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Raccoons - Enter attics, rummage through trash, tear up sod, poop in pool, garden damage, etc.
Squirrels - Enter attics, soffits, eaves, and walls. Chew on wood and vents. Garden damage.
Skunks - Live under houses, decks, porches, and sheds. Cause odor problems. Steal pet food.
Rats - Enter houses and live in attics or walls. Chew wires, contaminate food, spread disease.
Mice - Enter houses and live in attics or walls. Chew wires, contaminate food, spread disease.
Snakes - Usually harmless, but can enter houses and attics. Some species are venomous.
Birds - Roost on buildings, ledges, beams, and roofs, and in attics. Spread waste and disease.
Bats - Colonize in large numbers in attics and roofs of buildings, leave large amounts of droppings.
Opossums - General scavengers, steal pet food, rummage in garbage, will often live under house.
Moles - Dig tunnels in yard, leave mounded trails and dirt piles (mole hills), destroy lawn.
Armadillos - Dig many holes in the yard, and dig large burrows, often under a house foundation.
Groundhogs - Dig large tunnels, usually several on property. Eat crops and damage garden.



There are many different types of wild animals that can qualify as a nuisance. The most common animal species are these: Raccoons - Squirrels - Skunks - Rats - Mice - Snakes - Birds - Bats - Opossums - Moles - Armadillos - Groundhogs. Several other species come into conflict with people as well. In fact, nearly any animal that lives in the wild and enters your property will become an annoyance, whether they bring a bad smell, disturb your garbage cans, or actually enter your home and cause damage within. When getting rid of nuisance wild animals, doing so in a safe and humane matter should be your main priority, but this doesn't mean the process necessarily needs to be complicated. The following steps will help you get rid of the animals and keep them away.

• 1.Make The Area Unappealing
• 2.Try An Exclusion Device
• 3. Use Humane Harassment
• 4. Try Natural Deterrents
• 5. Call A Professional

To better understand what each of these steps means, it helps to examine them in further detail.

Make The Area Unappealing
No matter whether you have bats, squirrels, rodents, or raccoons on your property, you can gently convince them to leave in some cases by simply making the area unappealing to them. The biggest draw for nuisance animals is an easy source of food, so to solve this issue, make sure not to leave your pet's food or water outside and always use secure lids on your garbage cans, only placing them outside on garbage day. To further discourage animals, get rid of any likely habitats on your property, such as piles of firewood or simply scoot them farther away from your home or place them on top of a frame that raises them off the ground. To discourage squirrels and other jumpers or climbers, trim branches that go over your roof. Always make sure, however, that the animals currently in your home will have a method of leaving.

Try An Exclusion Device
If the nuisance wild animals stay on your property after you have made it unappealing, you can use an exclusion device in cases when they are actually in your home. These devices are especially common for situations with bats in your attic, but they can also work in other similar situations. An exclusion device is something that will let the animals leave your home, but not get back inside and they should only be used if baby animals are not present. Using them with families is inhumane as the mother will not be able to get back inside to care for her babies, causing her to worry and her babies to die. When all nuisance animals are adults, however, an exclusion device is an excellent method of getting rid of them if you know their entry point. You can either choose to purchase an exclusion device or make one yourself using window screens or funnels. Keep in mind that an exclusion device will not instantly get rid of the nuisance animals; it should take a few days to clear out all of them.

Use Humane Harassment
If simply leaving an exclusion device in place doesn't work or the nuisance animals are on your property but not inside your home, then you should next turn to humane harassment. These are methods of humanely encouraging the nuisance animals to leave your property without harming them. Always start with gentle, small harassment. Opt for an unpleasant smell or one of the natural repellents mentioned below. You can also turn on bright lights for animals living in your attic or in your yard. Another option is to turn on a continuous loud noise in or by the area the animals. A simple option is a battery-operated radio as this is inexpensive and most people already have it on hand. If a single method of humane harassment doesn't work, try combining a few.

