A crawlspace under a house offers plenty of space and protection from weather, making it an attractive place for animals such as squirrels, raccoons, mice, and rats to live. A wild animal in your crawlspace is a serious problem that has the potential to lead to significant damage in other areas. If an animal gets into a crawlspace, it can gain access to other parts of the house, such as air ducts, pipes, and electrical wiring. Wild animals have a tendency to chew and tear away at things to move around and make their homes, which can result in expensive repair bills.
How to Prevent Animals from Getting into Your Crawlspace
If your house has a crawlspace, you should take some precautions to keep wild animals out. One thing you can do is to seal off any openings leading to the crawlspace. Animals can get into crawlspaces by burrowing under walls and through unsealed spaces and cracks. Carefully inspect the areas outside and inside your crawlspace for potential entry points that animals could use to gain access. Many animals can squeeze through small holes, so look closely and seal any holes and openings, even tiny ones.
Many animals, particularly rodents, like to live in crawlspaces because they are moist environments. You can reduce the amount of moisture in your crawlspace by putting down a vapor barrier. This is a solid barrier, such as rubber or plastic, that is placed between the ground and the crawlspace.
If you have brush near your home, that can attract wildlife. Hedges near a house can trap moisture and make the ground softer, which can attract animals and help them burrow under walls. Remove any brush and trim hedges near your house.
Another way to keep animals out of your crawlspace is to lay a concrete floor and footing. Dig a small footing around your house and pour a concrete wall and floor to keep animals from burrowing under your walls.
What to Do If an Animal Is Already in Your Crawlspace
If an animal is currently living in your crawlspace, you need to get it out as fast as possible, before it moves on to another part of your house and causes damage. You should not try to catch a wild animal yourself because you could get bitten and some animals can carry diseases.
Call the professionals at Anderson Wildlife Control. We will humanely live-trap the animal and release it in another area away from your house. We use environmentally friendly methods and do not utilize poisons or pesticides or harm animals in any way.
Once we have trapped and removed the animal, we can find the entry point it used to get into your crawlspace and seal it off. We can also repair any other damage it caused to your house. If you have a problem with a wild animal living in your crawlspace, contact Anderson Wildlife Control today.
