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4 Reasons Snakes May Enter Your Home in Autumn
websitebuilder • September 1, 2020
Seeing any pest in your home can create an unnerving feeling, and for many, the presence of snakes draws up fears and worries. As the summer months transition into fall, the number of snakes found in homes could increase. Snakes do not just get into homes randomly. The motives are often specific and triggered by certain elements in the house.
Learn how snakes find their way into your home, ways to prevent their presence, and how a pest control worker will help with the snake removal.
1. Outdoor Items Moved Indoors
During the autumn transition, many homeowners may move items back into the home to keep them protected. Unfortunately, sometimes snakes are unwillingly part of the move. For example, if you have large potted plants you move indoors, there could be a snake living inside the plant. At some point, the snake will attempt to escape the plant and explore the home.
If you use a fireplace in the winter, a woodpile on the porch or back deck could easily attract snakes. And the close proximity of the reptile to your home could easily allow snakes to get inside.
As you move items from the outside to the inside, complete a full inspection to ensure no snakes are coming into your home. If you do spot a snake, do not attempt to catch the animal or chase after it. You may scare it away from the original spot and create a challenge to find it again.
A pest control worker will use specific methods to remove the snake and keep the animal away from your home.
2. Indoor Nesting
As nights get cooler, snakes may seek out a warm and dry location within your home to nest and lay eggs. A snake nest will typically appear in dark places of the home, including the basement. If you have a crowded basement area filled with boxes and other supplies, snakes can easily squeeze through the cracks and find a proper nesting point.
Like many animals, snakes are naturally protective over their nests. If you discover any nests within your property, do not approach the area because the snake could turn aggressive. A pest control company will help relocate the snake and the nest so you do not have to worry about the arrival of baby snakes invading the home.
3. Attraction to Rodents
Snakes are often on the hunt for their next food source and many of the snakes make mice and rats a part of their diet. If you have a rodent problem, then the problem can quickly expand in the form of a hungry snake. While the snake would help eliminate the rodents, the eating habits are few and far between, only increasing any problems you have.
Treating your home for mice and rats will naturally allow snakes to seek out other hunting grounds. A pest control worker will look for signs of both pests and set up a prevention plan to remove all the critters from the house.
4. Open Spaces and Warmth
The thin and flexible body of a snake means the animal can enter your home without much effort. An open space could easily allow a snake to come inside the house, even if the animal just seeks some warmth during a cool autumn day. To prevent this, visually inspect the outside of your home to see the different openings and areas where snakes can enter.
For example, if you have storm doors on your cellar, a small crack will easily allow a snake to enter inside. Block off areas, close off gaps, and limit the number of entry points a snake has for your home. A visual inspection from a pest control company will also help point out vulnerable areas you missed.
Do not let snakes become a major problem in your home. Instead, contact us at Anteater Pest Control Inc. We will help you identify snakes, remove the animals, and prevent snakes from coming back in the future.
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Bats can be cute when you see them in nature, but inside your home, they are more than just a nuisance. Bats can carry deadly diseases, like rabies, which means that if you have a bat, you need to take steps immediately to solve the problem. Removal Options Removal is best left to a professional due to the risks involved. Single Bat A single bat may get into the house through an open window or the chimney. The good news is that this usually is a one-time event and you don't have an infestation. The best course of action is to remove pets and people from the room with the bat, open all of the windows in the room, and then close off the room so the bat can't get into the rest of the house. With luck, the bat will find a window and leave. If you must handle the bat, wear gloves and do not touch the bat directly. The safest option is to call in a pest service if the bat doesn't leave on its own. Roosting Colony Sometimes your home provides the perfect place for daytime roosting. Little-used attics are most at risk, but bats may also colonize crawlspaces, spaces in your walls, or outbuildings. You should not try to remove an entire colony of bats on your own. A pest professional that is aware of local and federal wildlife laws should be called in to trap and remove the bats. Prevention Tactics Once you are free of the bats, your next step is to ensure that they cannot return. Exclusion If a bat can't get into your home, you can't have a bat problem — which is why exclusion is your main goal. Your pest service will inspect your home and find the likely entry points that the bats are using. You can also watch your home during the twilight hours to find where the bats are emerging. Once you know the likely entry points and have had all bats removed from the house, you can seal up the openings so the bats can't regain access to your home. Alternative Dwellings If you live in an area with a high bat population or would simply like to keep these beneficial insect-eaters nearby, then providing alternative dwelling options can be just the ticket for diverting bats away from your home. You can buy or build simple bat boxes. These boxes are typically attached to trees or poles to provide a more attractive roosting space for the bats. Cleanup Safety Bats are not clean animals. If a bat has been roosting in your home, then you will have droppings (called guano) and urine to deal with. Guano Sanitation Bat guano can carry histoplasmosis, a fungal spore that can cause a chronic respiratory disease. If you must try to clean up on your own, you need to cover all of your skin, wear gloves and eye protection, and use a respirator mask. All debris must be cleaned up and all surfaces must be sanitized with a bleach solution. Professionals will also use a HEPA vacuum, which has a strong filter that ensures none of the possible fungal pathogens remain in the air. Dead Bat Removal Extreme caution is necessary if there are dead bats in your home. Conditions like rabies can still be transmitted from dead animals. Wear gloves and do not touch the bat directly if you attempt to remove it yourself. The area where the bat was found must also be completely sanitized with a bleach solution. For more assistance with a bat in the home, contact Anteater Pest Control, Inc.
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