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This year has to be different from last year where eradication of rodents and other problem causing pests is concerned. If these bothersome vermin were constantly pestering you last year, there are a number of things you can resolve to do differently in order to prevent them from being an issue this year. Here are some of changes you need to implement so as to deter pests and hence prevent them from regularly invading your home.

Start by storing consumables such as firewood away from your home

By storing firewood right next to your house, you are encouraging wood-eating pests such as carpenter ants and termites to enter your house. Not only this, stored firewood is a good hiding place for such destructive animals such as rodents, squirrels and the others. These pests come in to your home in a number of ways.

For the case of termites and carpenter ants, wood brought in is the major culprit. Rodents find their way into your home through these woods. Regardless of where this wood is stored, as long as it is kept near your house, these pests will keep on pestering you. They can all easily move from the firewood to the wooden stairs, wood sidings or even the deck, especially if the wood is stored directly by these items. To avoid these pests from finding their way into house, make sure to store firewood 20-30 feet away from any wooden structure around the home. This includes all the decks, stairs, outdoor storage sheds and many others.

You may also want to regularly inspect any newly bought firewood as it might come infested with these pests. Old stored firewood also needs to be inspected once per month for signs of hiding rodents or wood -eating pests. If any of these is found, then have the wood removed from near your home to prevent rodents from easily entering your home or sprayed with the right pesticide. The more the pests are allowed to sit and multiply on the wood, the more difficult and expensive they will be to remove, particularly if they find their way into your house. So make sure to store firewood some distance or meters away from your home.

Have your home interiors professionally sealed

Rodents, bugs and many other outdoor pests can easily find their way into your home if there cracks around places such as door frames, sidings and window frames. A gap or crack in any of these places is essentially an open invitation to pest to come visiting and finding a safe habitat inside your home. Hot and cold outdoor weather often force these pests to seek a safe hiding place. And can there be a better or safer hiding or dwelling place than in your temperature controlled house? The best way to take care of this issue to fast seal the cracks and gaps in your home’s exterior. Resolving to seal all cracks around a home’s exterior surfaces can help keep pests out while also helping to in energy consumption reduction.

Store food in appropriate storage place

Pests such as rodents, cockroaches and ants enter a home in search of food. Regrettably, once they find the food they came searching for, they bring along their friends and family to your home, making it their own. Fortunately, this all can be prevented by storing food in proper airtight storage containers.

Storing foodstuffs in appropriate containers can help to prevent the pests from having access to it, and thus reducing the chances of them finding a habitat in your home. Rodents or any other pests don’t care if the food they have access to is for human or pets consumption. So it is advisable to store all types of foods in sealed containers so as to deter these harm causing pests.

Employ the services of an expert animal control agency to help you out

If all steps to prevent pests from invading your home fail, it is time to hire the services of a pest control agency. Although this will cost you money, this is the best and proper way to make sure that pests are kept at bay or away from your home. Upon the specialist coming into your home, he walks around it looking for signs that pests are hiding, or are nearby or may have already started to inhabit the home. Furthermore, an animal control specialist is able to spray pesticides that a common homeowner may not have access to. He comes with specialized equipments that are able to reach even the most hidden places around the home, hence making sure that all hiding pests are properly done away with.

So if you want your home to stay pest-free, resolve to take action in order to prevent these pests from bothering you this year. All the above listed ways can keep bugs and rodents away once and for all!

Raccoons and other small creatures like rats and mice can be a real trouble for house owners. They cause problems with removing food from the house, they mess through trash cans, they eat and scratch up walls, furniture and property, they cause much destruction and this is all even worse if they decide to nest up and reproduce in the house. On top of being destructive, they are also dangerous to the house and the family members living in the house because they carry with them many bacteria and viruses like rabies.

The dangers of having a raccoon infestation

Raccoons and other small animals don’t just come alone as mentioned before; they carry with them many dangerous pathogens like rabies. Especially for children living in the house, these pathogens can be really hazardous. They also carry other parasites like roundworms and cause illnesses like Leptospirosis which can be fatal especially for the very young and very old. This is because they have come into contact with the body excretions like urine and other fluids from many other animals in the natural habitat. They themselves are immune against most of these pathogens but we are not, since we don’t normally come into contact with them.

