Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
4 Ways to Keep Wildlife Out of Your Home
Seeing wildlife when you’re going for a walk in the woods is a treat, but seeing that they’ve taken up residence on your property? That’s slightly less than enjoyable. Mice, squirrels, raccoons, birds, and even foxes would all love to live in a space that’s warm, comfortable, and has easy access to food, and given the opportunity, they’ll happily move into your home — and no, they won’t be paying rent.
If you live in an area frequented by wildlife, then it’s in your best interests to take a proactive approach to keep wildlife far away from your home. In this post, we’ll run through some handy strategies that will help do just that. We love animals and wildlife with a passion, but know sometimes they can cause more damage than give you joy so here are ways to keep wildlife out of your home.
I’ve humanely removed a chipmunk from my wrapping paper rolls in our home before!
Maintain a Clean and Clear Yard
Wildlife rarely goes directly from the woods to a person’s home. They steadily get there. The wildlife that you find on your property will likely have begun its stay at your property on the outside, in your yard. Wildlife looks for spaces that provide protection from the elements and predators, and if your yard has stored piles of firewood, stacked branches, and other hiding spaces, then they’ll set up camp — and from there, it’ll be just a short journey to the inside of your home. Work on keeping your yard clean and clear, so you can easily spot whenever you have guests.
We like these paper yard waste bags (we don’t like the plastic ones and our city doesn’t allow for them) and get them on Amazon or at Lowe’s.
Birds can nest in dryer vents, attics and more
Keep Your Dryer Vent Clean
It’s easy to forget your dryer vent, so it’s one of those things that’s mostly out of sight, out of mind. However, while you might not be thinking about your dryer vent, to wildlife, it could provide the perfect nesting spot. The warm, soft lint and debris that can clog up a dryer vent is the wildlife equivalent of a sea-front mansion, so you can understand why so many homeowners who find rodents and squirrels on their property do so in their dryer vent.
Hiring a dryer vent cleaning company, such as the one found at https://www.jcs-homeservices.com/home-services-northern-virginia/dryer-vent-cleaning/, will ensure that your vent is always clean, clear, and wildlife-free. Plus, cleaning your vent can have other benefits, too, such as helping your dryer to work more efficiently and thus reducing your energy bills.
Raccoons frequent our home and I give them fresh water during droughts and THAT’S IT….no food!
Check for Open Entry Points
It’s best to seal up any open entry points on your property anyway, since their presence can increase the chances of experiencing flooding in your home and also cause hot/cold air to escape from your home, increasing your reliance on your HVAC system.
When we had some entry points open post Hurricane Ian, we got a tiny Florida rat visitor in our attic and used this humane trap from Amazon (they LOVE marshmallows as bait) to catch and release it onto protected wildlife land. See our less than a minute video showing this below or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Open entry points will also serve as an open invitation for wildlife to enter your property. So look at sealing up any gaps — and remember, wildlife can enter through even the smallest of spaces!
A dog can scent a yard, keeping some wildlife away
Get a Pet
Finally, if you’re really concerned about wildlife in your home, then consider getting a pet. A dog or cat will nearly always go on the hunt to find animals that are living in their space, which, if it doesn’t scare them away directly, will help tell you exactly where pest control needs to look.
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Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.
This is a collaborative post and may contain affiliate links. All opinions and ideas expressed in this post, however, are based on my personal point of view.