Animals can become a nuisance when they decide to make themselves at home near your structural supports. If left to their own devices, animals can damage your property and leave you with repair running into thousands of dollars.
The animals that are most likely to wreak havoc on your home include:
1. Skunks
Skunks are drawn to areas offering easy access to food and shelter. As such, they are likely to intrude homes that are not adequately reinforced or fenced. They can even burrow into the crawl space and make their way into the ventilation system to escape the harsh winter conditions.
Although skunks don’t cause a lot of structural damage, their lingering smell is enough cause for removal. The real problem arises during the removal process when they emit a stinky liquid, whose odor permeates the home.
2. Rodents
As the weather cools down, mice and rats like to make their way indoors. They can cause more structural damage than skunks since they chew through wiring and wood structures. They nest in the insulation, turning your walls into playgrounds within a few weeks.
3. Raccoons
As adorable as their fluffy fur and bandit mask are, raccoons are naturally troublesome. They are drawn to properties with food sources such as poorly concealed garbage cans, bird feed and pet food. Once they pick through the yard and discover the interior of your home, a female can seek shelter in the attic to bear her young. The result is gnawed insulation and electrical wiring, which ultimately poses a fire threat.
4. Snakes
Typical of cold-blooded animals, snakes will seek out warm shelter when cold weather starts to set in. While they don’t pose a threat to your home’s structure, they are not a guest you want to deal with. They are a threat to your family’s health, especially if their bite is poisonous.
5. Groundhogs
Cute and comical as they seem, groundhogs can cause serious damage to your foundation. They have a tendency of ransacking and digging up lawns, as well as burrowing under the house. Considering the high speeds at which groundhogs excavate dirt when building underground mazes, they can cause the soil around the foundation to shift and destabilize your home.
6. Bears and Cougars
Bears and cougars don’t make their way into homes often, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be on the lookout. These large predators are not aware of their size and can cause a lot of damage to your property.
7. Squirrels and Chipmunks
Like rodents, squirrels and chipmunks nest in the insulation. Their teeth never stop growing and the only way to keep them trimmed is constant chewing. If they can’t access their preferred foods, squirrels and chipmunks will chew through insulation, structural supports and anything that isn’t metal. A chipmunk infestation can lead to lyme disease, bacteria infection, and plague.
8. Pigeons
Pigeons were once prized as game meat and messengers, but they are now a nuisance in homes. They nest in gutter systems and redirect the flow of water to the perimeter of your house, increasing hydrostatic pressure near the foundation.
9. Deer
They are not a threat to your home’s structure, but give them enough time to get comfortable on the lawn and you’ll soon be dealing with a whole herd.
Bats
Bats aren’t dangerous to the insulation and waterproofing, but even so, you shouldn’t allow them to take up residence in your home. They use your home as a bathroom, causing wood damage and attracting bugs. Their guano stinks and encourages mold growth and disease transmission.
9. Woodpeckers
They make homes out of exposed wood in your property, weakening the wooden supports against the rains.
10. Vultures
Vultures love playing with shiny things and if bored enough, they’ll tear off the roof shingles.
Conclusion
If critters are invading your home, get the help of a professional to repair the damage and take steps to prevent future home invasion. A professional inspector can help you evaluate the extent of the damage and estimate the cost of repairs.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
