Spring seems like the season of love, but canoodling comes earlier for a handful of furry critters prominent on the south coast of B.C.

Squirrels, raccoons and skunks are all looking for love, which means a bunch of noise, followed by nesting.

Mating season is February through March so all three species are on the hunt for a mate. Squirrels in particular get real chatty, says Trine From, Fraser Valley branch manager for pest control company Orkin Canada.

The females send out a pheromone that brings all the boys to the yard, and it含羞草研究社檒l draw them from kilometres away, From said.

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Then the males compete for the female attention. The chittering can get noisy.

While desire to mate brings them out, the next phase 含羞草研究社� nesting 含羞草研究社� is where pest control comes in.

含羞草研究社淥nce mating season is over they disperse,含羞草研究社� From said. 含羞草研究社淪ame for raccoons, I含羞草研究社檝e even seen them in my yard digging up my entire yard, same with the skunks.含羞草研究社�

They含羞草研究社檙e looking for a place to have their young, and once they get in it含羞草研究社檚 noisy, messy and stinky.

None of the species are great tenants, From said.

含羞草研究社淥nce they含羞草研究社檙e in there and having their babies, we can含羞草研究社檛 get them back out again until the babies are strong enough or have gone,含羞草研究社� she said.

When pressed, she含羞草研究社檇 say the squirrels are the worst. Any of them will get into an attic, or under a shed, but squirrels can get into tiny spaces or even set up house in a chimney.

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Once inside they make a stink and a mess and residents will hear them fighting and chewing on things.

Pest control can含羞草研究社檛 remove them until the young are grown enough or gone. They can remove the critters if they pose a danger to humans.

Once removed, they含羞草研究社檙e relocated.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 in our best interest to release them on the property we get them from. In the environment they含羞草研究社檙e familiar with,含羞草研究社� From said. If it含羞草研究社檚 a raccoon deemed vicious or a skunk that keeps spraying, they含羞草研究社檒l venture out 10 kilometres to release the animal.

Trapping can involve a one-way door installed where they gained entry, so the critters can leave but can含羞草研究社檛 get back into their makeshift den. There are other live traps used, with skunks getting their own special setup.

含羞草研究社淵ou have to use special traps to capture them, because if you catch them in a regular say raccoon trap then a skunk is going to lift its tail and release those glands,含羞草研究社� From said, noting technicians have been nailed in the past. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙e cute but they stink.含羞草研究社�

Residents can try and avoid the situation altogether by 含羞草研究社渆xcluding含羞草研究社� wildlife.

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含羞草研究社淎nywhere there含羞草研究社檚 shelter and it含羞草研究社檚 vaguely warm they含羞草研究社檙e going to get in there,含羞草研究社� From said, suggesting any hole larger than a dime should be sealed to eliminate mice and more.

The first line of defence is sealing every hole, but not using spray foam.

含羞草研究社淎ny pest that want to get into your home or shed will just chew through that spray foam and use it as nesting material.含羞草研究社�

Similarly, simply sealing a hole under a shed won含羞草研究社檛 work.

含羞草研究社淚f you have a shed and the raccoons are under there, once you know for sure they含羞草研究社檙e gone, just sealing the hole they made isn含羞草研究社檛 going to help you,含羞草研究社� the Orkin official explained. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檒l just dig under.含羞草研究社�

To remedy it, dig down two feet and install wire fencing around the perimeter.

From recommends a similar solution for beavers 含羞草研究社� except above ground. Orkin is called frequently for beavers taking down trees and the solution in that case is four feet of half-inch or quarter-inch mesh around the base of the trees.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 something we offer, or if people want (they can) do it themselves,含羞草研究社� she said.

As El Nino winter brings some unseasonably warm weather, From also reminds residents to use screen doors.

Raccoons in particular will just waltz right through an open door.