Keep bird seed and dog food in metal containers to prevent mice, squirrels and raccoons
from dining on them, especially if this food is stored in the garage.
Keep bird feeders and other food at least 20 feet from the perimeter of your home to cut
down on the number of mice and rodents trying to enter your home.
Trapping is most effective method to cut down on mole damage. Trapping early in the
spring (April or early May) before the young moles are born is the best timing.
Bats often enter a home through the gable end vents. Bats droppings will usually be
evident on the siding, near the entrance.
Wood peckers love cedar siding. After repairing the cedar siding, properly installed bird
tape can be very effective at eliminating further bird damage. It is best to tackle this type
of problem before or after the nesting season. It is not always possible to physically reach
a nest.
Large fox squirrels are fun to watch and they rarely cause damage to the home. Fox
squirrels do however eat their weight in bird seed daily it seems. Ground squirrels are
also fun to watch, but they are more likely to find a way into your garage or under your
siding. Red squirrels are the hyper ones that chatter and run fast. Red squirrels are about
1/3 the size of a fox squirrel and have a white belly. Red squirrels can be fun to watch but
they also cause a lot of home damage. Red squirrels will chew a hole through anything
but glass and cement.
Raccoons are probably the most common pest that causes home owners a lot of grief.
Raccoons look friendly from a distance but this can change quickly when too close.
Raccoons are also very strong; the boars tend to be quite vicious, especially when
cornered or surprised. Raccoons love to move into a nice warm attic or crawl space and
they never pay rent. Unlike bats, raccoons will pick a spot in their nesting area to relieve
themselves. After live trapping raccoons and sealing their entrance, it is important to
remove the soiled materials with proper breathing protection. Raccoon waste has
parasites that can be deadly for young children and very unpleasant for everyone else.