Proactive measures are best for keeping wildlife out of urban areas. These measures are essential to keep both you and the animals safe. We gathered all of the best proactive steps you can use to lessen the chances of an infestation in your home.
So, make sure to keep reading! Knowing how to prevent wildlife intrusions, even living in an urban area, is essential. Let’s begin.
1. Educate Yourself and Your Family
First, you’ll want to educate yourself and your family on the local wildlife and their habits. Ensure you recognize common critters that may want to move into your space.
You can take it further and educate the rest of your community through workshops and seminars. You can ask local authorities and experts to inform residents, allowing everyone in your community to learn from the experts.
Preventing wildlife intrusions is a group effort, so the more people in your area know, the easier it will become to be more proactive. Everyone will be affected if one person accidentally attracts animals to your area. So, it’s best to teach as many people as you can.
Public service announcements, social media, and school programs are more ways to educate yourself and community members.
Lastly, you must know the local regulations. Most states will have rules on how to interact with animals. These laws protect you and your community, so you’ll want to understand them. Generally, these laws include no feeding the wildlife and regulations on removing your trash safely.
2. Keep Your Home Clean
Next, you’ll want to ensure your home is food debris-free. Leaving food out is a sure way to attract animals into your home. Most wildlife pests will come inside searching for food, so you must vacuum and sweep your flooring regularly.
Then, you’ll want to check that your food is secured and put away. Air-tight containers are best since they keep the smell of food from getting out and attracting pests. Plus, these containers also help to keep your food fresh longer.
It’s also essential that you keep your outside property clean. Don’t leave garbage bags out, especially overnight. That’s a sure way to attract plenty of critters to your property. Instead, you’ll want to put your garbage bags into trash bins with tight-fitting lids.
Lastly, don’t forget to secure your pet food! Cat and dog food can also attract various animals. Plastic food containers are a great way to store pet food.
3. Choose Bird Feeders Carefully
Bird feeders can attract more than just birds to your yard, so you’ll want to make sure that you choose your bird feeders with care. Pick ones that deter squirrels and raccoons. Some unique feeders close when animals other than birds try to eat from them so that those animals won’t stick around on your property for long.
It’s also essential that you place the bird feeders very carefully. If they’re too close to your home, animals may climb from the bird feeder and get inside. So, make sure that your feeders are a good distance away.
Lastly, you don’t want to place them too close to windows because it could cause the birds to collide with them. It’s best to leave bird feeders at least 25 feet away from windows.
4. Inspect Your Home for Entry Points
You’ll want to check your home every so often for entry points. These could be small cracks or gaps in your siding, window or door frames, and more. Most pests don’t need a large opening to enter your house.
If you find an opening, seal it to prevent wildlife from entering. You’ll also want to install vent covers and chimney caps to help keep out small critters.
You can contact a wildlife pest control service in Ohio to help identify entry points. The experts will know exactly what to look for and can provide you with options to seal the holes. It’s also good to talk with them occasionally to ensure that no pests secretly live inside your home.
5. Take Care of Your Yard
Next, it’s vital that you also take care of your yard. You’ll want to mow your yard often and trim back foliage to ensure it’s not habitable to pests. Overgrown grass, bushes, and trees can be perfect hiding spots for wildlife.
If the trees and bushes are close to your home, it could also encourage animals to move inside as they search for food. You’ll want to remove fallen fruit from fruit trees ASAP to prevent the smell from attracting animals, too.
So, make sure to keep up with your landscaping whenever possible.
6. Know the Local Wildlife Rescue Services
You must familiarize yourself with your local wildlife rescue services. That way, you can quickly reach out when there’s an animal somewhere it shouldn’t be. These services will handle the displaced animals safely, so you don’t have to put yourself at risk.
The professionals should be the ones to manage persistent wildlife intrusions because they can become dangerous quickly. They have tools and experience that you don’t have when it comes to dealing with wild animals.
Plus, they’re also familiar with the laws around handling specific species. For example, there are many species of bats that it’s illegal to harm in most states. You wouldn’t want to get in trouble with the law accidentally, so it’s best to let the pros deal with it.
These services can even provide you with educational materials when required. Check their websites and call them to learn as much as possible.
Take Proactive Measures Now
The sooner you start taking these proactive measures, the less likely animals will be to move into your urban area. Start by educating yourself and others, then work on keeping your space clean, and check your home for potential entry points.
If all else fails, you must contact the pros immediately. They’ll know what steps to take next and can keep you safe. They’ll also understand crucial local conservation efforts, so contact them when you need assistance.
