Oct 19, 2023 | Wildlife
Bats are often misunderstood and feared by many, but they play an essential role in maintaining the balance of Georgia’s ecosystem. Georgia is home to 16 different types of bats, each contributing to the environment in unique and beneficial ways. Let’s go over some common Georgia bats and why they are so beneficial to humans.
Common Bats in Georgia
- Eastern Red Bat: These small, tree roosting bats are often seen in heavily wooded areas. They have rusty-red fur which makes them more recognizable when seen.
- Big Brown Bat: These bats are on the larger size and are known for their robust appearance. They often roost in buildings and feed on insects.
- Little Brown Bat: These bats are common in Georgia and play a vital role in controlling insect populations.
Benefits of Bats in Georgia
- Some species can consume their body weight in insects each night. This helps keep populations of pests low, including mosquitoes.
- Bats are also very beneficial in pollinating certain flowers, including some fruit-bearing species.
- They also help aid in forest regeneration by dispersing seeds. The fruits they feed on contain seeds and then they transport the seeds to various locations.
Conservation Efforts of Bats
While bats offer numerous benefits, they face several threats. This includes habitat loss, disease, and disturbance in roosting sites. Georgia has conservation initiatives aimed at protecting these creatures by protecting their roosting sites, educating the public, and monitoring bat populations for diseases, like white-nose syndrome.
Removing bats is a delicate matter in the state of Georgia and should only be handled by licensed wildlife control professionals. If you suspect you have bats in your home, be sure to give your local wildlife control company a call today!
Mar 22, 2023 | Wildlife
South Florida Wildlife Control: How To Prevent
While Florida sees warmer temperatures year-round compared to other states, there’s bound to be a cold front hit during the winter season. Wildlife creatures look to our Harlem Heights homes for food, shelter, and warmth. Before they enter, it’s important for every homeowner to brush up on their knowledge of the types of winter wildlife and how to prevent them!
Rats & Mice
Rats and mice are notorious for entering our homes for shelter and food. These creatures are known to inhabit our crawl spaces, basements, kitchens, and attics. Once inside they can cause serious damage, such as chewing wire, destroying insulation, and leaving behind their feces.
Rats and mice are known to carry and spread diseases such as salmonella, lice, fleas, and ticks. Their droppings can also contain pathogens, dangerous to humans. Major signs of these creatures inside your home are hearing noises coming from the walls or ceilings, such as tapping or scratching.
Raccoons
Nocturnal animals, raccoons are dexterous, often opening doorknobs, cabinet doors, and trashcan lids to search for any available food source. These creatures are known to inhabit suburbs, and you will often find them invading hollow trees, attics, or garages.
Raccoons can cause significant damage to the outside of your home such as ripping of shingles, fascia boards, and even chimney vents! If they infest inside, they will destroy insulation, chew electrical wires, and contaminate the home with their urine and feces.
Bats
Bats are looking for a protected place that stays above freezing to inhabit. These creatures will often look to our attics for shelter, so they can huddle in a group together. If you suspect you have bats inside, don’t be surprised if there’s a group of them instead of just one. Bats will usually stay in attics during the day, leaving at night to search for a food source.
These creatures are known to carry diseases, such as rabies, which can spread to humans. In several states, removing bats is a delicate matter and will need to be done by a professional.
Preventing wildlife can seem daunting but there are a few easy ways you can keep them from invading your home. Check out our top wildlife prevention tips below:
- Seal your garbage cans and compost bins
- Trim or cut tree limbs away from your house’s roof line
- Place a grated screen on top of your chimney
- Consider enclosing your crawlspace to eliminate entry points
- Inspect the exterior of your home for holes and gaps, sealing them immediately
- Reach out to your local South Florida wildlife control company to set you up with a prevention and treatment plan to avoid a wildlife infestation
Aug 15, 2022 | Wildlife
August is here and as much as we don’t want to think about it, fall is right around the corner. As the days begin to get shorter and temperatures drop, wildlife creatures begin to prepare for the fall and winter seasons. Fall is the time when wildlife search for warm shelter and begin to stock up on food, sometimes leading them right to your home!
Here are some of the most common wildlife critters that can find refuge in your home for winter, along with some ways to prevent them from taking up residence in your home.
Squirrels
Squirrels like to “fatten” up in the fall as they get ready for the colder months. They often seek shelter in attics where they will make their nests and store their food. They are especially hazardous in homes because they have a tendency to chew through wires and wood, creating significant damage to your home.
Some ways to prevent squirrels:
- Install chimney caps or screens
- Don’t leave pet food and water out overnight
- Take down bird feeders in the fall as squirrels love to scavenge these for seed
- Trim back any limbs or branches that extend within 10 feet of your home
Raccoons
Like squirrels, raccoons also like to “fatten” up for the winter. Raccoons are nocturnal, which means they are more active at night. When the weather gets cooler, this causes raccoons to become more active and creative in their search for food. They will often find food in your trash cans and home and can often enter your house through the roof. They are known to seek shelter in either your attic or crawl space.