Raccoons also carry with them other small insects like mites and ticks which themselves carry all these pathogenic viruses and bacteria. Especially if your household has cats are dogs, beware of letting in raccoons because when your household pets interact or chase and hunt down the raccoons, they tend to take up and get transmitted the viruses and bacteria that raccoons carry.

Raccoons are unpredictable

On top of carrying all these fatal illness causing pathogens, the raccoons themselves are also very unpredictable and temperamental. They are at the end of the day wild animals and they see almost everyone as predators if we are not one of their kind. So although at first they might hide and appear to be scared, we won’t know when they would plan to attack us to chase us away from their new habitat which is your home. Keep away from these kinds of small animals and also ensure that everyone in your house is protected against the possible pathogens and their associated illnesses. This is especially true for children and elderly over 60 to 65 years old.

Keeping raccoons away from your house

Raccoons are omnivorous, so it basically means they will eat anything and everything that is edible for their diet of both plants and other animals. This includes eating from the trash cans and even eating pet food! So make sure that you keep your trash well sealed up and your trash cans close all the time. They are sneaky and can smell food easily from miles away, so be careful with exposing your trash at all times. This includes keeping them away from exposure even during night time, when the raccoons are most active as they are nocturnal creatures.

As mentioned before since raccoons are nocturnal creatures, we have to ensure that even our house pets do not interact with them at night. So keep your pets in at night and keep the pet door locked. This is because the raccoons can enter the house through the pet doors as well. Therefore secure this entry point especially at night when pets are generally asleep and would not be using these doors.

Use ‘obstacles’ to scare away unwanted raccoons

Remember that small tactics to scare off these type of rodents would only be a temporary solution. This is especially true if they have already been residing in your house for a while now. They would have already formed a nest and have had been living there for too long for them to change their habitat. So scaring them off with bright lights and loud noises would not keep them out for a long time. They would still find another route and way back into the spot in your house to that they have accommodated to. This is especially true for mother raccoons that have to protect their litter against predators and for larger raccoons who are more resistant to move.

If ever you face a raccoon problem, call us, Sande Wildlife Control today to help you sort things out with the infestation problem. Try not to handle it yourself as it can be dangerous for the abovementioned reasons, mainly because they might attack you anytime and also they carry too many dangerous pathogens for you to ever get into contact with them.

Raccoons are moderate sized wild animals and they are known for their wit and agility. These animals are omnivores so are able to hunt and survive on a variety of types of foods. They usually prefer to stay in the wild and hunt there for a living but they are also easily attracted to any place with a lot of foods. Especially if these foods fall as part of their diet range, they are more likely to reside in these places. So if you are looking to keeping your house away from raccoons, the main factor you need to tackle is the easily reach to food at your place. As long as the raccoons have an easy reach to food, they would easily get into your house and would not leave that easily.

The problem with these animals is that they don’t come alone and they bring along with them many bacteria and viruses like rabies and this can be dangerous to especially children in the house. Moreover, these small animals are unpredictable and they might attack anytime, so it is risky to handle with them alone if you are trained to do so.

What kind of areas do raccoons like to be in?

Raccoons naturally reside in tree cavities, and this is especially true for mother raccoons who like to sit in hidden areas and look out for predators to guard their families and litter. Raccoons generally like quiet and dark environments so they choose places which are usually free of human movement or any other living creature for that matter.

This is why then raccoons enter our houses, they come in and reside in places which resemble their natural living habitats. They will come into our houses through the same way with which they reach to their tree cavity hideouts, which is basically by digging and climbing. These two methods are what they use often to get to sneaky little places they want to squeeze into. Below are a few of the common places in a house that raccoons might seek shelter at.

In the basement

Although this is not a common area where raccoons hide in, it is a very suitable area for them to seek shelter at if they are aware of this place in your house. The basement is dark and quiet and it is free of human movement during most of the day or even week. We only go down to our basements when we need to take something out of our storage, and most of us do not live in our basements so it is a good spot for the raccoons to stay in away from their predators and it is a good place for them to hide their food and also mate with each other. Therefore the basement is especially advantageous for female raccoons that are guarding their litter away from danger from predators.

