Winter Invaders

At this time of year, many people hurry to fix the heater, the insulation, and make sure that the windows are sealed off for the fast-approaching winter. One area we often miss is the attic. The attic is often where we store our holiday decorations and winter clothes, but it can also be home to wild animals. Birds may go south for the season, but the rest need shelter. Raccoons, squirrels, and more are known to break into your home to escape the winter chill.
Squirrels, snakes, raccoons, and bats can utilize the cracks or eaves on the roof to gain entry to the attic and walls of your home; due to their excellent agility and climbing skills. These animals can use the cracks in the eaves of your house or dig through the roof to get inside. Attic spaces are often filled with all sorts of old boxes and clothes that pests can quickly turn into nests. Snakes, rats, squirrels, and the like can use the walls to travel to other parts of the home. This can cause disruptions in insulation, wiring damage, and animal waste in the walls.
Animals with poor climbing skills (such as rabbits, rats, and skunks) can enter from lower cracks or holes in the walls or foundation of the house. Pests that enter the walls, basement, or crawl spaces can often move or damage insulation and create pockets that cause drafts.
Make sure your home is in good condition all around to keep animals at bay. Clean up the yard before the snow starts to fall, in order to prevent dens and burrows to be made by your house. Animals often make use of tool sheds, woodpiles, or untrimmed hedges as the start of a winter den. Clean up your yard, and secure your tool shed before wild animals get a chance to move in.