May 25, 2018
How to Prevent Animal Damage To Your Porch, Deck, Or Patio

With summer approaching, animals will be seeking shelter from the heat and sun. Outdoor areas of your home such as porches, decks, and patios are an ideal place for wildlife to take shelter and find relief from the heat. Here are a few tips to consider on how to protect your outdoor areas from damage:

Prep the Areas

The first step to protect your outdoor areas from wildlife is to first make sure no critters are currently living there. If you see signs of digging or burrowing, call Critter One for a free inspection to be sure.  If you do have wildlife nesting in these areas, do not attempt to trap and remove them yourself.

You can encourage animals to vacate by removing any attractants such as pet food and garbage sitting outside from the area to make the space less desirable.

 

Seal Up Entry Points

Closely inspect your porch, deck, or patio for any entry points wildlife could use to gain access in or under these areas. You can easily repair these with wire mesh, hardware cloth, and soil. While digging trenches and installing the wire mesh underground can protect these areas from burrowing wildlife, such as armadillos and moles, digging is not necessary for protecting these outdoor areas.

 

Implement Repellants

If you have noticed wildlife roaming around your backyard, there could be something around your home attracting them. Some features commonly found in home gardens like bird seed on the ground, fauna like wildflowers, and more could be enticing to wildlife. Planting flowers and shrubs like daffodils, oriental poppies, and more are natural wildlife repellants that will also add some color to your home garden at a low cost.

Other repellants like store-bought or online sprays could also help keep these critters away.

Still feeling unsure about wildlife around your home and potential entry points? Call Critter One at 210-201-0064 for a free inspection today!