In the attic

This is a very common place for not just raccoons but many other small animals and pests. Attics with food items in storage would be an even better target for hiding and again the attic is dark and quiet and away from human movement so it’s safe for mother raccoons especially for hiding with its litter. Moreover, the attic is easier to reach to than the basement, by climbing in with their agility. Especially if tree branches are touching the windows of your house and if your chimney is open without any mesh coverage, the raccoons can very easily reach to your attic.

In the crawl space

If your house in a raised level ground, then there will be crawl space under your house and raccoons can easily dig into that space and hide there. Just like the basements and attics, the crawl spaces are also very quiet without anyone around and they are also dark and warm for these nocturnal creatures to happily reside in. Although dry, they can dig through and create warm and moist holes in the ground for them to stay in.

In the spaces in between the walls

Raccoons can easily reach to and hide in the cavities in between the walls. Many walls nowadays are built with two materials and a gap between them. The space in between these two layers is a nice warm spot which conserves heat and moisture for the raccoons to safely reside in.

In the bathroom

This is rather rare because there are still humans moving around in the bathroom and area around it. But they are still likely to hide behind the pipes in the bathroom because it is one of the most wet, warm and cosy areas in the house.

In the chimney

This is also one of the most common areas in the house that raccoons would hide in. Chimneys resemble the hollow tree environment which makes it naturally a suitable place for their residence.

Inside the ceiling

There is actually a lot of space in the ceiling that we are not aware of and many animals and pests actually reside there. This is why we might hear some noises especially at night coming from our ceilings. Raccoons too are one of the many types of creatures and pests which seek shelter inside our house ceiling.

If you require assistance regarding raccoon infestations, contact Sande Wildlife Control today and allow us to help you through your raccoon problems!

Many of us wonder what the big attraction in our attics is that raccoons just seem to love making it their home. But somehow the answer to this is much simpler than what we expect it to be. Naturally, raccoons love to hide in holes, like tree cavities. This is especially true for mother raccoons that are in this way able to look out for predators and thus protect their families. Your attic’s environment resembles that of a tree cavity. Moreover, your attic is a much warmer environment for raccoons to seek shelter at, and it is also free from close by predators unlike their tree cavities, so naturally raccoons are going to be more attracted to come to your attics.

Why is it a bad idea to allow raccoons to stay in your attic?

This is simple, raccoons, although seemingly harmless, can cause a lot of noise and damage to your attic. Even for animal lovers who might find raccoons cute to have them around in your attic, we have to remember that raccoons are wild animals at the end of the day and they are unpredictable and temperamental.

These raccoons can attack anytime and they also carry a lot of dangerous viruses and pathogens like rabies. Although for a bunch of adults this would seem like no threat, if you are living as a family and if you have children around, it is best to keep them protected against this avoidable threat. Raccoons also bring in mites, fleas and ticks and other kinds of small insects which can also be deadly.

Raccoons are small, wild and very smart creatures and it can indeed be a trouble to figure a way to keep them out. But let’s run through some ways which might work for you to keep your attic raccoon free.

So how can we keep raccoons out of our attic?

Raccoons are like tiny thieves. They have very tactical skills and agile fingers which can open many things like latches, locks and they can use their hands to climb through small areas and even slippery pipes. So keeping the doors and windows to your attic with a good lock can be a start to keeping them out of your attic.

Some other ways to keep raccoons out will be:

• Use an abrasive wire brush and keep it around external piping and downspouts.

• Make sure all your garbage is closed up with animal resistant cans. This can keep raccoons away from smelling the food and other things in your trash and coming towards it. Or you can also get your garbage out of the area and keep it in your shed or outside your house, or you can clear them right away.

• If you have any pet doors in your house, keep them locked when your pets are asleep at night.

• Try not to leave food outside as it can attract not just raccoons but also other small animals to come into your place.

