’s entertainment.

Meet the grey wolf

Simon Gadbois, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Dalhousie University who studies wolves, says that these types of attractions are popular in Europe but most of the sites in North America have closed down.

“It seems that in North America, we moved on from the concept of captive wolves. Especially, I would say, if it’s in the context of entertainment,” Gadbois says.

Nowadays, for wild animals to be held in captivity in North America, the public expects there to be a clear conservation and educational mission, Gadbois says. It needs to go beyond being an attraction.

The other concern about captive wolves is how much space they need. Gadbois says it depends on the type of wolf. “Canadian Siberian wolves are sometimes nomadic. You can’t even put a number on how far they travel because they will follow caribou wherever they go,” he says.

Wolves that have grown up in zoos, however, won’t have as expansive a range. Ten acres—while on the small side, Gadbois says—should be enough to accommodate five to eight wolves that have grown up in captivity.

“If you had said they were captured around the Mackenzie River and brought into that enclosure, then I would have said, that’s not good,” Gadbois says. “But if they’re coming from a zoo. I’m going to assume that they’re moving to better conditions. That makes me feel a lot better about this.”

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Q&A: Mouse-proofing a winterized cottage

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What’s the best way to deal with mice during the long winter in a winterized cottage?—Mike Miles, via email

The best way? The best way is to make sure that they can’t get in ever, by sealing up all possible entryways. (Remember that mice can fit through a hole as small as a pencil. Consequently, this amounts to a lot of entryways.)

You may believe that you’ve done this, but—in a quest to be hyper-vigilant—it’s common to overlook one or two obvious entry points, says Lauralee Proudfoot of Cottage Country Pest Control in Victoria Harbour, Ont. “Under the kitchen sink—or any place where water is coming in—is a good place to check,” she says. The attic is another one. Mice love insulation, “and it’s so easy for them to get into the soffits,” says Proudfoot. “People should really get their attics—and their crawlspaces—checked more often than they do.”

7 ways to keep pests out of your cottage

You say that your cottage is winterized. We assume that means you visit it during the winter. The happy news? You have an advantage over cottagers who leave their places vacant six months of the year. “Places that are lived in year-round, or almost year-round, have food, water, and heat available year-round, but they also have people to notice if and when pests try to sneak in,” says Proudfoot. “So things are less likely to get out of hand. Mice are so quick at breeding. Even if you get one or two a week coming in unchecked, you’ll never get ahead of them,” she says.

6 secrets to successful mouse trapping

If you want to DIY your mouse control, our experts almost always recommend traps over poisoned bait—it can harm non-target animals, for one thing—and they usually recommend regular snap traps over the other options.

“Don’t use glue traps,” says Proudfoot. “They’re just terrible.” (Caveat: unless these glue traps are for cockroaches. “Cockroaches can die on a glue trap.”)

Peanut butter is the go-to trap bait. Cheese dries out (and who wants to eat dry cheese?). Other expert-approved options include bacon, chocolate, and Nutella—but heck, food is expensive! Don’t waste that good stuff on mice.

Don’t put too much bait in the trap, assuming that more food will be more enticing. It usually just allows the mice to eat the food without actually springing the trap. Place traps around the perimeter of rooms—mice like to hug walls—and in concealed areas, for example, behind the fridge. In areas where you’ve seen a lot of mouse traffic, place several traps close together, in a row. Wear gloves when you set the traps. This prevents you from leaving your scent behind for the mouse to detect.

Could mice start a fire by chewing strike-anywhere matches?

Mice, like all mammals, are wary of new things. It could benefit you to, for several days, first put out baited traps that aren’t set. It’ll allow the mice to stop perceiving the traps, and the food, as a threat. This’ll take some patience on your part. But…dealing with wildlife—especially the pesty variety—takes a lot more patience than you’d ever expect. Good luck!

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

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Point Pelee National Park temporary closes for deer cull

Photo by Shutterstock/Roxana Gonzalez

Parks Canada has temporarily closed Point Pelee National Park to the public due to an overabundance of deer. The park, located on a Lake Erie peninsula in southwestern Ontario, will remain closed from January 5 to January 20 while Parks Canada conducts deer reduction activity.

“Parks Canada is responsible for maintaining and restoring ecological health in national parks. A high population (hyperabundance) of white-tailed deer in Point Pelee National Park is a serious threat to forest and savannah health and the species that depend on these precious habitats,” the agency said in a statement.

