Apr 18, 2023 | Wildlife
Rodents, such as rats and mice, are common household pests that can cause many problems, from property damage to health issues. In the southern United States, there are several types of rats and mice that are commonly found near homes. Let’s go over the most common types of rats and mice and how to prevent them from invading your home.
Roof Rat
Roof rats are also known as black rats and are commonly found in urban and suburban areas. They are about 7-10 inches in length and have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and trees.
Norway Rat
Norway rats are also known as brown rats and are larger than roof rats, measuring 10-12 inches in length. They have blunt snouts, small ears, and short, thick tails. They are burrowers and are often found in basements and crawl spaces.
House Mouse
House mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They have pointed snouts, large ears, and long, thin tails. They are excellent climbers and can often be found in attics and walls.
Deer Mouse
Deer mice are small rodents that are about 3-4 inches in length. They are brown or gray in color and have large eyes and ears. They are often found in rural areas and can carry hantavirus, a potentially fatal disease.
How to prevent rodents:
- Seal any cracks or openings in your home’s exterior
- Keep your home clean and free of clutter
- Store food in sealed containers
- Keep basement and crawl space clean and free of debris
- Keep trees trimmed away from your home
If you believe you have a rodent infestation, give your local wildlife control company a call to provide a customized plan of action!
Apr 14, 2023 | Wildlife
Water moccasins, also known as cottonmouths, are one of 6 venomous snake species found in Georgia. These snakes are often mistaken for non-venomous water snakes (which are illegal to kill in the state of Georgia). Water moccasins are found in most areas of Georgia with the exception of the northern central region. While they often sunbathe on land, logs, or stumps found near water sources, they will also inhabit swamps, backwaters, and slow-moving streams.
Water moccasins are large, heavy bodied snakes with dull colors and rough scales. They have a single row of these scales under their tails (while water snakes have a double row). They also have elliptical eye pupils and heat sensing pits between their eyes and nostrils. Most have banding on their bodies with wider bands on the sides that narrow and taper near the top. These bands look like hourglasses when looking at them from above. They also have a dark stripe that runs from the back of their eye to the corner of their jaw which distinguishes them from water snakes and other species.
When agitated, water moccasins will vibrate their tails (similar to a rattlesnake rattle) and gape their mouths open, exposing the white coloration inside (hence the name cottonmouth). While these snakes have gotten a reputation for being aggressive, they are actually more likely to flee when encountered.
Water moccasins prefer to lay on logs and tree limbs near the water’s edge but will move into the water, as well. They can open their mouths and bite underwater, often hunting for frogs while swimming. The way they swim is also a distinguishing factor for these snakes. Water moccasins swim with their bodies riding on the surface of the water and their heads elevated above the water. They don’t typically submerge underwater, although they can. Water snakes will dive underwater when fleeing from a disturbance.
If you encounter a water moccasin in the wild, don’t panic. Stop moving towards them and back away slowly. Steer clear of them as you make your way away from them. Don’t ever attempt to kill or move a venomous snake on your own. If one makes its way into your home, call a professional wildlife control company for proper snake removal and relocation.
To keep water moccasins from lurking around your home, minimize stacks of wood near your house, get rid of standing water, bush piles, and any other moisture prone cover they can use. They also love to eat frogs so keep populations of these reduced around your property. They love wet hiding places with decaying plants or wood. Keep your home and yard clear and dry.
If you have a problem with snakes, contact your local pest control company for assistance.
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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
Feb 20, 2023 | Wildlife
Raccoons are highly adaptive pests that are capable of causing significant damage to your home. The two main reasons raccoons come around are a search for food and a search for a place to live. These wildlife creatures are easily recognizable with their ringed tails and mask-like markings on their faces. Their paws are dexterous, allowing them to access areas other pests can’t. Raccoons can bite when threatened and also carry diseases such as rabies, distemper, and parasites. They can cause damage to crawlspaces and attics by chewing through walls, sheetrock, etc.
Raccoons are nocturnal creatures and oftentimes can hang out around your house without you even realizing they are there. Here are 5 signs you may have a raccoon problem around your home.
- Raccoon Tracks: Raccoon tracks are one of the most common signs that they are in or near your home. Raccoon tracks are easy to identify; in fact, they are very similar to human footprints. They usually measure 4″ or less in size. They can commonly be found in areas with soft soil, near fences, near buildings, at the bases of trees, and near trash cans.
- Feces: Raccoon feces, also known as scat, can be hard to tell apart from the feces of other animals. Raccoons will usually leave their scat near tree bases, woodpiles, and trash cans.
- Scratching: Raccoons are known to scratch the bark of trees, especially near the base. You may also find scratch marks on sheds, porches, and other outdoor structures.
- Sounds: Raccoons are capable of producing over 50 unique sounds including growls, squeals, and purrs. If you are hearing odd sounds that you can’t attribute to other common animals, you may have a raccoon lurking.
- Trash: Raccoons are attracted to the smell of garbage in your trash cans. With their dexterous paws, they are capable of opening trashcan lids and will do anything within their means to get inside. When raccoons are present you will often wake up to trashcan lids open, cans turned over, and ripped trash bags with their contents strewn around your yard.
Raccoons can become an issue when they take up residence in or near your home. Keep raccoons out of your home with these tips:
- Don’t approach a live raccoon. They will bite or scratch if they feel threatened.
- Don’t feed raccoons. They will continue to return in search of more food.
- Secure your trashcans with rope, chain, clamps, or even cinder blocks.
- Feed your pets indoors; if they must be fed outdoors, don’t leave their food out overnight.
- Bring in bird feeders at night, as well.
- Lock pet doors at night.
- Secure compost containers, as well.
- Cover any entry points to your home with metal mesh or metal flashing.
- Double bag any meat products before throwing them away.
- Rake up any fallen fruit from trees.
- Utilize motion activated lights, sound machines, etc. to scare them away.
- Trim back branches and limbs from the exterior of your home to limit their access to your roof.
If you have a problem with raccoons or other wildlife, contact your local wildlife control company for a thorough inspection and wildlife control plan.
Feb 7, 2023 | Wildlife
The weather is still a bit chilly, but spring is just around the corner and that means more wildlife will be out and about. Just because they left your attic alone this past winter doesn’t mean they won’t be attracted to it for the springtime. This is the time of year they will be searching for shelter to bear and rear their young. They are well-adapted to urban life and will typically be attracted to homes to find a safe place to settle down. Let’s go over which animals it’s time to keep an eye out for:
- Raccoons: Raccoons are not aggressive towards people; however, they will attack if they feel cornered. They are known as scavengers and will mostly hunt for food at night. Being highly intelligent helps them to find their way into your attic, chimney, or under decks.
- Opossums: They begin breeding as early as January and will usually produce 2 liters a year. These nocturnal creatures are not aggressive but will hiss and show their teeth when scared. Opossums can cause damage if they enter your house, typically your attic.
- Skunks: These easy-to-spot (and smell) critters emerge form hibernation and become more active in the spring. They will usually give birth to their first litter in early to mid-spring. Skunks can cause damage to your home by burrowing under buildings.
Wildlife Prevention
Most wildlife creatures are generally harmless but can be problematic if they get inside your home. Wildlife control begins with prevention. Here are some handy tips:
- Keep windows locked and screened
- Clean gutters to prevent water pooling and potential nesting sites
- Trim tree branches and shrubs away from your home
- Block off any openings under porches, decks, patios, and garages with wire mesh or chicken wire
- Keep garbage stored in tightly sealed trashcans or use cans that latch close
If you suspect a problem with wildlife or other pests, give your local wildlife control company a call today for a free inspection!
