When the Wildlife Wants to Move in...
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Here in Central Virginia, we have had some weird weather and some interesting wildlife encounters this spring. We live in a very wooded community near the reservoir, and we’re used to a lot of our furry and feathered friends visiting. But they took it to the next level this season.
It seems they wanted to settle in, and the Pair of Jacks were not happy with all the critters.
It all started with the woodpecker who decided that the side of the house was much more appealing than any of the hundreds of trees in the yard. He started his rat-a-tat-tatting before dawn on several mornings. He did a bit of damage to the wood siding that we had to repair when another bird decided she wanted to make the hole a spot for a nest.
Then the rowdy squirrels got in on the act. They decided to try to breach the wooden vent cover to the attic. Thankfully, the wire netting held, and all they did was destroy the louvered cover.
A few days later, we woke up to a pile of half-eaten pizza crusts on the kitchen deck. The next day, a bag of stale hamburger buns was left with a pile of crumbs. A few days later, I found the remnants of a chocolate muffin and a mangled plastic container. The critters were having late-night parties on the deck, hosted by a frisky racoon who figured out how to raid our trashcan.
I’m not sure if it’s all the cooler rainy weather we’ve had this spring, or that the locals decided to take advantage of the nearby amenities. I’m hoping our fixes take care of the squatters. I’ve also had a talk with the Jack Russells about stepping up the security around here.
