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Health & Fitness

An Ounce of Prevention can Save Lives for Mother Nature

As you move outside, they would like to move inside.

Ah, temperatures in the 80s and it's the middle of March. Time to get outside and enjoy this  early spring weather. 

But while I am looking to get outside, I know that mammals are looking to get inside for a safe, sheltered place to have their babies. To prevent this from happening, I need to be proactive. In this nice weather, I take the time to walk the perimeter of my house several times and look at it from every angle. Mammals want a dry, warm place  to raise their young, and too often we homeowners unknowingly provide them such a  habitat. I check under my bay window, look for cracks or other openings in lattice work, check basement windows and make sure my window well covers are in good shape.

And before sealing any opening shut, I make sure it is unoccupied. My neighbor has an outdoor shed whose sides don't go all the way to the ground, a perfect place for a skunk, fox, raccoon or woodchuck to have its litter. The simple fix is to close it up using blocks, gravel or wire fencing or meshing. However, this should be done before the animals seek a safe nesting site, and now is the perfect time.

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This is also a great time to check your attic and chimney opening to make sure no critters have come in over the winter. Tree limbs too close to a roof allow access for squirrels and raccoons. A few simple preventative measures can help keep wildlife outside where it belongs and wants to be.

There are several great web sites that  teach me how to live in harmony with wildlife. I suggest checking out Ned Bruha's The Skunk Whisperer at http://totalwildlifecontrol.com.  Additionally, area wildlife rehabbers can give you suggestions: Fox Valley Wildlife Center (www.foxvalleywildlife.org), www.willowbrookwildlife.com, web.extension.illinois.edu, and www.flintcreekwildlife.org.

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I have enough room in my yard to share with the local neighborhood wildlife, which I enjoy watching. When they live outside and not inside, we all are happiest.

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