There are several reasons that wild animals attempt to move into human habitations. In some cases, human settlements have encroached on their territory, meaning that they have fewer options. Houses also offer warmth, protection from predators, and sometimes easy access to food, all of which may be too tempting for an animal to pass up.

If wild animals do get into your home, they can cause extensive property damage. To prevent this, call wildlife control in Waukesha as soon as you become aware that there is a problem. Wild animals in homes can sometimes be stealthy and difficult to detect, but there are some signs you may recognize.

1. Sounds From Your Attic

In many homes, the attic is unused space. From an animal’s point of view, this makes it the perfect spot to make a nest and avoid detection while enjoying all the benefits that a human habitation has to offer. Tree-dwelling creatures, such as squirrels, birds, and raccoons, are most likely to take up residence in the attic, but mice may nest up there as well.

If there are animals living in your attic, you may hear sounds coming from up there during the times that they are active. The types of sounds and their timing can help you figure out what kind of animal you have:

• If you hear chirping noises, you may have a nest of baby birds in the attic. The adults make scurrying or rustling noises.
• Sounds of running, scampering, or squeaking at night indicate mice in the attic.
• Squirrels go out during the day to gather food, so you are most likely to hear them jumping around early in the morning before they depart.
• Raccoons are most active at night and make a quiet sliding noise when making a nest in the attic.

2. Sounds in Your Air Ducts

Vents allow air to circulate throughout your home, but they can also allow a way for birds and other animals to get into your home and take up residence in the air ducts, which is a serious problem. Throughout the year, you should perform regular checks of your vents to make sure they are sufficiently sealed off and to check that there are no holes to allow animals to get in. If there are animals in the air ducts, the sounds you hear should be similar to the sounds from animals in the attic. The difference is that they will seem to come from all over the house, not just the ceiling.

3. Unusual Damage to Your Property

Once an animal has decided that your home would be a good place for a nest, it can be very tenacious at finding a way in. Rodents will chew out holes in vents and soffits, and the soft wood of an older home can make this easier. Raccoons can use their dextrous claws to pull off soffits, shingles, and whatever else might be getting in their way. In the process, they do damage to your home. They don’t make any effort to hide the evidence of their break-in, so you may start seeing signs of damage around your home, such as tiles or shingles that have been torn away or wood chips on the ground. While the damage may seem minor, animals can do much more serious damage once they are inside your home. Therefore, you should not ignore these signs if you find them on your property.

Humane Wildlife Control in Waukesha

Wild animals have important roles to play in the ecosystem, so it is important that they be removed from your home humanely and relocated elsewhere to raise their families in peace. Skedaddle’s trained technicians and refined techniques remove the animals safely. At the same time, we protect you from disease and property damage by cleaning the contaminated areas and preventing the animals from coming back. Find out more about the services we offer throughout Lake Country.