Ideas and advice for all cottage owners, renters and guests. - Ideas and advice for all cottage owners, renters and guests.

Raccoons, porcupines, beavers, mice, deer, bats, and bears can make life at the cottage a bit more challenging and sometimes even dangerous.

How To Manage Wildlife Troubles At The Cottage

Enjoying the wildlife is one of the greatest pleasures at the cottage.  While all critters have their rightful place, not all of them are a welcome sight.

Raccoon Problems
Raccoons truly are the mischievous bandits of the woods and when they decide to live in the cottage it can be a nightmare to keep them away.  Whether living in the attic, wintering under the cottage or making night raids on the garbage bin, these intelligent critters can be a real nuisance.  Taking a few precautions will make your property a bit less inviting.

The best way to keep a raccoon away from the cottage is to reduce the things it is attracted to.

Rake up fallen acorns and fruit from the trees around the cottage. Trim tree branches that overhang the cottage roof. Use strong scented repellents such as mothballs or cayenne pepper underneath and around the base of the cottage and around sealed garbage containers. Don’t leave pet food outside overnight.

Beaver Problems
Beavers are the great builders of the woods.  Sometimes, they decide to source their construction materials from a cottage property. Few things enrage a cottager more than the sight of a prized tree being harvested by the local beaver.  While it can be argued that it is the beaver’s full right, there are a few things you can do to keep it off your property once it has targeted your precious woodlot.

Go to our How to Get Rid of Beavers page se see the detailed options for deterring beavers from taking down the cottage trees.

Porcupine Problems
Porcupines can be a real nuisance at the cottage. Not only are they bad news if the family dog gets too close, they are also capable of killing your trees. In the winter they normally feed on bark and can strip a tree to the point that it dies. Salt found in wood also attracts porcupines and they have been known to eat through the cottage floor boards and walls. Even canoe paddles are not safe.

If a porcupine is causing damage to your cottage, you will likely have to remove it from the property. The best option is to contact a local pest control expert to trap and dispose of the porcupine.

Mice Problems
Mice are always going to be a part of the cottage experience but that doesn’t mean we can’t keep them under control.
Go to the Mice in the Cabin page for advice on getting rid of mice.

Deer Problems
Deer are a cottage favourite. We love watching them stroll through the yard in the evening with the fawns. But sometimes they are so numerous that they eat all the plants in our cottage garden.
Go to the Gardening page for ideas on how to keep deer out of the garden.

Bats Living In The Cottage
Bats are fantastic neighbours at the cabin as long as they are living around the cabin and not inside it.
Go to the Bats in the Cabin page for tips on getting bats out of the cabin.

Bears Around The Cottage
Bears are fascinating at a distance and pretty scary up close. When we see a bear crossing the road or swimming in the lake it is an exciting moment. When we hear a bear knocking over the BBQ in the middle of the night, the experience gets a bit scary.
Go to the Bears at the Cabin page for tips on dealing with bears at the lake.