Try Natural Deterrents
Another way of getting rid of nuisance wild animals on your property is to use a natural deterrent or repellent in combination with humane harassment. Apple cider vinegar works well on certain animals, such as raccoons, as they don't like the smell. Simply fill a small bowl with it and place it near where the animals live. You can also create various sprays to deter the animals with hot sauce or peppers being common ingredients. Try mixing hot sauce and dishwashing detergent or you can boil peppers and jalapenos in water before letting it cool. Ammonia is also effective, but it usually needs to be reapplied frequently and the odor can bother you and your family as well. Even something as simple as getting a dog can sometimes deter nuisance animals from coming near your home as the scent and sound of the pooch will scare them away.

Call A Professional
If you have tried the above methods and the nuisance animals are still present or you simply are hesitant to try it by yourself, you can always hire a professional to get rid of the animals for you. Simply ensure that you select a professional who uses humane methods that are safe for your family as well as the animals involved.



Problems Caused By Nuisance Wildlife

Nuisance wildlife get their designation for a reason. If they simply coexisted peacefully with you and didn’t cause any damage to your home or property, they would be known as wildlife. The fact, however, is that any wild animal living on your property can lead to issues, particularly if you don’t take precautions. There is a long list of potential wildlife invaders that can take up residence within your home or just on your land. Whether you have squirrels, raccoons, rodents, bats, opossums, or some other animal, you will most likely notice at least some of the following issues.

Making Noise
The most common problem caused by nuisance wildlife is actually the one that typically lets people know that these animals have even taken up residence there: noise. Just like people, nuisance animals will always make some sort of noise. Maybe you hear them communicating with each other via vocalizations or simply hear their feet running across the floorboards in your attic. You may notice a distracting scratching sound in the walls or attic, depending on where the animal is as well.

Causing Odors
Another common issue with wildlife in the home is the smell they leave behind. All wild animals eat food and make waste, just like us humans do. This means that they will produce urine and feces, both of which can cause an unpleasant odor if not cleaned up right away. Nesting material and food scraps can also lead to a foul odor, particularly if these items begin to rot or attract bacteria.

Chewing Wires And Wood
Depending on the animal in question, they may also chew on wires or the wood in your home. Squirrels, raccoons, and rodents have a particularly bad reputation for doing this and it can have serious consequences. Chewed wires can pose a risk of fire if you continue to use the items they are connected to since you aren’t aware of the damage. Chewed wood can cause structural damage and weaken the integrity of your attic, or even the entire home if the damage occurs in the walls or basement.

Destroying Ductwork
Some animals can also cause damage to the ductwork. The way in which they do this will depend on the animal in question. They may place nesting materials inside the duct or simply take up residence there. Small animals, including raccoons, squirrels, and rats can enter the ducts in search of a way to get inside out of the cold weather. Rodents can then chew on the ductwork or cause scratches. Some animals, including snakes, will even crawl into the outside condenser unit linked to your air conditioner when it is off. When you turn it on, the animal dies as the fan rotates and it may also damage your unit. Because of this, you should always check the air condenser unit before turning it back on after a long time sitting off.

Digging Holes In Yard
Even if the animal isn’t inside your home, it can cause problems on your property. One of the most obvious signs is holes appearing in your yard or nibbles on your garden. Many different animals dig holes in the ground, either in search of food or to create tunnels and build up their burrow. Moles, for example, will create mounds with your soil to cover their tunnel entrances so predators can’t spot them. Certain gophers will also make rounded mounds for the same purpose. Chipmunks, squirrels, voles, shrews, and even certain rats will also dig shallow burrows, but they typically don’t have piles of dirt by the entrance. Extreme damage to your yard can come from the deep burrows of woodchucks or badgers. In the best case scenario, you will only have shallow excavations without much soil moved as raccoons, squirrels, or skunks look for food or try to store it for the winter. Certain animals, such as raccoons, squirrels, and woodchucks will even dig up plants, including potted ones.

Eating Garbage
Many wild animals, such as raccoons, are opportunistic eaters. This means that they are likely to go through your garbage stored outdoors in search of a delicious meal. If your garbage cans are outside instead of in your garage and not secured with a sturdy lid, you may wake up in the morning to find that an animal knocked it over and made a mess in search of food.

Spreading Disease
Nuisance wildlife also carries a risk of spreading disease. Every animal has its own unique risk, which is why experts suggest you never touch a wild animal. At the very least, a wild animal may spread fleas or ticks to your pet. In very rare cases, they may carry rabies, although cases are few and far between. Various animals may also pose a risk of ringworms or roundworms or carry fungus or bacteria in their excrement.