• Get tree branches cut from touching to your house and its doors and windows. This is a good route with which raccoons and other small animals and insects can easily climb into your house.

• Cover your chimney with a wire mesh as this is also another possible route with which raccoons can climb inside to your fire place.

Stay vigilant to prevent further infestations

These are just the basic and simple ways to keep raccoons and some other animals and insects away from your attic and house. After trying all these methods, you might need to slowly observe and see how raccoons or other animals or insects enter your house. Try to look around your house and see where their habitats lie. Also take note with which routes they take to easily come into your house. Check all your doors and windows and change the latches and locks if they are easily being opened by the raccoon’s witty fingers.

If despite all this you still end up with raccoons or other animals in your attic, do not try to get rid of them or lure them out all by yourself. Although they are cute, they are also dangerous and as mentioned before we won’t know when they would start attacking us. It would be best to call for professional help and for people who are trained to handle animals like raccoons. Make your call to Sande Wildlife Control today and allow us to help you through your raccoon problems!

It is very disconcerting to hear noises from your attic consisting sounds of activities such as scampering, rolling, chewing or scratching. You may be asking yourself what exactly is up there making all those noises, how much damage has been done to your attic and how many are there up there to cause such a racket in your attic. Below is a list of common suspects that loves to dwell in attics and the noises they make to help you identify the culprit when you call in the professionals as well as put your mind at ease.

Raccoons

Raccoons are nocturnal animals. Hence, if you hear hissing, scampering, wrestling or scratching noises at night, then raccoons may be a likely suspect to be dwelling in your attic. In addition, during early spring or from March to October which is the birthing season of raccoons, you may also find pregnant female raccoons nesting in your attics to rear their young in a safe haven. Raccoons can be extremely destructive and you will find signs of their dwelling in your attic from broken soffits or torn insulation.

Flying squirrels

Flying Squirrels are nocturnal animals too. They do not actually fly but rather, they glide from tree to tree and possibly into your attic. So, if you hear a thump against your roof around dusk or dawn, it may be you have a flying squirrel landing on your roof. You may also hear them making chewing noises, scampering or rolling acorns on the floor and foraging outside of your house.

Gray squirrels

Gray squirrels make the same noises as flying squirrels. However, gray squirrels are not nocturnal and will rest at night instead. This means you will tend to hear gray squirrels creating a racket in your attic or at your home during the day. It is possible to have both gray squirrels and flying squirrels living together in your attic.

Bats

Bats are also nocturnal animals. You will hear them squeaking and scratching around dusk and dawn. Some species of bats will migrate so you will most probably hear from them during warmer months. However, it is also possible for a few of the bats to stay and hibernate in your attic. As bats can carry diseases and transmit rabies to human beings, you should never touch them and avoid any contact with them. Call in the professionals immediately if you discover them in your attic or house!

Rodents

Rats and mice are the most common rodents that you will find dwelling in your house or attic. You will most probably hear them making squeaking, gnawing, scurrying and scratching noises from autumn through winter. To differentiate between mice and rats is the time of the night when you hear them. If you hear the noises in the late evening or from midnight to three in the wee hours, then you probably have mice in your attic or home. Besides the racket they make, you will also find signs of their presence through gnawed furniture or their droppings around your house.

Rodents may harbour parasites or diseases and may contaminate the areas they dwell in. So, it is best to call in the professionals to remove them when you discover or suspect their unwelcome presence in your house. Rodents reproduce at alarming rate and can grow from a small group to an infestation very quickly. Hence, prevention is always better than cure, so you should always work at keeping your home free from rodents.

It is very uncomfortable for homeowners to hear ghostly sounds or a racket in the attic. Remember to take note of the sounds as well as the time when the noises or racket occurs in your attic. Such information will be very helpful to the professionals prior to their investigation up in your attic. You can get free inspection service before you engage the service of the professionals to identify and remove the culprits in a responsible manner. You should always get licensed and trained professionals to help you seal up all points of entry to prevent another unwelcome visit.

So, if you want a peace of mind knowing your attic or home is free from pests, visit wildlife removal and animal or pests control services today. At Sande Wildlife Control, we are more than happy to assist you!