Anyone with a house has a lot of opportunity for pests to gain entrance. And the larger the pest, the more damage that can usually be done. Skunks, raccoons, and groundhogs fall into this category of fairly large pests that can do quite a lot of damage. We’ll look at each one and what they can do.
Skunks
Probably most people know the smell associated with skunks. That odor that permeates all it touches and clings to everything. To outside walls, to pets, even to children.
Skunks tend to make their homes under porches and in the crawl spaces of houses. They can even burrow under the corners of driveways and houses.
They will burrow for grubs, ruining lawns and flower beds.
Their preferred method of protecting themselves is to spray that obnoxious scent. Before spraying, they will stomp their front feet, turn away from the object of their spray, and then bend their bodies in a U shape to observe their target as they spray.
Skunks usually have their young in the Spring. That is the time they’ll seek a safe place for their families. Once the young are large enough, they start following their mother around. This is when you can close up those places where skunks could find shelter.
If you don’t do this, you run the risk of having them move right back in when fall approaches. Only this time, there may be more of them.
Skunks are notorious carriers of rabies. So in addition to the smell that makes them so hard to have around, your family and pets may be in danger of harmful diseases as well.
When you know you have skunks around or under your house, don’t wait. Call Heath’s Wildlife Service to remove them and take care of any openings that could be used to re-enter your home.
Raccoons
Those cute little bandit-faced critters that wash their food just like humans are not so cute when they take up residence in your home. Raccoons have learned to live with humans very well. Too well.
By becoming used to humans, they have found human leftovers to be excellent food sources. These leftovers are found in dumpsters and garbage cans. They also have found living in our homes to be a good choice for them.
Such a good choice that they may rip holes in the roof or gable vent to gain access to your attic. And once there, they are hard to remove. They leave lots of droppings, make quite a mess, and tend to be very noisy residents.
Raccoons are large animals and strong. They can tear off siding from your house and bend your gutters. Female raccoons can be very protective of their young and may fight to keep them safe.
Raccoons can also carry diseases that affect your pets and your children.
For these reasons, don’t wait to call Heath’s Wildlife Service to remove raccoons when you know they’re in or around your home.
Woodchucks
Also known as Groundhogs and Whistle Pigs, these large mammals are diggers and burrowers. They can destroy crops, flowerbeds, and lawns, as well as buildings. In fact, their burrowing can cause small outbuildings, driveways, and even pools to collapse.
They live and raise their young underground. Their tunnels can be as long as 40-50 feet and five feet under the ground.
The most common complaints voiced about woodchucks include:
- burrows being dug under decks
- burrows being dug next to homes
- landscaping being eaten
Woodchucks can eat a lot of vegetation. Thus, they can devastate your garden and landscaping. The holes and tunnels they dig may pose a health hazard due to children and pets stepping into them and breaking a leg.
These animals can carry a lot of diseases and parasites that may infect humans. The fleas and ticks that infest them can be transferred into your home.
When these and other pests find your home and move in to stay, call Chris Heath at Heath’s Wildlife Service for their removal. Call today for your free, no-obligation estimate.
Call or contact Heath’s Wildlife Service today
for a free, no obligation estimate.
Toll Free (855) 422-0434
Local (603) 664-0513
Heath’s Wildlife Service
P.O. Box 284, Barrington, NH 03825
chris@heathswildlifeservice.com
