There are many places that pests will try to invade in and around your home. Warm, dark, quiet and out of the way places will no doubt be a magnet for many different kinds of rodents and other animals. One of the more common spaces that they may create a den is underneath your porch or deck. This space has everything animals look for when searching for a home!

Why does wildlife go under your deck or porch?

If you’re in Burlington, Oakville, Milton and area and suspect animals under your porch or deck, call us! We find the entry points, remove the animals and prevent re-entry!

Since the area underneath your porch or deck is dark and not often disrupted by people and other pests, it makes for a very safe feeling hideout for many animals. With animals like squirrels, raccoons, possums and skunks looking for a safe place to create a den to prepare for baby season this spring, the area under your porch is particularly at risk.

In the wild most animals will look for a space inside a tree hollow, between tree roots, in a cave or underneath a fallen tree to make a safe space for their babies. The space underneath your porch or deck resembles these spots because it is cool, dark and quiet. Sticking close to homes often also means some nearby food sources as homeowners put out food for pets, take the garbage to the curb or leave out scraps after outdoor meals.

How you can tell if there’s an animal under your porch?

There are many small hints that you might notice if you suspect an animal is living under your porch or deck. It’s likely that you won’t spot all the signs at once but if you have any suspicions, your awareness will likely cause you to notice more over time.

1. You see them – Though you might not see them actually making their way underneath your porch, spotting new animals in your yard or hanging around your property may be a sign that they’ve created themselves a home.

2. You see damage – Most pests will leave some form of damage to your property as a sign that they’ve been there. Whether it’s burrow holes in your lawn and garden, gnawed trees and wood, ripped apart garbage bags or stolen veggies from your garden, damage to your home is a sure sign that a pest may have taken up residence in your attic, under your porch or somewhere in your yard.

3. You smell or see droppings – Animal droppings are never something that you want to find in your yard but if you come upon them regularly, you may have a housemate that you weren’t aware of.

4. You find footprints – If you want to catch pests in the act, sprinkle flour around the suspected entrance points to see if it is disturbed or showing footprints in the morning.

5. You hear sounds – Scratching, scurrying and banging sounds underneath your porch or in the wall that backs onto your porch can be a warning sign that something has made themselves at home under your porch.

Time to get rid of the animals

If you find that you have an animal under your porch or deck, it’s likely time to take measures to get them out. First step to evicting your unwanted houseguests is to ensure that there are no babies in their space. If you don’t take this step and just block the entrance to prevent them from returning, you will end up leaving the babies to starve without their mother.

If there are babies under your porch you can either wait until they’re old enough to leave on their own then block off the entrance, or call in the professionals to help you remove them safely.

Once the pests are out, make sure you block off all possible entrance points to prevent this from happening again next year!