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Deer are most active around dawn and dusk. Most species of deer are crepuscular, meaning they are often awake during twilight hours. As far as the time of year goes, you can encounter deer in any month, as they don’t hibernate. They are most active during warmer months when food is the most abundant.

Yes, deer eat grass. But grass is far from a deer’s favorite food. Grass doesn’t have the nutrients deer need, so it only makes up a fraction of their diet. Deer eat woody plants, vegetation, acorns, fruit, and legumes. If deer are frequently in your yard, however, they will likely pick at the grass.

It can be difficult to know what type of animal is in your attic until you see it. But several clues can help you narrow down the suspects:

• Sounds: Smaller animals like rats and mice make scurrying and tapping/gnawing sounds. Larger animals like raccoons and opossums make louder clambering noises. Also, note when animals are noisy: Squirrels are active during the day, while rats are busiest at night.

• Droppings: Rats and mice leave small, rice-shaped droppings (the rat’s version is significantly larger). Bigger droppings belong to larger critters like raccoons. As long as you’re not squeamish, an image search can help you identify what you’re seeing in your attic.

When in doubt, take photos of damage or other evidence and show them to an experienced pest control pro.

Gophers do not hibernate, meaning you could, at least theoretically, have a gopher problem in your yard any time of year. During the colder parts of the year when soil isn't as easy to work with, gophers may not dig as many holes or be as active and instead will burrow deeper into the earth to go below the frost line to stay warm.

You can expect to see more gopher activity during the spring and fall when warmer temperatures make digging easy, and there is an abundance of new (or recently harvested) plant life available for them to graze on. They come out during the day and sleep at night.