Read the Pest Wildlife Home Page page for helpful information and to learn more about How To Get Rid Of Nuisance Wild Animals, or read these topics:
How To Get Rid Of Nuisance Wild Animals
How To Remove A Wild Animal In The Attic
How To Keep Wild Animals Away
How To Kill Wild Animals
How To Trap Wild Animals
Wild Animal Repellent
What Is The Best Bait To Catch A Wild Animal?
Wild Animal Feces
What To Do If You Find A Baby Wild Animal
How To Remove A Wild Animal Inside Your House
Remove Wild Animal On Your Roof
Remove Wild Animals Under Your Shed, Deck, Or Porch
Remove Wild Animals Inside Your Wall
Animal Digging In Yard Or Next To House
Animals Eating Garden Or Landscaping
Should You Feed Wildlife?
Can Wild Animals Harm Your Pets?
Do Wild Animals Make Good Pets?
How To Clean Wild Animal Waste In Your Attic
Problems Caused By Nuisance Wildlife
How To Remove A Wild Animal In The Chimney
Scratching Sounds In The Attic Or Walls
Wild Animal Diseases
How To Repair Different Types Of Wildlife Damage And Entry Holes
Animals in the eaves
How to keep wild animals out of a chicken coop
How to keep wild animals out of my garbage cans
How to keep wild animals out of my garden?
How to get wild animals out of a wall?
How to Catch a Wild Animal with a Snare Pole
How to track wild animals?
How do you know if you have a wild animal in your attic?
How to keep wild animals out of your house?
How to keep wild animals away from your property
How to get wild animals out of the chimney?
How to keep wild animals out from under a shed or porch
How to get wild animals out of the attic
How Do I Clean Wild Animal Feces Out Of My Attic
How do I know if there are baby wild animals in the attic?
Will repellents get a wild animal out of the attic?
Will a high pitch sound deterrent machine repel wild animals?
Will repellents get a wild animal out of the chimney?
Will the city or county animal services help me with a wild animal issue?
Will homeowners insurance pay for wild animal damage?
Will a pest control company remove a wild animal?
Will a wild animal in the attic have a nest of babies?
Is it safe to handle a wild animal with bare hands?
Is it legal for me to trap a wild animal?
What to do about a cage-shy (hard to trap) wild animal
Do Wild Animals Make Good Pets?
What should I do with a wild animal after I catch it?
What are some ways to kill a wild animal in the yard?
What Should I Do If I Find a Nest of Wild Animals in the Attic?
What Should I Do If Find an Orphaned Baby Wild Animal Wondering About?
What Are Some of the Symptoms of a Sick Wild Animal?
What are some humane ways to kill a wild animal in a cage?
Where should I relocate a trapped wild animal?
Should I ever poison a wild animal?
Should I Feed A Baby Animal I Found?
Should I hire a pro, or remove wild animals myself?
What equipment is needed to trap a wild animal?
What is the best bait to trap a wild animal?
What to Do About a Wild Animal on the Roof
What to Do About a Wild Animal under the Porch
What are the most common types of animals that live in attics?
What are the most common types of animals that eat your pet's food?
What are the most common types of animals that poop on or in buildings?
What are the most common types of animals that dig up the yard?
What are the risks of animal chewing on electric wire?
Do animals chew on water pipes? What are the risks?
What are the most common types of animals that eat your garden?
Are baby wild animals cute?
Do mothballs or ammonia help repel wild animals?
What wild animals can destroy the wood on your house?
What if a wild animal got inside my house, bedroom, kitchen, etc.
What Do Wildlife Rehabilitators Do With Wild Animals
Do All Wild Animals Have Rabies (No)
What Diseases Do Wild Animals Carry?
What is integrated pest control method?
Can wild animals in the attic give your pet fleas?
What animals chew on electric wires?
Is Wild Animal Feces Dangerous To Touch or Breathe?
Is A Wild Animal That Is Active During The Day Rabid? (Rarely)
What kind of damage do wild animals cause in an attic?
Do Wild Animals Have Emotions?
Will a High Pitch Sound Deterrent Machine Work?