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KEEP WILDLIFE OUT

This season, combine gutter cleaning with inspection to keep wildlife from
moving into your house

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Have you taken a good look at your house lately?

Do you know if you have deteriorated trim and fascia boards, holes in attic
vents or an open chimney? While you may not be keeping close tabs on the
condition of your house, you can bet the critters in your neighborhood are. It's
recommended to assess the condition of your residence a couple of times a year
to keep wildlife intrusions and other problems at bay. 

Raccoons, skunks, squirrels and other animals may seek shelter in your chimney
or attic or under your porch or deck. A few simple steps will keep unwelcome
visitors out of your house. While you're getting your house ready for a change
in the season, make sure it's wildlife-proofed as well. 


KEEP WEATHER AND WILDLIFE OUTDOORS

Openings into your house are not only attractive to animals, but they also allow
heat to escape (thereby raising energy bills) and damaging moisture to enter.
Combine your fall and spring exterior tasks like gutter cleaning, limb-trimming
and weatherizing with a comprehensive inspection in which you view your house
through the eyes of the wildlife around you. Are there cracks that an animal as
small as a mouse might be able to squeeze though? 


DON’T TRAP WILDLIFE INSIDE

Before closing, sealing or capping any potential entry points, make absolutely
sure there are no animals already inside. Here’s how to avoid that problem: Plug
suspect entry points loosely with insulation, paper or cloth that any animals
who may be using the space inside can easily push aside. For a few days, check
to see if the material has moved. If not, you can seal the opening.

Regardless of the season, it is always possible that babies or young could be
present. Squirrels have two litters a year; one in early spring and one in late
summer/early fall. Be careful not to separate mother from young; doing so can
not only result in the inhumane death of the young, but can result in the mother
tearing back into the spot where she was excluded from. 

Before you begin, take a look at this house diagram [PDF] to help you locate
potential problem areas. Now, you are ready to wildlife-proof your home.


TOOLS

 * Binoculars to help see roof-level parts of your house like trim, siding and
   vents up close if climbing a ladder is not an option.
 * A flashlight to see in the darker areas of your home.
 * A camera to record what needs to be sealed and to help you monitor the
   condition of the exterior of your roof, trim and siding.


FOUNDATION

 * From the ground up, check the foundation for opening and signs of animal
   activity where pipes, vents and cables exit the house.
 * Look where different types of building materials come together. Window wells,
   dryer exhaust vents, thresholds and gaps in brick or siding can all provide
   possible entryways.
 * Holes smaller than a few inches can be caulked, stuffed with copper mesh or
   filled with expandable foam. Larger openings should be repaired to original
   condition.


ROOF/SIDING/TRIM BOARD

 * From the outside or from a ladder, look for loose vent screens, roof holes
   and warped siding or trim board that is deteriorated and pulled away from the
   wall.


ATTIC

 * Inspect attics with a flashlight for any signs of animals. Look for
   droppings, signs of chewing and nesting material.
 * Pay attention to the intersection of roof and trim and any gable or exhaust
   vents. These are often covered with light bug screen that will not stand up
   to squirrels and raccoons.
 * If a hole is found, assume an animal is present and never seal it up until
   you are completely sure that all animals are gone. Turn off attic lights and
   look for outside light leaking in, which will alert you to holes that could
   be potential entry points.

Test if an opening is being used by stuffing the hole loosely with a paper towel
and waiting to see if it gets pushed in or out. If after three days of mild
weather the paper stays in place, you can safely close the hole up. Be aware
that animals might not come and go in severe weather or extreme cold and extend
the time the test plug is left in under these conditions.

Use caulk for small holes, staple or screw hardware cloth over larger holes, or
make permanent repairs. Bug screen (1/4 inch hardware cloth) will not hold up to
stronger animals, such as raccoons. A 16-gauge 1x1-inch steel mesh is
recommended for raccoons. For squirrels, solid aluminum flashing is the
exclusion material of choice.

Use caution if bats may be present, as these animals won’t push through paper
and can be difficult to see. They require a different type of inspection. Look
carefully on the attic floor and on insulation for quarter-inch pellets that are
a bit shiny and easily crumbled. You can also post a “bat watch” outside the
house at dusk for a few evenings row to see if bats can be observed as they exit
to forage. Call a bat removal specialist if you suspect these animals are using
your attic. 


CHIMNEYS

 * Check inside by shining a light up the flue, looking for animal signs on the
   damper and smoke shelf.
 * Check the chimney flue from the roof (or have a chimney sweep do it) to make
   sure no animals are present.
 * Once all is clear, install an animal-proof chimney cap.


OTHER TIPS

 * Trash: Secure trash containers with cords, ropes or weights, or put trash out
   the morning of collection, not the night before.
 * Trees/leaves: Keep branches trimmed six feet away from your house to not only
   limit access for wildlife, but to prevent damage to the roof that may allow
   animal entry in the future.
 * Clean up debris; especially leaves piled in gutters and around the
   foundation.
 * Compost: Cover and secure compost piles. Never compost meat scraps.

 

You can protect wildlife in your own backyard

Every day, more and more wildlife habitats are lost to the spread of
development. Your gift can help create more humane backyards to protect all
animals. 

Help Animals Today



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