Keep unwanted animals from entering your home

Prevent pesky critters from doing unnecessary damage to your household

With autumn here, and the weather starting to cool off, most of us will probably start to spend a lot more time inside our homes. We’re not the only ones to retreat inside when it gets cold — with the changing of the seasons; many creatures great and small seek the comfort of a warm hearth. And if your home’s open for business, you may find some new little tenants setting up residence and wreaking havoc.

Do you know the signs indicating you’ve got some unwanted guests? Do you know what to do to catch these critters? Finally, how do you prevent them from coming back?

MICE AND SQUIRRELS AND VOLES ... OH MY!

You may easily recognize that you’ve got a problem — but it’s not always simple to determine which animal has unexpectedly moved in. For many creatures, the clues are very similar, so unless you’re an expert in identifying animals by their droppings, it’s difficult to figure out what it is unless you’ve sighted one of them running around.

You can’t always tell what’s happening behind the drywall, but if you’re hearing scurrying or scratching in your attic, or behind the walls, that’s a good indication you’ve got squirrels or mice. Squirrels will generally prefer to nest in the attic, resting on top of your insulation, condensing it, and lowering its effectiveness. Mice, on the other hand, will chew through it, burrow deep and make a nest. Either way, it’s going to do some damage.

Certain animals would prefer to stay outside in your yard, but it’s possible they could make it inside as a reluctant roommate. Moles and voles prefer the deep, dark tunnels they make in your gardens, but that doesn’t mean that can’t accidentally enter your home. And if they find their way in, you’d better believe mice, rats, or squirrels may not be far behind.

EVICTING YOUR UNWANTED TENANTS

They may look cute, but you can’t underestimate the damage these animals can do. As already mentioned, they can damage the insulation, but also chew through materials around your home (even metal). And if they chew through wires, you could be looking at increased risk of an electrical fire. Not to mention, if they die behind the walls, or drop excrement, you’re going to have to deal with the odour and bacteria.

There are a lot of traps you can operate yourself if you feel up to the task. There are a lot of traps on the market, but I always use humane traps. Bait them, and place them near where you suspect the creatures are nesting. Once trapped, make sure you’re always handling any critters wearing the proper protective gear to prevent the transfer of germs, and to protect yourself from bites.

If you’re not comfortable setting traps and handling animals, call in a pest control expert to help you expel the guests, and help you source any weak points they used to get in.

AND STAY OUT

You can send the creatures packing, but if you don’t prevent their re-entry to your home, you’re going to be dealing with unwanted guests over and over again. Animals can squeeze through some pretty small gaps, so it’s important that you strengthen any potential access points to keep them out.

Carefully inspect your home for holes in your window and chimney flashing, gaps in caulking, or foundation cracks. Your garage door can be a surprising weak point for entry — it’s typically harder to seal than smaller doors, and if mice find their way into the garage, it’s only a matter of time before they take over the rest of the house.

Install screens over chimneys, pipes, and vents, to keep intruders from entering, and check the sealing around any pipes or cables that go into the home, and make sure it’s been properly caulked all the way around.

If you like to keep your windows open to let the air flow through the house, make sure your screens are in good shape. They can wear down over time, and a small tear may be all it takes to allow access.

To keep squirrels at bay, keep trees close to the home pruned back to prevent easy access to your roof.

Once your pest problem is taken care of — make sure to give any affected areas a good clean with disinfectant (while wearing your gloves and mask, of course).