If you own or manage an apartment complex or a multi-family property, it is important to prevent animal intrusion. Wild animals can wreak havoc on your property and can affect your residents. Overall, keeping critters out is vital for keeping things clean and preventing a bad reputation. This article will discuss tips for reducing the risk of wildlife invasion in an apartment building.
Securing Trash
Keep all trash in animal-proof, secure dumpsters with lids. The lids should be closed at all times. If possible, keep the dumpster at least 6 feet from the building. This may help limit hiding spots for animals and can reduce their ability to climb the building.
Keep Doors Closed When Not in Use
Front doors should never be propped or left open when not in use. Animals may slip in unnoticed through open doors. They may go in to investigate food smells, general curiosity, or the promise of more comfortable temperatures inside. Be sure that all windows have secure and undamaged screens to prevent critters from entering.
Securing Apartment Ventilation Systems
From your HVAC system to kitchen exhaust fans, it is important to cap off vents to prevent intrusions. Unprotected ventilation systems can become easy access points for wild animals. If your apartments have fireplaces, be sure to install chimney caps too.
Clean Apartment Landscaping
If your property has plants and shrubs in the surrounding area, it is important to keep it well-manicured. A trimmed lawn is not only presentable for residents, but it can limit hiding places for critters. Be sure to have branches and tree limbs cut if they hang too close to your building. Otherwise, animals may use them to reach the roof, windows, balconies, or HVAC ducts.
Animal Removal from Apartment Buildings
If your apartment building has a wild animal issue, it is your duty as the landlord or property manager to provide removal services for the animals involved. To limit contamination or the spread of illness on your property, call a licensed humane wildlife removal company. Humane removal practices include exclusion, trapping, and relocation of the animal. But they also include sanitization and repairs of areas affected by any invading critters.