Lifestyle & Travel

How To Keep Critters Out Of Your Home

Dawn Mikayla

There are no greater unwanted guests in our homes than critters and pests. Follow this guide to safely keep critters away from your property.

As the concrete jungle expands, critters are finding more and more ways to make our homes theirs too. Homeowners who live near new construction or heavily wooded areas often have more issues with unwanted pests like raccoons, opossums, and even the occasional squirrel. If you’ve found your neighborhood is an animal haven, here’s how to keep critters out of your home and backyard. 

Keep Your Garbage Clean and Secure 

crittersFood is one of the best ways to attract animals. Make sure your garbage cans are securely shut so that, even if they are tipped over, an animal can’t get in. Once animals get ahold of your garbage cans, they’ll certainly be looking for more. You should clean out the inside of your garbage cans every so often as well. If you store your cans in the garage, animals may be enticed to find a way in to get to the aroma your garbage cans are emitting. 

Cover All Entryways  

A gap in your siding or a hole in a vent can create big problems for your home, such as inadvertently inviting outside creatures in. Be sure to assess your home for any possible entryways by making fixes such as caulking a hole in a vent, installing a grate over the chimney, or even adding a window well cover for your basement to keep critters from entering.  

Secure Your Backyard  

Ponds and gardens attract animals as sources of water and food. If you have a pond in your backyard, consider covering it at night or installing an electric fence around the perimeter to keep animals such as raccoons out. Adding a small fence or chicken wire to your garden can keep unwanted critters away from your beloved fruits and vegetables. You may also want to consider adding a fence around the perimeter of your yard to keep animals from entering your property altogether.  

Cleaning and securing your garbage cans, covering all exterior entryways, and securing your backyard are a few suggestions for how to keep critters out of your home.