If
an unwanted animal has made a home in, under, or around your house, the best
thing to do is to wait until it has moved off on its own. Then you can take
measures to keep it from coming back.
During the spring and summer, wild animals are often around only long enough
to raise their babies, then the whole family moves away. If they are doing no
harm, a little patience on your part will greatly reduce the stress of all involved.
If you need to encourage an animal to move on, and you are sure there are no
baby animals present, use these non-lethal techniques to get the adults to move
out, then seal whatever openings they were using.
Wild animals are very sensitive to odors, loud noises, and bright lights.
By placing a flashing light, a radio tuned into a rock music station, rags
soaked in ammonia, or mothballs near the den site, you can often get the animal
to vacate the area. For nocturnal animals such as bats, raccoons, or opossums,
use these techniques during the night when the animals are out foraging for
food. For diurnal animals, such as squirrels, use these techniques during
the day. If an animal is living in your chimney, do not attempt to smoke it
out. It is essential that you know for sure that the animals have left before
you seal off any openings, otherwise, they may starve to death and you may
end up with an odor problem.
To determine that the animals have left, try the following:
Close off all but one opening, then sprinkle flour on the ground at the
open entrance. Check frequently for tracks leading out.
Listen for the sounds of animals moving around to determine if they have
left or not.
Cover the opening with light plastic that an animal can break through.
Construct a one-way door over the opening that allows the animal to leave,
but prevents it from returning to the vacated space. If a bird or a bat flies
into your house and becomes trapped in a room, the best way to get it to leave
is to open a single door or window, and cover all other windows in the room.
Turn off the lights and leave the room for a while. The animal should exit
through the opening. Chasing it around and trying to catch it will only stress
the animal.
If
an unwanted animal has made a home in, under, or around your house, the best
thing to do is to wait until it has moved off on its own. Then you can take
measures to keep it from coming back.