Here comes baby season
As the temperatures already begin to rise so are the number of phone calls we are receiving. Spring is quickly approaching and animals are preparing for this year’s young. During this time we see an increase in calls for raccoons, squirrels and birds as they begin to prepare to have their babies in your attic. Yes all babies are cute in the beginning but the cuteness goes away when they keep you up all night or you are in fear of the risks associated with these animals such as rabies and other harmful pathogens.
How to protect your home from wildlife
How to protect your home from wildlife? Prevention is always the best medicine. The first thing you need to do to protect your home from Wildlife is do a thorough inspection inside and outside of your home. During this inspection you want to look for any openings. You will also want to look for any signs of animals including droppings, footprints gnawing and suitable habitats for animals to live in. We will go through some of these in more detail.
What To Look For When Doing A Wildlife Inspection
- The first thing you need to look at it is if there are any trees against your home. This may also include tall bushes. Squirrels and raccoons will use trees and tall bushes to climb and gain easy access to you roof. This moves them one step closer to them getting into your home. We always recommend to our customers to trim trees and bushes away from their home leaving a good couple feet distance between the bush / tree and your home. Additionally bushes and trees should also not extend past the gutter line allowing them to jump directly onto your roof.
- The number two thing we look for is holes and gaps in your home. We consistently find building errors on homes and commercial buildings allowing access for animals. We typically find these where multiple roofs connect. If you find a gap like this you want to inspect inside the house prior to sealing it. Ensure you do not seal any animals in your home. Once you’ve been inspected the inside and are confident there is no animals inside you want to seal the hole or Gap. To seal the hole / gap you’ll want to use a wire mesh such as galvanized hardware cloth.
- Gable vents are the next thing we look at. Most house built today do not have gable vents installed. If your have a house 10 years or older you likely have gable vents. Gable vents are an easy access point for all animals. Squirrels will gnaw through the louver, raccoons will rip the louvers off and bats / birds will go between the louvers. Installing a strong metal screen on the outside of the gable vent is a good way to exclude your gable vents. Again you will want to ensure there are no animals in your house or business prior to excluding anything on your house.
- Is your chimney capped? A chimney is another popular spot for animals to have their babies in. It is a favorite for raccoons and chimney swifts. If you are going to install a chimney cap you want to be sure the screen on it is small enough to prevent bats from entering.
We Can Help You
Call today if you are in the Raleigh, NC area and need help to protect your home from wildlife this spring. If wildlife has already taken up resident in your attic we can help with that too. You can contact us though our contact page or by calling (919) 584-8650.
