4 Tips to Prevent Wildlife Intrusions in Your Raleigh Area Home
The coexistence of people and animals isn’t always easy. Wildlife doesn’t recognize property ownership; as far as most critters are concerned, your home is a source of bountiful food, free water, and excellent shelter from the elements. While most wild animals in the Raleigh area are shy of face-to-face encounters with us, they won’t abandon an opportunity to make themselves at home in a remote area of our houses, with attics and crawl spaces being particularly common targets for wildlife intrusions.
If you don’t want bats in the attic or mice in the walls, you may need to take special measures to animal-proof your home. Keep reading to learn how to prevent a wildlife infestation in your home in Raleigh.
4 Ways to Keep Wild Animals Out of Your Home
Seal Entry Points – An “entry point” is any part of your home exterior which could provide animals with access to the interior of your home in Raleigh. An entry point may be a necessary opening, such as a dryer vent, or a hole in your home exterior created by damage, whether by a particular critter or the elements. At least once per year, inspect the exterior of your home for any possible wildlife entry points. Remember that smaller animals, like mice and flying squirrels, can squeeze through incredibly small holes. Use a durable sealant to close off smaller holes and conduct repairs for more extensive damage, such as missing roof shingles. If your exterior vent covers are ineffective or damaged, install pest-proof barriers to replace them.
Make Food Inaccessible – Accessible sources of food are often responsible for attracting wildlife to homes in the Raleigh area. Many local wildlife species, like raccoons and opossums, are opportunistic scavengers that will happily feast on table scraps, pet food, and bird seed. Disposing of food waste in an unsecure trash can outside your home can attract wildlife onto your property; so can leaving pet food on your porch overnight or setting up bird feeders too close to your home. Never leave food of any kind sitting outside overnight and make sure outside garbage cans have tight lids to keep wildlife out.
Keep Doors & Windows Closed – During the hot summers in Raleigh, some homeowners like to leave their windows open all day and night to keep their homes cooled. If your window isn’t screened, this can allow wildlife such as bats to infiltrate your home. Leaving exterior doors open, particularly the doors of your garage or a shed on your property, also serves as an invitation for wildlife to come in and make themselves at home. Try to keep doors and windows closed as much as possible, particularly at night when most animals are active.
Call a Wildlife Exclusion Company – The most effective method of wildlife prevention is to work with a local wildlife control company in Raleigh. Licensed wildlife management operators have spent years learning how to most effectively prevent wild animals of all species from entering homes. From advising you on how to eliminate wildlife attractants on your property to installing wildlife exclusion barriers around your home exterior, professional technicians will be able to reliably safeguard your home against wild intruders.
Raleigh’s Top-Rated Wildlife Prevention Specialists
Are you looking for a trusted local wildlife exclusion company to keep squirrels, raccoons, and other critters out of your home? Give Sustainable Pest Systems a call today if you need wildlife prevention solutions in the Raleigh area!