Steps To Stop Wildlife From Accessing Your Home

What's the wildlife situation like around your home? Do you have raccoons, squirrels, white tailed deer, skunks, and a litany of birds that visit your property regularly? While most visits from critters around your home will be harmless, other stopovers may cause damage such as clogged gutters from nesting animals, chewed siding or insulation, and trash that gets strewn all over the place due to food hunting raccoons.Thankfully, if critters are causing problems in your yard there are some fairly simple steps you can take to keep them at bay. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Eliminate The Appeal of Your Home

A question to consider when trying to stop wildlife from making frequent visits to your home is, What is attracting the wildlife? Examine the outside of your home. What could possibly be making your home alluring or appealing to animals that seek shelter, water, and their next meal?There are several things that could be appealing to a hungry or thirsty critter looking for their next meal. Uncovered trash is a huge draw for animals of all varieties. Mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, and skunks are always looking for a meal and your barrels may be the best buffet around. Along with the trash, your bird feeders may be a great place for a snack. Solutions for these two problems are as easy as covering and locking the trash receptacles, and moving the bird feeders to an area where wildlife can not easily access it.

Block Access to Your Roof

Many different wildlife spend their days and nights happily among the trees. If your home has low hanging branches that allow for easy access to your chimney, gutters, or even the attic, you may want to rethink your pruning schedule. Trees make for natural bridges and highways to a home's roof. From there critters can easily find a way into the attic via soffits, the fireplace through an open chimney cap, and make a home in your gutters.Blocking the method for wildlife to get onto your roof can save you the time and effort of having to eliminate these pests later. Trim back bushes, trees, and branches that could allow for a gateway onto your room and home structure.

Repair Holes and Access Points

While the trash area and roof can be attractive to wildlife, so can any holes or access points at ground level. Take a look around your foundation. Are there any visible openings? Are your utility openings such as a dryer vent or electrical panel covered with steel wiring? These are two major areas where critters can squeeze themselves into your home, especially your basement. We suggest repairing any hole in your foundation or siding that could be an attractive way for pests to enter the home. We also think you should consider the type and strength of the coverings around your utility openings. Talk to your providers about how you can shore up those areas while still remaining safe.This spring take these three simple steps to stop wildlife from accessing your home and creating a mess or worse. Talk to our wildlife specialists about prevention and elimination of your wildlife issue.