While working at height, climbers face the greatest risk of encountering ani- mals like raccoons and squirrels, es- pecially when a tree has a hollow tree cavity or is home to a nest.
Common Encounters Raccoons
“If you’re removing or pruning a tree in the spring, you’re going to run into some raccoons,” Thierbach said. As with many woodland animals, spring is when female raccoons give birth and begin raising their young. This means that aggression levels will be at an all-time high, as mother rac- coons have one primary goal — to pro- tect their kits. “It’s not a question of if they will or not — mother raccoons will attack,” Thierbach explained. “A few years ago, my husband was pruning a tree that a raccoon family called home. He had to put something over the hole where the family lived because the mom kept wanting to come out. She will bite, but she’s doing it to protect her babies.” While working in a tree, options are limited when it comes to defending against a protective mama raccoon. “You could rev your chainsaw to try and scare it off, but most of the time they won’t run away if babies are in- volved,” Thierbach cautioned. In situations like this, if tree removal is necessary, Thierbach recommends discussing other options and timing with the client. In this case, it might be worthwhile to suggest postponing the removal until all animals have vacat- ed the tree. For raccoons in particular, mothers will lead their kits out of the den to a new location at about eight weeks of age. That means you could be waiting to service that particular tree until late spring to early summer. For the most part, raccoon bites (espe- cially in the spring) are defensive, but it’s always best to take the bite seri-
When raccoons are present, postponing work may be the safest option — especially during denning season.
few extra minutes to identify any risks before work begins can, and will, help keep crews safer and more efficient. TREE DWELLING MAMMAL BITES (RACCOONS AND SQUIRRELS) When an animal feels threatened, trapped, or is protecting a nearby nest, its first instinct is to defend itself. For arborists, that can mean bites or scratches from local wildlife while on the job. Although these injuries can be quite painful, the greater concern is the risk of disease transmission such as rabies and other infections. “When we talk about bites, it’s mostly dog bites,” said Thierbach. “But when you’re talking about what animals they encounter, climbers run into squirrels and raccoons a lot — and they will bite. But most of the time, climbers know enough to stay away.”
“When you’re doing this, you’re look- ing to see if the tree is going to fall over, or if there’s widowmaker hangers,” she noted. “And you’re also looking for an- imal nests — bees nests, raccoons, and squirrels, those kinds of things. But sometimes it’s hard to see a nest in a full foliage tree, so a thorough assess- ment is very important.” In addition to what’s visible, Thierbach recommends evaluating the worksite and surrounding environment for signs of wildlife activity. “Is there tall grass? Warm rocks? Are there any hollow spots where animals can hide? If so, you can bet your boots there’s probably some kind of critter in that tree. Those are the kinds of things you’d be looking for in the job briefing.” Although this is oen part of the job briefing, checking for hazardous ani- mals can oen be overlooked. Taking a
26 | Spring 2026 ArborTIMES™
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online