Tips to Get Rid of Pests

Sure, squirrels and chipmunks are cute, but it's not so cute when you're yanking tree sprouts out of your yard or finding clumps of dirt from dug up plants. And you definitely don't want bats in the attic, raccoons going through your garbage, or mice in the basement. So what can you do? This week, we're bringing our top tips to get rid of pests, as well as tips for prevention and problem solving if they're already in your yard (or house).

-Squirrels: Unless your house is situated on a parking lot, you're probably going to see squirrels around. Squirrels, like most other pests, come to your yard or home looking for food and shelter. Got a birdfeeder? A garden? Trees? You've got squirrels. While they're fun to watch as they run and play, they also dig up your garden and can cause major problems if they find an entry point into your house and nest in the attic. But squirrels are clever and hard to get rid of completely, so before you take action, ask yourself if they're actually harming anything, or if they're just annoying. Squirrels chew on wood, siding, and plants (and have even been known to gnaw on the soft metal of lead roof vent coverings). If you've spotted a hole under your eaves or in the soffit, you may have a squirrel in the attic. If you've heard the telltale scurrying of little squirrel feet from overhead, your first step is to find their entry point. Once that's been located, a good way to eradicate them is with one-way doors. These allow the squirrel to leave the way it came in (so it can forage for food) while preventing return access. However, if you suspect you've got a nest, call a professional so that mama and babies can be relocated safely. If you're looking to get rid of squirrels, you'll have to get rid of their food sources, or make it hard for the squirrels to access them (check out this article for keeping them off birdfeeders) so that they leave your yard to find a better food source. If the squirrels are doing serious damage to your yard and costing you money, consult with a professional about the best way to remove them. (Got damage from squirrels in your attic? We can help! Call Hunter Handyman Services at 815-780-7884 for a free estimate.)

-Raccoons: Ah, raccoons. Most commonly seen rummaging through your garbage, raccoons can be a huge nuisance. They can also get into your attic or chimney to build a nest. If you've seen raccoons in your neighborhood, start with prevention. If you store garbage cans outside, make sure they're sealed tightly--lids are on tight with straps or weights on top. Keep pet food inside, and make sure your bird feeder isn't in a place where a raccoon could jump on it from a tree to get to the seed. If you have trees near your home, cut back the branches about 6-8 feet so they won't be able to get onto your roof. Pick up any fallen fruit or nuts from nearby plants. Raccoons are also attracted to water sources if you have fountains, ponds, pet water dishes, leaks, or puddles in your yard. There are a few things you can do to make sure raccoons don't come near your home or rummage through the garbage cans:

• Add one small canister of cayenne pepper and one bottle of hot sauce to a gallon of water. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray it over your garden plants, bushes, and shrubs. Raccoons hate the smell of pepper (bonus: this also works for chipmunks!). You will need to reapply, especially after rainfall.

• Motion-activated lights work to deter raccoons.

• If your garbage cans are outside, use Mint-X trash bags. They are natural garbage bags, but are made specifically to deter raccoons, who don't like the smell of mint (another bonus: mice don't like mint, either).

• If you have raccoons in your chimney, try placing a dish of cider vinegar at the base. They hate the smell and should run out. You could also try scaring them out with bright lights shining up or loud music playing into the chimney.

If the raccoons are inside the house, your first step is to figure out where they got in. If you have a nesting mother with babies, wait a few weeks until the babies are old enough so they don't die without their mother. Just like with squirrels, one-way doors are a good way to get rid of the raccoons; otherwise, you'll want to invest the help of animal control, who can make sure the animals are removed from your home unharmed.

-Chipmunks: These cute little critters are notorious for digging up gardens and potted plants, and have been known to cause damage to patios, retaining walls, foundations, and stairs with their burrowing. Chipmunk burrows can be up to 30 feet long and several feet deep, and they sometimes also gnaw on wood. Like squirrels, they're more a nuisance than a problem, but if you'd like to discourage them from digging up your plants, here are some tricks to try:

• Like raccoons, chipmunks hate cayenne pepper. Spray a mixture of cayenne pepper and water over your plants and garden (reapply after rainfall), or pick up a mixture at a hardware store.

• Chipmunks hate the scent of daffodils, onions, hyacinths and marigolds, so add those to your garden.

• Hang pie tins, CDs or beach balls in trees to scare them away.

If you've got tunnels in your yard, you'll want to scare off the chipmunk population so they don't make new burrows. Find their burrow entrances and fill the holes with dirt, a mixture of dirt and fine gravel or used  cat litter, packing down as you go. Traces of cat feces and urine signal a predator may be lurking. If all else fails, call a professional exterminator.

-Bats: While a bat in the attic doesn't usually pose a direct threat, the guano (or bat poop) is the problem. It's not hygienic, as you may have guessed, and it's far more pungent than rat or mouse poop. Bat guano and urine can spread diseases like leptospirosis, salmonella and histoplasmosis, and they also promote the growth of fungi capable of causing respiratory ailments. While bats are good for the environment, you don't want them in your house. If you've got bats, call a wildlife control expert for help. There are laws governing bat removal for their protection, and given the sanitation concerns, this issue is best left to the pros. Bats like to return to their roost, so cleaning up provides extra insurance that they can't smell the guano and come back to your attic. However, there are a few things you can do to make sure you don't get bats in your attic.

• Seal the attic. Once winter hits and the bats leave (provided you haven't called wildlife control), seal up the cracks and any other entry points to keep them from returning. It's still best to call a pro to sanitize the area, and even to seal up your attic, since bats can fit into spaces as small as a dime.

• One-way devices: Bat cone excluders or exclusion screens will help the bats leave, but keep them from returning.

-Mice: Mice can do a lot of damage to property because they like to chew. Mousetraps and sticky traps aren't your only option for getting them out of your house. Of course, seal up any cracks and holes you find to eliminate their entry points. Mice, like raccoons, hate the smell of peppermint because it irritates their nose. They rely on their sense of smell to get around, so by planting peppermint around your house (inside or out) or spraying a mixture of peppermint essential oil and water around your home (inside and out), you'll deter them from entering in the first place. If you have them inside already, spray everywhere but around the traps and this should lead them to the trap so you can catch them. Mice also don't like mothballs, dryer sheets, vinegar, garlic, eucalyptus, and cinnamon, if you'd prefer to spray those around your home instead. Make sure to keep all your food stored properly to eliminate their food source.

If you have damage from pests in your home or want someone to check for openings, cracks, or entry points, give Hunter Handyman Services a call at (815) 780-7884 for a free estimate.