Nuisance Wildlife in Your House
Most animals avoid people, but a variety of reasons could drive wildlife into your home. Animals have the same basic needs as people – food, water, and shelter. Homes provide resources to satisfy all those needs.
We see animals seek shelter in attic spaces for a place to give birth. This time of year, we typically see squirrels and bats in people’s attics. Squirrels reproduce twice per year, in the fall and in the spring, and will also utilize the protection of an attic. In the summer months, bats are common attic invaders as they look for a safe place to roost to have their young. Raccoons give birth once per year during the spring causing mother raccoons to look for a safe place to den, give birth and shelter her kits.
Signs You Have an Animal Problem
Because animals gravitate towards the unlived parts of your house (attics, crawl spaces, etc), it is rare to see the critter. But they leave plenty of evidence.
Strange Sounds
Animals in your house will make both movement and vocal noises. For example, raccoons can vocalize 200 different sounds. Squirrels are active collecting foodstuffs and materials for their nest. You will hear them early in morning running and scurrying in your attic.
Odors
A strong smell of ammonia is a sign of wildlife. Wildlife in your house will also leave accumulations of feces and urine. Bats guano accumulates under their roosts. Not only does the guano create a pungent aroma but it can also stain your walls and weaken the physical structure of your house.
How Do Animals Get into My House?
Animals can squeeze through smaller holes than you expect. Bats can get into your house through a dime size gap. Squirrels will squeeze through a golf ball size hole. Rats, mice, squirrels, and raccoons can create their own entry point. Raccoons can tear through shingles and plywood to get into your home.
Typical entry points around your house include soffits, fascia boards, roof returns, chimneys, and vents. Some of these locations can be dangerous to access so it’s best to let the professionals inspect your house.
Bats in the Triad
The best time to protect your home from bats is from August 1 to April 30. The NCWRC has a moratorium on bat evictions from May 1 through July 31. Bats are only mammal that can fly. During the first few weeks of their life, bat pups cannot fly. They are completely dependent on their mothers. Separating the mother bats from their pups would be inhumane.
The best way to get rid of bats from your house is to use a one-way valve. Once the pups can fly on their own, we install a one-way door (bat valve). The bats can leave on their own but cannot return. Once all the bats are gone, seal all the entry points and remove the valve.
Wildlife Prevention
Animals are looking for resources to solve their basic needs – food, water, and shelter. Limiting those resources can make your property less attractive to wildlife. Keeping your yard tidy and clear from debris will prevent animals from gathering nesting material and utilizing it on your property. Cleaning up after meals outside, picking up your pet’s food outside, and securing trash can lids will help ensure you are not providing other animals a food source, and lastly, trimming tree branches away from your home will remove easy access to your roof, preventing animals from entering your attic.
Professional Wildlife Control
Humane wildlife control requires more than a few traps on your roof. When removing and trapping wild animals it is essential to have proper personal protective equipment (PPE) which can include a respirator, a bump cap, and wildlife gloves. Once the animal is gone, you need to rectify the damage which includes sealing all potential entry points, repairing the physical damage in your home, and sanitizing the areas with urine and feces.
When you encounter unwanted wildlife in your home or business it is important to resolve the problem quickly and professionally. At Trutech®, our expert technicians and specialists have over 100 years of combined experience in the wildlife removal industry. Our Winston-Salem wildlife technicians have local knowledge of the town they live and work in. As an experienced wildlife control company, we know how to protect you and your family from the hazards of wildlife in your home or place of business. With Trutech, your satisfaction is guaranteed. Trutech technicians take great pride in providing quality workmanship to solve your wildlife pest needs. If you are not completely satisfied, we move to fix the issue at no additional charge or offer a refund.
- Sponsored by Trutech Wildlife Service