You can prevent raccoons by:
- Keep trash in bins with secure, locking lids
- Seal any entry points on the exterior of your home
- Rinse out trash cans once a month to help eliminate odors
- Install bright exterior lights to deter them from your yard at night
Rodents
Rodents, like mice and rats, will begin to be more active in the fall and you can usually hear them in your walls or attic. They seek shelter in your home because it supplies them with an available food supply throughout the winter.
Prevent rodents this fall by:
- Storing food in plastic or metal containers with tight lids
- Sealing up holes inside and outside the home
- Cleaning up spilled food immediately and washing dishes soon after use
- Keep compost bins as far away from the house as possible
Bats
Once the temperature dips below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, bats will begin their hibernation. While some species of bats do migrate south once the weather cools off, some will be in search of warm, dark spaces to roost that are hidden from predators. Unfortunately, they will often roost in the attic or chimney of your home.
You can prevent bats by:
- Installing chimney screens
- Using window screens and draft guards on doors and windows that go into the attic
- Sealing any openings in shingles and weatherstripping
- Making sure insulation isn’t worn down
Wildlife removal can be a difficult task to handle on your own, as there are some regulations for certain species. It is often best left to the professionals. If you suspect you have a wildlife problem, contact your local professional wildlife control company. These professionals will inspect your home to identify the animal problem. They will also provide you with the best plan of action to remove nuisance wildlife and prevent it in the future.
Jan 19, 2022 | Wildlife
Now that winter is here, it is time to make sure your attic is not harboring wildlife from the cold. The most common pests that find refuge in attics are racoons, squirrels, bats, birds, and mice. These pests can cause severe damage to your home and pose a significant threat to your health.
There are many ways for wildlife creatures to get into your home. The most obvious ways are through vents and construction gaps. These can sometimes be unavoidable, since rodents can squeeze through cracks as small as half an inch wide. Some of the pests can be taken care of with DIY pest control, but some do need professional attention. Bats are a pest that you should not take care of yourself. They can carry rabies and some species are protected.
The damage that can be caused in your attic can be anything from chewed wires to disturbance to your insulation, which can end up being costly for you. There are many ways to implement wildlife control in your attic. Here are a few of our favorites below:
- Regularly inspect the exterior of your home to ensure there is no damage to the roof or siding. If you notice any damage or openings, look to seal them immediately. Fixing issues before they escalate is the best way to prevent pests from entering the attic.
- Keeping branches trimmed back away from the house will help keep wildlife like squirrels and raccoons from potentially jumping onto your roof. This will not keep them fully away, as they are both good climbers, but it will hinder their options.
- Consider investing in some roof vent covers to keep wildlife from accessing your attic. These will help to block entryways on the roof and are built to resist erosion and weather conditions, so they have lasting effects.
- If your home has a chimney, getting a chimney cap is a terrific addition. This will help to keep creatures, such as squirrels, from entering through the chimney into your main living space.
If you believe that you have wildlife in your attic, consider calling your local pest control company to help locate entry points, safely remove them, and prevent them from entering your house in the future.
Apr 15, 2021 | Wildlife
Warmer weather triggers the emergence of animals from hibernation. What many homeowners don’t realize is that wildlife will sometimes take refuge inside your home during the cold winter months. Once the weather starts warming up, these overwintering pests will start waking up and come out in droves looking for food and water. While some wildlife may be harmless, others can cause significant damage to both your home and your health. Some pests leave feces behind that can contaminate your food, kitchen surfaces, and even the air inside your home. Other pests can chew through wood and wires in your attic and walls, putting you at risk for fires.
Some common spring wildlife that can cause issues for homeowners include birds like swallows and sparrows; rodents like rats and mice; bats; squirrels; and raccoons. Birds use eaves, vents, and holes in the roof to make nests. Bird nest removal and bird control is regulated and usually best left to professionals. Rodents are some of the most common nuisance pests, getting inside through tiny spaces and reproducing quickly. Chewing and contamination are huge problems with rodents. While not as common as some of the other wildlife mentioned previously, bats can cause problems for you in the springtime. Bats will usually roost in gable vents and soffits but can also get into your home through the chimney or holes that they can use to access the attic. Larger mammals like squirrels and raccoons can get into attics and chimneys and even crawlspaces and basements. They are some of the most destructive spring wildlife, chewing through materials in your home and leaving behind huge messes.
So what can you do to keep these animals from seeing your home as a safe haven? Check out these tips to help control wildlife this spring.
- Check the outside of your home for any possible entry points and seal them.
- Repair any leaks or damaged and rotted wood around your home.
- Repair or replace damaged window and door screens.
- Use chimney caps.
- Use screens over dryer vents, air vents, and stove vents.
- Trim back trees from your roof line and shrubs from the sides of your home.
- Seal trash in containers with lids and don’t put it out until the day of trash pickup.
- Don’t leave pet food or water out overnight.
- Store unused pet food in sealed containers.
- Empty bird feeders daily.
- Keep your gutters clear or consider installing gutter guards.
- If you suspect you have a wildlife problem, contact a professional wildlife control company to safely remove any animals you may have.
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