One of the many benefits of living in Florida is the abundance of beautiful wildlife species that call the Sunshine State home. While we enjoy observing these beautiful creatures, most of us prefer to do so from a distance. Unfortunately, our homes provide the ideal refuge for wild animals. Can you blame them?
Youe home comes complete with easy access to food, water, warmth, and shelter from the outdoor elements. To keep wild animals in the wild, you need to animal-proof your home. This article will provide you with helpful tips to ensure that curious critters do not make their way into your home.
7 Tips To Keep Wild Animals Away From Your Home
- Repair Broken Screens
One way raccoons, birds, and squirrels make their way into Florida homes is through broken window screens. If you have a ripped screen and decide to leave your window open on a cool winter afternoon, you may find yourself with an unwanted house guest. Thus, it is essential to report your window screens when they become torn. If you have a tear in your screen that you are unable to fix immediately, make sure to keep your window closed to avoid a critter from sneaking through.
- Keep Your Trash Covered
Most wildlife species are attracted to piles of trash. As such, you should always store your garbage bags in sealed garbage cans to prevent animals like raccoons from dining on your leftover scraps. Also, avoid putting your trash can outside in advance of garbage day. It may be tempting to put your garbage can out the night before so you don’t have to worry about doing so in the morning, but leaving your trash can outside overnight is an open invitation for a free meal to wildlife that are nocturnal.
- Repair Roof Damage
Another primary way that wildlife gain access to homes is through a broken roof or broken vent. As such, you will want to make it a point to repair any damage in your roofline right away.
- Keep Bird Feeders Up High
Keeping your bird feeders high off the ground is an excellent way to prevent wildlife from seeking your home out for a free meal. Squirrels, raccoons, opossums, and even bears are drawn to birdseed; thus it’s essential to place your birdfeeder in a location where it is only accessible to birds.
- Clean Your Yard
Large piles of brush and debris provide wild animals with the ideal location to burrow and hide. To keep wild animals from seeking refuge near your home, clean up large piles of leaves and debris, and store firewood at least 20 feet away from your home.
- Close Your Doors
We are all guilty of leaving an entryway door open for just a few moments while we grab something quickly from the garage or front yard, but doing so could provide a sneaky critter with the ideal opportunity to dash into your home. To prevent wild animals from sneaking into your house through an open door, make sure to close your doors every time you go outside, even if it is only for a few seconds.
- Conduct Proper Landscaping
Squirrels and other small wildlife use tree branches to gain access to rooflines where they can find a way to get indoors. To prevent this from happening, cut back any tree limbs or branches that are too close to your roofline. As a rule of thumb, all vegetation should be at least 6 to 8 feet from your roofline.
What To Do If You A Wild Animal Gets Inside Your Home
Wild animals are unpredictable and carry a variety of diseases and illnesses that can be transferred to humans. Diseases such as rabies can be fatal to a human if left untreated. Thus, you should never attempt to remove one from your home on your own. Instead, enlist the services of a local pest control company, or call animal control to assist you with the removal. In most instances, a trained professional will be able to remove the wild animal from your home with no harm to the animal or house’s inhabitants.
