Is your home attracting raccoons? These persistent animals don’t build their own dens but rather look for convenient hollow logs, holes, crawl spaces or attics to call home. Whether you have a brand-new construction or an older house, find out how certain construction features can lead to wildlife entry and why you need professional wildlife removal services.
Building to Code vs. Wildlife Proofing
Your home doesn’t have to be damaged or outdated to encourage animals to start making a den in your attic. Even if you’ve hired the best contractors in your area, they build your home to meet the local and national building codes. Building codes ensure your house is safe for occupancy; however, they aren’t designed to create an animal-proof structure.
In this article we provide some further insight into common wildlife entry points and highlight some of the benefits of working with a professional wildlife removal team to animal proof your home.
Soffit Doorways
One of the most common entry points for raccoons, skunks and bats are your soffits. Soffits are used to provide ventilation to your attic space to reduce the amount of trapped hot air and moisture. These vents are typically made of vinyl and rest easily on edges. This makes it very easy for a raccoon or other determined animal to push up against the soffits and bend them out of the way to gain access to your attic.
Because your soffits are under your eaves, there are only a few places in your home where an animal may be able to access them. Common easy access points include:
- Soffit Intersections
- Multiple roof angles
- Dormers
- Downspout elbows
Downspout Ladders
Most gutter downspouts start at the base of your gutter and curve under your eave to reach the side of your home. From there they drop directly to the ground. This design is the most sturdy and practical way to install a gutter system, but it also creates an excellent ladder for raccoons.
Inspect your downspouts to look for signs of raccoon prints on the sides. Raccoons often climb up downspouts, use the curved point of the downspout as a seat and push the soffit directly up. Most raccoons can easily create an opening through your soffits with this strategy. Because soffits easily push up and fall back into place, a raccoon may become trapped in your attic with little signs of entry.
Welcoming Roof Vents
Ridge vents have a slim channel at the top of the ridge of your roof to let hot air escape. Other roof vent options use large inserts and holes in your roof. These vent pieces have a metal or plastic top that protects rain and wild animals from entering your attic.
Falling branches, desperate animals or years of use can result in cracked, bent or otherwise compromised vents. A damaged vent quickly becomes a doorway for squirrels, raccoons or even bats. Inspect your roof vents or listen for signs of animals in your attic to determine whether it’s time to call the professionals.
Building on an Empty Lot
Many new constructions see wild animals take up residence in their chimney, attic or crawl space. One reason why these new builds in particular are at risk is because of the existing environment. Building on a new lot means there may already be a significant amount of animals that call this area their home. A sudden construction project may not be enough to deter animals from remaining in their territory, so they may simply set up their homes in your new building.
How You Can Evict Wildlife Tenants
Get rid of your wildlife tenants safely and humanely by contacting Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. Our team will inspect your property for signs of wild animals, humanely remove from your home and restore your property with cleaning, repairs and prevention strategies.
Attempting a DIY animal removal project can result in injury, illness and harm to the wild animals, or to you and your family. Don’t take on this hazardous job without the right tools, protection and experience. Our technicians can set humane life traps for raccoons and ensure all the animals, babies and feces are removed from your attic, crawl space or chimney before sealing the area to prevent further infestations. Professional wildlife removal services target common den areas and entrance points throughout your home. Whether you need to remove an animal or you’re simply looking for prevention strategies, turn to a local, experienced professional wildlife service today.
Contact us today to learn how we can deal with raccoons, skunks, squirrels, bats and more. Our professionals can remove wild animals, clean up any mess and protect your attic with quality materials and expert wildlife proofing techniques. Restore your home’s energy efficiency and cleanliness by removing damaged insulation, feces and other signs of wildlife infestation.
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