You must work on securing your home from nature’s intruders, no matter where you live. Wildlife can find its way inside, even in an urban setting. Using proven strategies will prevent animals from damaging your home or causing harm to you and your family.
So, start your wildlife watch today with these strategies!
1. Locating and Sealing Possible Entry Points
The first strategy you need to know about is finding possible entry points in your home. You’ll almost always want to start with this step when securing your house from nature’s intruders.
Many animals, like rodents and bats, won’t need much space to get inside. You’ll want to check for gaps and cracks in your foundation, roof, and walls. Then, ensure that you inspect your fireplace, if you have one, to ensure it’s secured.
Here are some of the most common entry points for animals:
- Chimneys
- Vents
- Soffits
- Lost roof tiles
- Cracks in siding
- Gaps in attics and basements
It can help to take pictures of all the possible entry points on your home as you inspect it. As you seal them off, you can delete the pictures, ensuring you haven’t missed anything.
You can seal the gaps with caulk, spray foam, or steel wool. You don’t want to do this if the animals are still inside. If they are, make sure that you contact a wildlife pest control service in Ohio immediately.
2. Secure Nearby Garages and Sheds
Next, you’ll want to ensure that any nearby outdoor structures are secured. If an animal can get inside, they’ll stay there for shelter. They’ll live on your property, possibly moving into your home.
You’ll want to check for gaps and other openings, then seal them, as you did in the above strategy. Check that the doors close securely and add weather stripping to seal tighter.
If you store any planting or bird seeds in the structure, ensure they’re in an airtight container. Seeds can easily attract pests, especially rodents. Once they get a scent, they will make their way inside.
Preventing pests from moving into your property will also help you keep them out of your house. So, ensure you don’t forget to inspect the other structures nearby.
3. Seal Off Your Decks and Porches
Another strategy is to seal under your decks and porches if they have any open areas underneath them. Animals often decide to live under them and will even raise young there. They could be a danger to you if they’re living close by. Plus, it makes it easier for them to find their way inside your home.
You can secure the outer area with chicken wire, wire mesh, lattice, and more. You’ll just want to ensure it can keep out animals safely.
These are some of the animals that frequently make their homes under decks and porches:
- Raccoons
- Possums
- Mice
- Rats
- Skunks
- Woodchucks
- Chipmunks
Some of these animals can carry diseases that are harmful to humans, so you’ll want to call the pros to remove them. It’s also critical that you don’t approach the animals under your porch yourself. They’ll feel cornered and can lash out at you.
Next, keep litter and food waste away from your decks and porches. Dropped food is sure to attract various animals.
Lastly, take a moment to look over your other structures. For example, you might have a gazebo, garage, or statue in your yard that animals might use for shelter.
4. Secure Your Compost Bins
If you compost for your garden, ensuring the bins you use are secure is essential. You’ll want to use containers with lids that animals can’t feasibly open independently.
Next, you must turn your compost often to prevent it from developing a strong odor that attracts nature’s intruders. You must also keep it a reasonable distance from your home for the same reason.
Most of the time, you must turn your compost every three or four days when the organic materials inside decompose. After that, you can turn them less.
5. Trim Vegetation On Your Property
You must take care of the plants on your property. You’ll need to trim trees and shrubs, especially if they’re close to your home. Branches near your roof could be the perfect bridge for a squirrel or chipmunk to get inside. You’ll also want to keep your grass trimmed to a reasonable length to prevent wildlife from hiding there.
The space around your home must be open and debris-free to prevent animals from visiting it for shelter. Overall, good landscaping will benefit you.
6. Educate Those Around You
You’ll also want to educate your neighbors and family on wildlife and what attracts them. Start by doing some research on your own, then talk with everyone around you about the subject.
You can put all this effort into keeping animals away, but if your neighbors do things that actively attract animals, all your hard work will be for nothing.
Make it a collective effort to dispose of food waste properly and trim vegetation. It’s also good to offer more information on the unique wildlife in your area since their habits can change depending on where you are.
7. Install Some Wildlife Deterrents
Finally, you’ll want to look into various wildlife deterrents. You can install motion-activated lights around your home to keep away nocturnal animals and provide yourself with some more security.
Motion-activated sprinklers and ultrasonic stakes are some other options to consider. Both of which keep small wildlife away.
Many people also make their deterrent solutions. You can combine water, ground red pepper, and spearmint oil to create a spray with a strong scent that animals dislike. You’ll need to reapply it often.
These wildlife deterrents can be helpful, but you’ll often need to employ multiple methods to ensure that all animals stay off your property.
Start Your Wildlife Watch Today
So, you’ll want to start your official wildlife watch today. The sooner you do, the more protection you’ll receive from your chosen strategies. Wild animals can damage your property and cause harm, so don’t put this off for long.
