Home Defense: Expert Strategies for Eliminating Pesky Invaders

Are you looking for ways to protect your home from pesky invaders? Many local animals have no qualms about moving into people’s houses. Raccoons, bats, rats, and squirrels will make your home their home if given the opportunity. So, you’ll need to know strategies to keep them out of your home and what to do if they get inside. Keep reading to learn more!

Home Defense Strategies: Practice Pest Control Habits

Photo by Kurt Anderson from  Unsplash

First, you must ensure you’re practicing good pest control habits. That means keeping your home clean and free of debris. Do a quick sweep-through of your home occasionally and check for crumbs, open food, and other garbage. Many pests are attracted to food debris. So, you’ll also want to use airtight containers to store all of your food, even if it’s in a pantry. You’ll also want to ensure your garbage bins seal well so the smell doesn’t bring more wildlife onto your property looking for a snack. Lastly, you should check that there aren’t any plumbing leaks in your house. An open water source will make your home much more habitable to animals. If there are leaks, always fix them as soon as possible. You’ll avoid more water damage this way.

Seal Your Home’s Entry Points

Many animals don’t need a lot of space to get inside. You’ll want to check that your doors and windows have good seals and that there aren’t any tears in your window screens. Then, check for other cracks and gaps around your home. You’ll want to make sure that your attic and basement are especially well-sealed because these are the areas where many animals break in. For example, raccoons and opossums will move into basements and other places under your home. Squirrels, chipmunks, and birds can quickly get into your attic. Next, if you have a fireplace, install a flueblocker. A quality wool flue blocker makes a tight seal to stop bats from getting in. Overall, you want your home completely sealed off from the outside. That way, animals don’t have the opportunity to move in.

Home Defense Strategies: Use Wildlife-Safe Repellents

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya from Unsplash

Animals have a stronger sense of smell and better sight and hearing than we do. You can use this to deter them from staying on your property too long. For instance, you can use motion-activated lights. These lights detect movement and turn on when they do. It’s an excellent way to keep nocturnal animals that don’t like light, like bats, away. Ultrasonic sound devices may also keep away many animals. There are also many humane sprays, and you can easily make your own at home. That way, you know it won’t harm the animals.

Combine water and some household spices, like cayenne pepper, peppermint, or black pepper, in a spray bottle. Spray it outside your home or where you think pests are living. You should never spray wild animals with it directly, and if you see a wild animal, stay away from it. This spray only acts as a deterrent when you’re not there.

Use Humane Traps

Next, if there’s an animal already inside, you can use humane traps. These sorts of traps lure the animals inside without hurting them. You can then take the trap to a safe place, far away from other people’s homes, and release the animals. It’s important to realize that an animal in a humane trap will likely panic when you approach it. Remain calm and place a blanket over the trap to help soothe it. Make sure you’re wearing heavy-duty gloves when you move the animal.

You’ll want to release the animal safely. Place the trap-facing brush that the animal will want to hide in. Then, remove the blanket and unlatch the opening. Most modern traps let you open the cage without putting your hand too close to the animal. Stay behind the cage, and the animal should run into the foliage. If the animal is scared, don’t yell or shake the cage. Remain a reasonable distance away and wait for the animal to run. When you get home, you’ll need to disinfect the cage. Make sure to wear gloves!

Home Defense Strategies: Call the Pros

Photo by Taylor Grote from Unsplash

If you don’t know what to do, it’s always better to call the pros to handle the animal, especially if it’s a dangerous animal. The experts have access to animal control tools and equipment that you don’t. Plus, they have more experience handling wild animals, allowing them to do so safely. A wildlife pest control service in Ohio could safely remove any wildlife in your home. They’re also familiar with local laws on what to do with these animals. If you do it yourself, you might accidentally break them, causing you to gain expensive fines. In short, it’s always a good idea to contact the professionals. If you don’t know whether you have a pest problem, they can even help you identify if there’s a severe issue.

Educate Your Neighbors

Next, you must spread awareness about ways to keep pesky critters out of homes with your neighbors and family. If the people around you know more about the local wildlife, they’ll be better protected against them. Research your local wildlife and ensure you can recognize them if they’re on your property. Next, learn more about their habits and what might attract them to your home. Ensure your family and neighbors know how to seal the entry points on their homes and that they don’t leave out food debris. You can also link them to this article to help them build their home defense strategies against intrusive pests.

Know Who To Call

Look up and write down the numbers for local animal control. That way, in an emergency, you don’t have to waste time looking them up. You’ll also want to know the number of local pest control services.

Use These Expert Strategies Against Pesky Invaders

Fortifying your home against unwanted pests and critters involves sealing up entry points, eliminating access to food sources, and using humane deterrents. By taking these measures, you can make your place much less inviting for these creatures. It may take some trial and error to figure out what works for your particular situation, but with some persistence, you’ll eventually succeed. The key is to outsmart the pests by staying one step ahead. Make your home as unappealing as possible, and they’ll move on to easier targets. With some strategic defense, you’ll soon be enjoying a pest-free space. Victory is yours!

In short, you can use these tactics to keep animals away. If you do encounter a dangerous wild animal, make sure that you contact the experts immediately to keep yourself out of harm’s way.