Spending time grilling, sunbathing, or just chilling on your deck is one of life’s simple pleasures. Yet when bothersome pests like squirrels take over your outdoor living area, it impedes your ability to relax and enjoy the space. Squirrel droppings are both a nuisance and health hazard, and deck materials are easily damaged by gnawing and chewing.

When it comes to keeping squirrels at bay, the best defence is a good offence. Here are three simple tips for how to keep squirrels off your deck, along with where to find a rodent removal specialist in Pickering if you’ve already got a problem on your hands.

Tip #1: Don’t Feed Them

An accessible food source is a key attractor for squirrels, so if you’re setting out nuts and seeds to lure wildlife to your deck, you’re asking for trouble. Even if you intend to draw birds and other welcome creatures, almost anything you put out proves irresistible to squirrels.

Remember, too, that hand-feeding squirrels is dangerous. Squirrels carry rabies, Lyme disease, salmonella, and other hazardous diseases and parasites transmissible to humans. Although they might be cute and fun to feed, there’s simply too much risk involved when you offer food to squirrels.

Tip #2: Make Your Garbage Inaccessible

Even if you don’t openly feed squirrels, the scraps you toss into the garbage provide an ample supply of food for foraging pests. While disposing of food is a necessity, ensuring your trash cans are appropriately secured reduces their appeal.

Always place food waste in thick-walled garbage bags, and tightly seal them before placing the sacks in your bins. Choose garbage cans made of heavy-duty materials that are difficult for squirrels to chew through, and ensure your bins have tight-fitting lids or latches. Although no trash cans are entirely secure from squirrel invasion, the more difficult yours are to access the more likely the wildlife will turn elsewhere for an easier food resource.

Tip #3: Remove and Clear Out Shelter Areas

Along with having an accessible food source, safe shelter is also paramount to squirrel survival. That’s why the final tip for how to deter squirrels is to remove potential nesting spaces from your deck and surrounding yard with a detailed cleaning.

Protected areas that attract debris are ideal homes for squirrel nests. Keeping your outdoor spaces free of clutter and clearing away leaves and other piled items that accumulate on or below your deck eliminates attractive nesting opportunities.

Inspect your property for likely nesting spots, remove these attractors with a thorough cleaning, and then spend a few minutes each weekend tidying up any mess that’s starting to accumulate. If eliminating food sources and staying on top of clutter isn’t enough to keep squirrels away, it’s time to turn to effective squirrel removal in Pickering to end the trouble once and for all.

Get Professional Help With Squirrel Removal From Skedaddle

Even once you know how to keep squirrels off your deck, these persistent pests may still cause problems. When you need to get rid of rodents on your property, look no further than the experienced team of professionals at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control.

DIY measures are unsafe and usually ineffective. Rather than risk your health and waste time, turn to Canada’s largest wildlife control company for safe, effective, and humane results. For over 30 years, our squirrel removal experts at Skedaddle have provided communities across the country with excellent service and guaranteed workmanship. Call us today and leave your squirrel problem to Skedaddle.