- Beacon Pest and Wildlife Control | Safe. Effective. Eco-Friendly
- info@beaconpest.ca Ancaster, Ontario
One of the best things about living in Hamilton is being close to nature while not too far from the city. However, with proximity to forested areas and lakes comes a different kind of problem – wildlife. Watching wildlife while enjoying a nature walk is great, but wildlife nesting in your home is definitely less desirable.
The best way to avoid needing wildlife removal in Hamilton is to help ensure that wildlife never takes up residence on your property. Here are five tips to keep wildlife where it belongs – in the wild.
Remove Attractants
One of the surest ways to keep unwanted wildlife from moving onto your property is to remove attractants like food and shelter. Bird feeders, overripe fruit from trees, and pet food bowls provide easy access to food for squirrels, raccoons, and other critters. You may want to avoid bird feeders altogether, but if not, look for tamper-proof designs and choose a seed that is less popular with other critters, like safflower seeds. And remember to always take pet food bowls in at night.
Secure Your Garbage Cans
Did you know that raccoons have extremely dexterous fingers? Opening an unsecured garbage can is no problem for raccoons and other animals looking for a snack, and places with easy access to food also make preferred areas to nest. If you have outdoor compost, make sure that it is always secure. A small investment in animal-proof bins could save you time, money, and frustration having to deal with wildlife removal in Hamilton later.
Eliminate Access Points
Wildlife gains access to your home through all kinds of hard-to-see spaces. Attics, crawl spaces, garages, or under porches, decks, and sheds, dry, dark, and hidden areas make perfect places for raccoons, rodents, and bats to nest. To avoid unwanted guests, locate and repair openings around roof vents, gaps in your soffits, and spaces or holes where different building materials meet, like around windows or along your roofline.
Declutter Your Yard
Not only is a messy yard an eyesore for you, but it also provides wildlife with places to hide and ways to access your home. Overgrown shrubs, fallen branches, and excessive yard clutter are like leaving out an invitation for wildlife to nest on your property. Branches or shrubs overhanging your roof present the most significant problem, as the roof offers the easiest access to your attic, the preferred nesting zone for everything from bats to rats.
Fix Your Fence
If overhanging trees are not the problem, then your fence may be. Gaps underneath your fence make it very easy for wildlife to access your yard, especially if they smell something worth investigating. Repair any fence gaps and missing posts to help keep wildlife out. However, if you begin noticing animals digging to get under your fence, you may need to also install a wire mesh or cloth under your fence and into the soil deep enough to keep them from tunnelling in.
These tips should keep your home and garden critter-free, but if wildlife ever does become a problem, professional wildlife removal in Hamilton can help!