Squirrels may seem cute and harmless…until they’re seeking warmth and shelter inside your home. As the weather gets colder, it’s common for small animals like squirrels to nest in your attic, usually gaining access from gaps around your roofline, through vents, or even chimneys. Other than being annoyingly noisy, squirrels can cause major damage inside your home by chewing on wires, which can lead to power outages or fire, by contaminating storage areas and insulation with fur, urine, and droppings, and by allowing other pests or rodents to enter your home through holes they’ve created to gain access into your home.
Follow these tips to keep squirrels out of your home this winter:
1. Seal Your Attic
Because squirrels can chew through a lot of roofing materials, like wood, aluminum, or shingles, and fit through small openings, gaining access points into your attic is easy. If you see any gaps or holes, use wire to seal off the areas and caulking to seal smaller cracks and crevices.
2. Set Traps
If you’re sealing gaps, it’s possible to trap squirrels inside your attic where they could eventually die or create more damage by chewing their way out in other places. By trapping the squirrels, you can prevent this from happening. Trapping should be done by someone that’s experienced; we recommend calling in a wildlife control company for this that uses live traps and places the traps in strategic areas that the squirrels are likely to come across. Once the squirrels are caught, they should be moved outside of your home, far enough away so as not to tempt them to return.
3. Trim Trees
Keeping tree limbs cut back and trimmed will further prevent squirrels from gaining access to your attic. Squirrels use tree limbs as a direct route onto your roof; cutting off these access points will eliminate a source of entry.
To get rid of squirrels isn’t an easy task. It often requires the knowledge and expertise of a wildlife control company. It’s equally as important to trap and remove the squirrels as it is to prevent them from coming back. A squirrel control professional will know how to find the squirrels, the most effective trapping and removal methods, and provide services and recommendations for future squirrel prevention.
As some may have noticed, snakes are showing up everywhere. Why? Simple, the seasons are changing from cold to warm. Snakes are cold-blooded and require sun light for heat. This time of year also starts breeding season for snakes.Want to know more about these slithery creatures?
Habitat: Snakes are found in areas of heavy foliage where they hide and may attract rodents for food. They look for areas of sunlight early to help replenish heat lost during the night (driveways,street,patio,etc.). As the day heats up, look for snakes to seek shade and water (under decks,shrubs,creeks,ponds,etc.).
Most snakes are not venomous, but my best advice would be to leave them alone. Try and understand why he wants to be there. Does your property consist of any of the things mentioned above? If yes, try altering as much as possible to the property.
Treatments: There are monthly treating options during peak months. This is used with a liquid product that upsets the sharp senses in a snake when tasting the air when moving. When you call our wildlife control team, we will inspect your property and discuss habitat alteration as well.
Call us with any questions you may have regarding snakes and their habitats.
Q: My neighbors abandoned their home and the yard grew about 4 feet tall. The neighborhood had their lawn service cut it and they saw many mice and rats in the yard. The yard is behind mine. What can I do to prevent them from coming into my house?
A: It is a frustrating situation to be in when you are concerned about problems from another source that you do not have any control over!
All animals need three items in order to be successful: food, water and shelter. If you can eliminate these, in most cases you can help control any issue. It sounds as if cutting the grass from the neighbor’s yard took away the shelter and food causing them to search for these sources elsewhere.
We suggest that if you have any outdoor feeders for birds or squirrels to move them away from your home. Also, if you have any water sources such as fountains, bird baths, etc, it would be helpful to move them as far away from the home as possible. Additionally, make sure that any pet food, bird seed or grass seed is stored in a tightly concealed, rodent proof container.
If you find that you notice evidence of animals or rodents in or around your home, call Northwest Exterminating. A pest prevention program or wildlife control program may be needed to remove the unwanted visitors from your home.
Q: My neighbors abandoned their home and the yard grew about 4 feet tall. The neighborhood had their lawn service cut it and they saw many mice and rats in the yard. The yard is behind mine. What can I do to prevent them from coming into my house?
A: It is a frustrating situation to be in when you are concerned about problems from another source that you do not have any control over!
All animals need three items in order to be successful: food, water and shelter. If you can eliminate these, in most cases you can help control any issue. It sounds as if cutting the grass from the neighbor’s yard took away the shelter and food causing them to search for these sources elsewhere.
We suggest that if you have any outdoor feeders for birds or squirrels to move them away from your home. Also, if you have any water sources such as fountains, bird baths, etc, it would be helpful to move them as far away from the home as possible. Additionally, make sure that any pet food, bird seed or grass seed is stored in a tightly concealed, rodent proof container.
Did you know that the Norway rat is the largest commensal (def’n: living with, on, or in another, without injury to either) rodent in the US?
Norway rats enter homes in the fall when food sources outside of a structure are scarce.
Identification
Usually gray in color
Smaller eyes and ears
Tail is short relative to the head and body
Droppings are 3/4 inch and blunt on the ends
Environment
Can exist in large numbers in and around residences, basements, stores, warehouses, docks, sewers, or dumpsters
Outside of a structure they can be found in fields, farm land, and wood piles
Burrow to make nests under buildings, beneath concrete slabs, around ponds, in and around garbage and other locations suitable for food, water, and shelter
Nests may be lined with shredded paper, cloth or other fibrous materials
Usually become active at dusk to begin seeking water and food
Eats nearly any type of food but prefers a nutritionally balanced diet, consisting of cereal grain, meats, fish, nuts, and some fruits
Threats
Likes to burrow and can form extensive galleries
Have litters of 6 to 12 young that can eat solid food within 2 to 3 weeks
Young become completely independent at about 4 weeks and reach reproductive maturity as early as 3 months
Can enter a structure through an opening the size of a quarter
Can chew through wiring, causing fire
Spread numerous diseases
Treatment
Traps placed indoors near entrance points and known runways
Burrows outdoors may be baited
Exterior bait stations may be placed on the perimeter of the structure
