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As winter approaches, certain wildlife start to look toward our warm houses for shelter. These animals include squirrels, raccoons, bats and mice which tend to move into attics, basements or crawl spaces, warm but not visited often by the house’s occupants. Their presence may cause problems – from innocuous scurrying sounds in the walls and ceilings when we are trying to sleep, to chewed electrical, phone and cable wires.
There are companies that will come and remove nuisance animals from your home.* They are trapped and euthanized or poisoned. However, unless the access points are blocked, animals will continue to find their way into our homes. A kinder, more nature friendly solution is to find the access points and block them or install one-way flaps that allow the animals to leave but not return. This is especially effective when dealing with bats since bats don’t eat or move during their winter hibernation. The one-way flap will allow them to leave in the spring when they wake, but not return.
So, when sealing your house for the winter, don’t forget to do your part to prevent wildlife from becoming pests.
*A side note: ultrasonic pest repellants are ineffective according to the Federal Trade Commission and numerous scientific studies.