Park staff said that Point Pelee can sustainably house between 24 to 32 deer. The current deer population is estimated at 61 to 73 deer, more than double the park’s capacity. “Point Pelee National Park is home to a large amount of leafy vegetation, experiences mild winters, and, most importantly, lacks natural predators such as wolves, bears, and cougars which would have normally kept the deer population in balance,” the agency said.

The problem with too many deer

With so many deer left unchecked, native plants are being consumed faster than they can regenerate, damaging the health of the park’s Carolinian Forest, home to at-risk species such as the red mulberry tree, Eastern wood-pewee, and Eastern fox snake. Parks Canada said the deer are also impeding the restoration of the Lake Erie Sand Spit Savannah. This globally rare ecosystem supports 25 per cent of the species at risk in the park, including the five-lined skink.

What’s the solution?

To reduce the deer population, Parks Canada has partnered with Caldwell First Nation, whose traditional territory encompasses Point Pelee, to hunt the deer. “The population of White-tailed deer is reduced by means of an organized annual cull,” park staff said in an email.

Using rifles, 15 to 20 members of Caldwell First Nation and park staff will hunt the deer in the mornings and evenings, when the animals are most active. This cull is not a recreational hunting opportunity, staff stressed. “It is a resource management intervention designed to reduce a major threat to the continued health of the park.”

These annual culls with Caldwell First Nation have been happening since 2015. On top of keeping the park’s ecosystems healthy, the reduction activity also provides Caldwell First Nation members with the opportunity to mentor youth and strengthen traditional connections to the land while sharing knowledge and expertise with park staff. Caldwell First Nation keeps the meat and hides from the deer, using them for personal, community, and ceremonial purposes.

Hunting the deer has proved effective and more efficient than relocating them, Parks Canada said. “Trapping and relocating deer has been investigated by the park and by other sites in Ontario. Unfortunately, this method does not offer a long-term solution to the problem because of a lack of other available habitats to put deer, very high costs, as well as low survival rates as a result of relocation efforts.”

Point Pelee will reopen to the public on January 21.

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Cottage Q&A: Who is stealing my lightbulbs?

By astudio/Shutterstock

We have a strand of 25 patio lights strung between two trees. The other day, we noticed that 20 of the bulbs and sockets had been removed. We thought someone had snipped them off with pruning shears. But now we’re not so sure. Could a raccoon or a squirrel hang off the cable, bite through the wire, and carry the socket and bulb away?—John Habart, via Facebook

Yes. Our money’s on squirrels. Turns out, they have a reputation for snatching up decorative lights, especially around the holidays. Squirrels steal more Christmas bulbs than the Grinch. 

They like chewing on the wires, says Mike Webb, a wildlife expert and the owner of West Coast Problem Wildlife Management on Vancouver Island. A lot of new wiring has soy-based insulation. Tasty! Compared to petroleum-based insulation, soy-based wire insulation is considered better for the environment, and it sure is a win for critters that like to gnaw. Which is not great news for your cottage, your car, your ATV…or anything else with this wiring.

Cottage Q&A: How to keep mice out of your ATV

Why take the bulbs? It’s possible the squirrels mistook them for nuts. Or, says Webb, maybe they were simply attracted to the bulbs’ colours and textures.

Of course, without witnessing this behaviour, you’ll never know for sure what happened. “If it was me and I really wanted an answer, I’d put up a motion-activated trail camera,” says Webb. Do it! Then let us know what you see. 

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

This article was originally published in the June/July 2021 issue of Cottage Life.

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Don’t veer for deer: OPP urge drivers to watch for animals

Photo by Kalle Pihelgas/Shutterstock

Did you know November is high time for wildlife collisions in cottage country? More than 12,000 animal related-accidents occur each year in Ontario, with numbers peaking in October and November.

The Ministry of Transportation is drawing attention to the problem and urging drivers to be aware of animals with a new campaign called “Don’t veer for deer”.

If you can’t stop your car in time, “don’t veer for deer,” says Northumberland OPP Constable Rob Simpson. “Reduce your speed immediately, drive straight, and stay in the lane…Aim your vehicle towards the flank of the animal and try to graze the animal rather than hitting it head-on.”

It might be easier said than done, but swerving to avoid an animal can be more dangerous than not—there’s a risk of losing control of your vehicle, driving into oncoming traffic, or ending up in a ditch. 

The “Don’t veer for deer” campaign also points out to take extra precautions when driving 90 minutes before and after sunset and sunrise. “Statistically, it is one of the most popular times for a collision with wildlife,” says Const. Simpson. 

