Nov 20, 2013 | Wildlife
The Damage Squirrels Can Do and How To Keep Them Out of Your House
Squirrels are cute when they’re running around outside but are not so cute when they’ve entered your home. Squirrels are difficult to control because of their ability to enter small and high spaces. They are known to get into houses by using tree limbs and even power lines to squeeze their way into the smallest openings, chimneys, or vents. Once squirrels are inside they can cause significant damage and contaminate your home.
Squirrels can cause considerable damage to your property. Their gnawing can damage wires (leading to power outages and potential house fires), holes in the structure (allowing other pests/rodents entry into the home) and damage or contaminate insulation. They can invade and damage items that you may have stored away, including storage boxes and their content. Outside items like electrical boxes and phone cables can also become a victim of squirrel damage.
In addition to property damage, squirrels can contaminate your property. Contamination from their fur, urine, and droppings can damage insulation, items in storage, electrical wiring, among other things.
Although squirrels are a threat all year, the cooler months, when they seek warmth and shelter, are a main concern. Prevention is the key to squirrel control:
- Locate and seal off any entry points 1/4″ or larger to prevent squirrels and other rodents from entering the home.
- Caulk any openings or crevices that can be used as entry points.
- Provide an exclusive barrier on roofline.
- Set traps if you suspect you may have a squirrel, or other rodent, in your home.
- To keep squirrels from using utility wires as a way to your attic, slit a 2-foot section of 2-inch PVC pipe lengthwise and slip it over the wire. This makes squirrels unable to maintain their footing when the pipe rotates.
- Cut back tree limbs that are close to your structure.
- Squirrel removal is not recommended for amateurs. Call Northwest Exterminating for squirrel removal.
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.
Nov 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
Cold Weather Has Wildlife Seeking Shelter in Homes
Those furry little creatures are cute outdoors but they somehow turn into scary monsters when they’re scurrying through your attic, basement, or even your walls. During the fall and winter months different wildlife can make their way into houses seeking warmth from the outside cold.
Common invaders like squirrels, bats, raccoons, and possums can be a threat to your health, property, and even your safety. These animals can carry diseases and can even get aggressive when they feel threatened. They can damage your property by gnawing on sheet rock, wood, insulation, storage containers, and wiring (a potential fire hazard).
There are easy steps to take that will help keep animals out of your home for the colder seasons: take trash out regularly and seal tightly and cut back tree limbs from your roof line. Animals, especially squirrels, use tree limbs as an entry to your home. Look for gnaw marks and feces and listen for scurrying sounds as indicators that you may have unwanted guests in your home.
Because these animals have a potential to be dangerous, it is best to call a wildlife removal company to properly remove these animals. Call Northwest Exterminating for animal removal.
Nov 8, 2013 | Uncategorized
Cold Weather Has Wildlife Seeking Shelter in Homes
Those furry little creatures are cute outdoors but they somehow turn into scary monsters when they’re scurrying through your attic, basement, or even your walls. During the fall and winter months different wildlife can make their way into houses seeking warmth from the outside cold.
Common invaders like squirrels, bats, raccoons, and possums can be a threat to your health, property, and even your safety. These animals can carry diseases and can even get aggressive when they feel threatened. They can damage your property by gnawing on sheet rock, wood, insulation, storage containers, and wiring (a potential fire hazard).
There are easy steps to take that will help keep animals out of your home for the colder seasons: take trash out regularly and seal tightly and cut back tree limbs from your roof line. Animals, especially squirrels, use tree limbs as an entry to your home. Look for gnaw marks and feces and listen for scurrying sounds as indicators that you may have unwanted guests in your home.
Because these animals have a potential to be dangerous, it is best to call a wildlife removal company to properly remove these animals. Call Northwest Exterminating for animal removal.
