Have Wildlife Invaded Your Home?
Do you have squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks, or other wildlife breaking into and entering your home? While these critters don’t mean you any harm, they can wreak havoc, chewing attic wiring and insulation, leaving droppings everywhere and driving you (and your pets) crazy with unwanted smells and sounds.
As the temperature drops and the days grow shorter, animals such as squirrels, raccoons, and skunks look for a warm, dry place to take shelter. To these critters, your attic, crawlspace or chimney might seem like the perfect place to spend the winter. While these animals make look cute in pictures on the Internet, inside your home’s infrastructure, wildlife infestations can cause home damage, air quality problems, and other headaches. Knowing the signs of a possible wildlife infestation in your home is the first step in addressing the wildlife problem
Squirrels
Squirrels are diurnal animals which means most of their activity takes place during the day. If you are hearing scampering and rolling sounds (acorns or nuts) in your attic during daylight and dusk, but no sounds overnight, you probably have a squirrel problem. As the weather warms and babies are born, the noise level will increase dramatically. Squirrels like to nest in attics chewing on wire and wood and nesting atop insulation. They leave brown pellet-shaped droppings behind. Long-term, squirrels in the attic can lead to urine odor problems inside the home.
Signs of Raccoons
Raccoons are very adaptable creatures and that helps them survive, but it’s bad news for you. These critters can cause serious damage to your home and property. Telltale signs of a raccoon problem include upended trash, dead animals or small livestock (e.g. chickens or other birds) on your property, tracks, and growling noises at night that indicate they’re around and prowling for food.
These creatures may resemble furry bandits, but their destruction is anything but cute. Raccoons present a particular problem to those who live in suburban and rural areas.
Signs of Opossums
Opossums, like many other rodents, are nocturnal. Often, the first sign of an opossum problem is scratching or tapping at night. Opossums run along roofs, fences and verandas, so you may see droppings on your outdoor furniture, patio and gutters. Finally, you may smell rotting fruit, which is a sign that they have a nest nearby with food inside.
If you notice any signs of a wildlife problem, early intervention is essential. Address those squirrels in the attic, raccoons in the chimney, or critters in the crawlspace now, before they do serious damage to your home. Contact the professionals at SafeHaven Pest Control today for help with wildlife trapping and control.
