The 7 Biggest Wildlife Prevention Mistakes Humans Make in Early Spring

I say this with love—and a mouthful of your tulips: Most wildlife problems don’t happen because humans don’t care, because you're not trying. They happen because you’re early…or late…or confident in exactly the wrong tactic.

From where I’m standing (four legs, excellent peripheral vision), the biggest mistakes you make every year aren’t dramatic. They’re quiet. Logical. Very well-intentioned. And biologically speaking? Perfectly timed—for us.

Let’s talk about the most common early spring wildlife prevention mistakes, and why they fail before you even realize anything’s happening.

Mistake No. 1: Waiting for “Spring” to Start

Ah yes. The classic human calendar. You wait for:

• Warmer temperatures

• Green shoots

• Obvious activity

We wait for daylight.

Here’s the disconnect: most of us don’t schedule our lives around temperature. We follow day length. As soon as the days start getting longer (right after the winter solstice), hormones shift, routines change, and scouting begins—whether there’s snow on the ground or not.

By the time it feels like spring to you, many den sites, feeding routes, and backup plans are already chosen. From our perspective, waiting until March or April to “start looking” is like packing for a cruise once it's left the harbor.

Mistake No. 2: Assuming Winter Means Inactive

You humans love the word hibernation. It’s cozy. It implies naps.

Very few of us actually do that.

Most urban wildlife operates in a state called torpor—which is less “deep sleep” and more “power-saving mode.” We wake up during warm spells. We explore. We test boundaries. We notice weaknesses. One mild February day is plenty of time to:

• Inspect an attic vent

• Test soil under a deck

• Revisit last year’s best buffet spot

Then we wait again.

That stop-and-start activity is exactly why problems feel like they “come out of nowhere” later. They didn’t. You just weren’t watching or didn't know what to watch for.

Mistake No. 3: Sealing First, Asking Questions Later

(AKA: The Fortress Fallacy)

This one gets expensive. You spot a gap. You grab a ladder. You seal it up. Victory! Right? Right?! Except you didn’t check if anyone was already inside. If a pregnant raccoon, squirrel, or skunk is sealed in—or worse, sealed out from her young—biology takes over. Maternal drive beats roofing materials every time.

Animals in this type of duress will:

• Tear through shingles

• Chew through wood

• Cause damage that makes you nostalgic for the original hole

The issue isn’t exclusion. It’s timing and diagnosis. That’s why professionals use vacancy checks and eviction protocols instead of quick fixes. And why sealing during late winter and early spring without confirmation often backfires spectacularly.

Mistake No. 4: Treating Repellents Like Emergency Sirens

I’m going to be very honest with you humans. If I’m already comfortable somewhere warm, dry, and safe…a bad smell is not a deal breaker. Repellents don’t work their best once we’ve settled in. They work by influencing early decisions—when we’re still deciding whether a place is worth the effort. Used early, they quietly redirect behavior.

This is why timing matters more than strength, and why dumping mothballs into an attic is both ineffective and hazardous to you.

Mistake No. 5: Thinking “No Damage” Means “No Activity”

Damage is the finale, not the opening act.

Before you see:

• Chewed plants

• Dug soil

• Noises in the attic

There were weeks of:

• Testing

• Revisiting

• Evaluating

Early signs are subtle. Melted snow revealing paths. Soil that feels different. Areas that suddenly get a lot of attention from us and our cousins. If you wait for visible damage, you’re already late to the conversation.

Mistake No. 6: Relocating One of Us and Calling It Humane

This one always surprises you humans. Trapping and relocating an animal feels kind. In reality, it usually creates:

• A vacancy that gets filled immediately

• A relocated animal that doesn’t survive

• A brand-new animal discovering the same open access point

We’re territorial, but urban areas are full of floaters looking for opportunity. Remove one without fixing the root issue, and someone else takes the spot.

Eviction + exclusion works. Removal alone just resets the clock.

Mistake No. 7: Using the Wrong Materials

Chicken wire is for chickens. So unless you're trying to deter those little dinosaur descendants, it's not going to cut it. Thin wire twists, rusts, and chews easily. We can pull it apart. Gnaw through it. Push under it.

Hardware cloth exists for a reason. So does proper screening, solid flashing, and materials that respect the almighty teeth and paws. Using the wrong material doesn’t slow us down—it teaches us where to push next time.

The Real Pattern Behind All These Mistakes

Every one of these missteps comes from the same place: You humans react to what you see.We act on what we sense. By the time something looks obvious to you, decisions have already been made on our end. That’s why prevention works best when it’s calm, early, and backed by knowledge of animal behavior—not rushed or reactive or (adorably) ignorant.

Where This Leaves You (And Us)

January and early February aren’t about fixing everything. They’re about avoiding the mistakes that make spring harder than it needs to be. Think of this as course correction—not a to-do list. And if you’re ready to understand what to look for next, instead of what to panic about later…well, that’s what February is for. Stay tuned for some proactive tips and to-do lists releasing to the blog next month.

Hugs and Hooves,

Lydia 🦌