Nov 18, 2013 | Uncategorized
Animals looking for winter shelter find human homes a little too appealing
Watching from your kitchen as squirrels and other wildlife run around the back yard can be amusing, but finding these animals frantically scurrying in your attic or garage is anything but funny. Northwest Exterminating wants to remind homeowners to be aware that all kinds of nuisance critters are looking to stay warm this season and may try to gain access to the home.
Finding any wildlife in your home can be an unpleasant experience. It is important to remember that these animals are wild and shouldn’t be handled without the help of a professional animal removal company. In fact, they can bite, claw or scratch if they feel threatened and you don’t know if they are harboring a disease.
Homeowners should do a careful check along the outside of the home to close up any gaps or entry points. The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) recommends the following tips to specifically keep nuisance wildlife in the great outdoors where they belong:
- Seal any cracks or crevices with caulk and steel wool, and pay special attention to holes in the structure that lead to dark secluded areas, like attics and belfries.
- Screen attic vents and openings to chimneys.
- Install door sweeps.
- Repair any loose siding or shingles.
- Store trashcans and recycling bins indoors, or in sealed areas such as a locked shed or outhouse. If trashcans are kept outdoors, use animal-proof lids.
- Bring pet food dishes inside at night to avoid attracting wildlife.
- Keep tree limbs cut back at least six to eight feet from the roofline.
For more information on wildlife animal removal and how to protect your home, visit www.callnorthwest.com.
Source: PPMA
Nov 13, 2013 | Uncategorized
Tips to Keep Wildlife out of Your Home
In our last blog we discussed the potential health threats and property damage that animals can cause when they enter your home. We’re not talking about dogs and cats here, we’re talking about the animals that belong in the wild: bats, raccoons, squirrels , mice, opossums, and other wildlife. With the cold temperatures we are starting to experience, it’s a prime time for wild animals to seek warmth and shelter in homes.
Here are some helpful tips on how to keep wildlife out of your home:
- Take out the trash regularly and ensure that the container is tightly sealed.
- Cut back tree limbs from your house. Animals can use these to gain entry to your home.
- Properly seal any vents or openings around the home that animals could use as entry points.
- Remove standing water from your yard. This includes bird baths, pooled water areas, and pet water bowls.
- Never leave pet food and water bowls outside. These can attract wildlife.
- Remove debris from your lawn.
- Install chimney caps so wildlife can’t enter your chimney.
If you hear wildlife in your home, it is best to call a professional animal removal company. Some animals can get aggressive when they feel they are being threatened. Northwest’s wildlife control specialist can help to remove the animal, seal off entry points, and help you to ensure that other wildlife do not return.
Dec 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Raccoons may look cute and cuddly but make no mistake about it…raccoons are one houseguest that you do not want. Raccoons are a common nuisance in the southeast. They can make a home in the attic of a structure and cause several thousands of dollars in damage. Many times raccoons will make a home in an attic to have their babies, called kits. They typically have 3-8 young in the late fall. They can be a nuisance by getting into trashcans found outside of homes or business looking for food.
Along with the damage they can do to your home, they can also be a health concern:
- Carry rabies in their saliva which can be transported by their bites.
- Carry parasites on their fur that can impact both humans and animals.
- Can transfer roundworms and fleas that they carry on their fur.
Common traits of raccoons:
- Female raccoons do not tend to be pack animals, however, males often form social groups to maintain their position against other males or predators.
- Raccoons become aggressive when protecting their young.
- Nocturnal.
- Adaptable creatures. Raccoons can easily adapt to their environments.
The feeding of raccoons by people has helped grow their population in urban areas. Some wildlife experts and public authorities warn against feeding wild animals such as raccoons to discourage them from becoming dependent on humans as a food source.
If you think you have a raccoon in your house call a professional animal control or professional animal removal company immediately to reduce health risks and damage to property.
Tip: Loud noises, flashing lights, and foul odors are said to drive away raccoons before they would typically leave the nest on their own.
