How To Identify And Deal With Burrowing Animal Infestations

When you are a first-time homeowner, you may not be fully aware of all of the possible pest infestations that your home could face at any given time. While most people are aware of problems like ants, mice, and cockroaches, issues with burrowing animals in and around your home may not be so familiar. Get to know more about how to identify and deal with problems with burrowing animal infestations so that you can be sure you are doing the best you can to protect your home against this type of pest.

How Can You Tell You Have Burrowing Animal Problems?

Identifying a burrowing animal infestation can be a challenging task if you do not know what to look out for. Many burrowing animals are good about hiding their burrows in plain sight so that predators cannot easily find them.

When a burrowing animal decides to take up residence around the exterior of your home, they will often do so right along the foundation. This provides them with a sense of safety and protection. You may notice a hole near your foundation or displaced soil or dirt in the area that wasn't there before.

If you have a skunk problem, specifically, you may notice the strong smell before you notice any other issues in your yard. The smell, assuming it does not dissipate quickly, means that the skunk has burrowed in the immediate area. You will also want to look for signs of a hole or burrow around detached garages, storage sheds, pools, or hot tubs. These are also common areas.

How Do You Get Rid Of A Burrowing Pest If You Find One?

If you do happen to find a burrow or come face to face with the burrowing animal in question, the next step will be to get rid of the pests in your yard and preventing future pests from moving into the area. Trapping the animal in question is the first step. You can try to purchase a burrowing pest (raccoon and/or skunk) trap and trap the animal on your own.

However, skunks and raccoons can be quite aggressive when trapped or cornered. This means you could be at risk when you try to move the trap or relocate the animal. It is best to hire a pest control service to help with your raccoon or skunk removal so that you do not put yourself at risk.

Once you have cleared your property of the burrowing pests, you can get down to preventing future infestations. A wire mesh screen can be placed underground in the areas where burrows were located to prevent those burrows from being used again. If the animals also managed to get under a structure in your yard or under your house, wire mesh can prevent that from occurring again. You could also reinforce the fences around your property or get yourself a pet dog (which will discourage other animals from entering your yard).

Now that you know more about identifying and dealing with burrowing animal infestations, you can be sure that you take the steps you need to take in order to take care of the problem.


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