Figuring out how to keep wildlife away from your property is important, particularly if the local animals are making it a habit of causing damage. Depending on the creature you’re dealing with, you may find the plants in your garden chewed to the ground, ripped up shingles, garbage strewn all over the place on collection day, bird poop all over your patio, and more. Here are some simple things you can do to fight back and deter them from hanging around.
1. Eliminate bird feeders to keep wildlife away from your property
Get rid of bird feeders. This can help keep birds from using your property as a bathroom, plus, keep other animals away too. Raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, bears, mice and rats can all be attracted to the feed you’ve chosen for a bird feeder. If you want to enjoy a bird feeder and the resulting bird traffic without the downsides, set up your feeder far away from any patio furniture or other items you don’t want used as a bird toilet. Also, choose a feed that’s specific to the type of bird you wish to attract (not a mixed feed) — an added benefit is this will keep the area around the feeder much more tidy since you won’t have feathered friends making a mess of it as they try to dig around for only their favourite morsels.
2. Secure your garbage properly to keep the local animal population out
How you secure it will depend on the characters likely to snoop in it. If you live in a rural area, bears may be a concern and require Fort-Knox-like security around your bins. Many people choose to store their garbage in an enclosed garage or shed for this reason. If it’s raccoons that your trash needs to be protected from, putting a heavy stone or a few bricks on top of the lid can prevent these wily creatures from opening it up. Rodents are pretty easy to keep out as long as you ensure there are no holes in your bins. It goes without saying that plastic garbage bags aren’t secure enough — you need a heavy duty plastic or metal trash can with a well-fitting lid.
3. Don’t invite them over for a drink
Bird baths and bowls of water for your pets that get left outside are open invitations for the local wild animals to pop by for a drink. Get rid of this stuff and that’ll be one less reason for unwanted visitors to stop by.
4. Get rid of runways to your rooftops
If you have tree branches that hang over the roof of your house, garage, or shed, trim them. This will help stop animals like squirrels and raccoons from climbing up there and exploring where they don’t belong. If they can’t get onto the roof, they can’t break into your attic to cause havoc either.
5. Seal up all access holes to your home, garage, and shed
Make it a habit to regularly inspect the exterior of all buildings on your property. Look for holes that wildlife might use to get inside. Assuming there aren’t already any furry (or feathered) creatures who have moved in, seal up any holes you find and keep them out for good.
It’s possible to keep wildlife away from your property
Although it may not seem like it at the time, animals are pretty logical: they want warm shelter from the elements, food, and water. By making sure your property provides none of these things, you maximize the chances that any curious animals sniffing around will quickly move on.
If you’re in Burlington, Oakville, Milton or the Hamilton Region and need help animal proofing your property or removing animals from your home or business, call Halton Wildlife today!