Be aware of larger animals as you drive further north. “There are a lot of deer collisions in southern Ontario. As you drive north, the animals scale up in size,” he says. “Fatal animal collisions occur most when your vehicle is striking a moose.”

How can drivers protect themselves?

“Reduce your speed,” says Const. Simpson. “When you obey the speed limit, especially during peak hours, it directly increases your reaction time and decreases the time it takes to stop your vehicle. This is the difference between getting into a collision and avoiding one.” 

Safety can become even more challenging when you factor in other drivers or winter conditions. In the case where a car is following too closely behind you, Const. Simpson recommends putting your indicator on, pulling over to the shoulder, and letting them pass.

When you’re faced with icy roads, Const. Simpson reminds everyone to drive according to the conditions and to reduce speeds when visibility is low. He says it is also crucial that drivers get snow tires for their vehicles. 

In an OPP news release from November 7, 2022, the Norfolk County Detachment shared a few more ways drivers can stay safe:

  • Make sure you are looking all ways. Deer do not often hit from straight on, but approach from the sides of the road. 
  • Deer travel in herds. If you see one, watch for more. 
  • Slow down. The slower your vehicle, the more you time you will have to react accordingly.
  • Watch for glowing eyes. 
  • Remove any distractions in the car so you can pay full attention to the road. 
  • Put your seatbelt on.

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B.C. gov. bans use of rodenticides over concerns about food chain seepage

Photo by Shutterstock/Gallinago_media

B.C. is changing its approach to rodent management.

On October 28, the province’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change announced that it is permanently banning the widespread sale and use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs).

These are chemical agents designed to kill rodents by preventing their blood from clotting, causing internal bleeding. Rodenticide poisons have become the default strategy worldwide for handling rodent problems, but they come with a number of side effects.

The B.C. government implemented an 18-month ban on SGARs in July 2021 to further understand the poison’s effects. After public consultations and consultations with experts, the government decided to make the ban permanent starting January 21, 2023, when the temporary ban expires.

SGARs are often mixed with an attractant, such as peanut butter, and baited inside small black boxes. The chemicals are highly toxic to all types of wildlife, and there have been cases where animals other than rats and mice have been poisoned, such as squirrels, cats, and even dogs.

The B.C. government is concerned about secondary poisoning. The deadly chemicals can last in the rodent’s tissues for up to 24 months, even after death. Any predator that eats an infected rodent is at risk of secondary poisoning.

Between 1988 and 2003, scientists collected 164 B.C. owls to test for rodenticide. The study found that 70 per cent of the owls had detectable liver residues of at least one anticoagulant rodenticide. The study did note, however, that only six of the owls died from rodenticide poisoning. The rest died from other circumstances.

Secondary poisoning from rodenticide is most common among raptors, but it has also been found in other predators, such as coyotes and foxes. There is concern among experts that predators are dying through secondary poisoning and effectively allowing rodent populations to thrive and spread diseases contagious to humans.

Despite the risks associated with SGARs, the government is making exceptions to the ban. To balance the need to protect wildlife, while protecting the delivery of essential services, the government said that agricultural operators and essential service providers, such as hospitals, grocery stores, and even telecommunication services, will be allowed to continue purchasing SGARs. The SGARs can only be purchased and used by a licensed pesticide applicator.

Before using SGARs, the pesticide applicator must identify the species of rodent and monitor the population size to assess the risk. After using SGARs, they must properly dispose of the dead rodents, so that they don’t pose a threat to other wildlife. Vendors can only sell SGARs to licensed applicators and they must keep track of all sales for at least three years.

Tips for deterring rodents

  • prune excessive vegetation where rodents might nest
  • ensure doors and windows are flush with their frames
  • plug any holes with steel wool (mice can fit through a hole the size of a dime and rats a hole the size of a quarter)
  • keep all attractants, such as food and compost, in sealed bins

Not everyone agrees with these exceptions, though. B.C.’s Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said that all anticoagulant rodenticides should be banned. The organization noted that compliance with proper SGARs use has been lax in the past. In 2019, provincial officers conducted 311 SGARs inspections. Only 39 per cent of those inspected complied with proper protocols. The organization is concerned that this type of misuse could continue.

SPCA also pointed out that first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) are still legally available for use. These products are slower-acting and less potent than SGARs, but can still pose a poisoning risk to wildlife.

Instead, SPCA is advocating for more humane rodent management strategies, such as prevention.

“The BC SPCA is committed to supporting the transition from rodenticides to more humane pest control strategies,” the organization said in a statement, “and is working with municipal staff to ensure there is a sustainable plan for their communities.”