Durham's Guide To Preventing Nuisance Wildlife on Your Property

A Few Things You Might Not Know About Wildlife

• Wild animals bring ticks and fleas into your yard.
• Animals have sharp claws that can damage your screens which will allow mosquitoes and other biting pests to get inside.
• Some animals have strong teeth which they use to chew through wood and other building materials.
• Animals leave waste in your yard, this is an attractant for other pests, such as houseflies.
• Mid-sized animals can knock your trash over and spread it around your yard.
• Rodents are a particular problem because they don't just come into your yard, they can also get into your home.
• Many animals damage garden vegetables, fruit bushes, trees, flowers, and ornamental plants.
• Some animals dig unsightly holes in the ground and damage lawns.
• Some animals eat certain ornamental shrubs.
• Some animals chew holes in eaves, soffits, and rooflines, which allows moisture to get inside and cause wood rot.

5 Tips To Keep Wildlife At Bay

Step 1: Remove Food Sources That Can Be Removed

• Get rid of bird feeders or move them away from the exterior of your home. Birds aren't the only animals that feed on seeds. Bird feeders can be a catalyst for rodent infestations.
• If you have fruit-producing trees, stay on top of picking the fruit up.
• Animals feed on bugs for protein. When you take steps to reduce bugs, it has an impact on wildlife activity. One helpful tip for reducing bugs is to replace exterior white lights with yellow lights. Some bugs aren't able to see yellow light and are not drawn to the source of these lights.
• As gross as it might sound, mice and rats can take to eating the feces of domesticated dogs. It's not a preference, but picking up waste can reduce this potential attractant.

Step 2: Protect Food Sources That Can't Be Removed

• Bag all garbage in plastic bags and store them in covered receptacles that can't be easily knocked over. It is also wise to routinely disinfect trash receptacles to remove strong odors that attract animals.
• Put fencing around gardens and other obvious food sources.
• If you notice that bark is being damaged at the base of a tree on your property, apply a metal protective girdle to arrest the damage and prevent the bark from being a food source.

Step 3: Remove Sources Of Drinking Water

• Clean your gutters and repair any breaks in your gutter system. This prevents oversaturation of your perimeter, which can cause puddles to form.
• Address compacted ground.
• Fill holes in or create a gradient to allow water to flow away from your home.
• Remove containers that capture rainwater. Keep in mind that any object that captures rainwater can act as a water container.

Step 4: Remove Harborage Options

• Apply fencing material to keep animals from getting underneath your deck, porch, shed, and other structures.
• Remove piles of objects in your yard; some animals establish burrows underneath.

Step 5: Remove Hiding Places

• Remove yard clutter so that rodents can't hide under these objects.
• Prevent areas of tall grass, particularly near your home.
• Trim your landscape vegetation at the base of your plants, shrubs, and trees.
• Remove unnecessary vegetation from your landscaping.
• Move objects away from your exterior, particularly wood piles, leaves, dead branches, stones, and other organic materials