While many people associate the late fall and winter months with an increased risk of mice invading their homes, they may not be as concerned with other types of wild animals. Larger wild animals like raccoons, skunks, and squirrels are also looking to find a safe spot to live in over the winter and be near sources of food and water. When the colder weather comes around each year, many of the food supplies that have been plentiful during the previous seasons suddenly disappear, leaving behind some hungry critters. What is a wild animal to do except to start to look in people’s backyard for food supplies? To a hungry raccoon, Fido’s dinner will start to look like a mighty tasty meal, a trashcan full of food scraps is no match for a skunk, and starving squirrels can master feeding from any bird feeder. Once wild animals are attracted to food sources found on your property, it may only be a matter of time before they figure out how to gain access inside of your home and make a nice cozy winter retreat for themselves!
The professionals at American Pest Solutions want to help you stop wild animals from being attracted to your property and help you protect your home from a wild animal invasion. Wild animals aren’t just a nuisance to have living inside your home, they can introduce diseases, contaminate food and food prep areas, leave behind trails of urine and feces, damage the structure of your home, and destroy personal property - your favorite sweater won’t be so cute once a squirrel chews a hole into it and makes it part of their nest!
Listed below are some easy-to-accomplish prevention tips that can help keep wild animals outside where they belong!
- Make sure that trash that has been removed from your home is placed inside a trashcan that has a locking lid.
- Trash should be picked up or removed from your property on a regular basis.
- Store outdoor trashcans a distance away from the outside of your home.
- Remove bird feeders and other wild animal feeders from your property.
- Pick up any uneaten pet food each evening.
- Trim back tree branches away from the exterior of your home and its roofline. Wild animals will use branches to gain easy access to your home.
- Inspect your home’s roofline, repairing any holes found. It is also a good idea to repair any damaged or missing roof shingles.
- Make sure that all chimneys have tight-fitting caps on them.
- Place mesh covers over all vents leading into your home.
- Close garage, shed, and basement doors when they are not in use.
Despite taking precautions, wild animals are persistent creatures and you may suddenly find yourself hearing noises in your home’s attic or behind its walls this winter. If you suspect skunks, squirrels, raccoons or any other species of wild animal have made their winter retreat inside of your home, contact the wildlife control experts at American Pest Solutions. Never try to remove wild animals on your own, as even the calmest appearing creatures can turn violent, biting and scratching when they are corned or they feel that they are being threatened. American Pest Solutions offers comprehensive wildlife control services, using the most humane methods possible to solve any wildlife invasion. Call the Good Guys at American Pest Solutions this winter or any other time of the year to remove wild animals that have made themselves at home on your property!