It is easy to get the wrong idea about wildlife. You may imagine yourself opening the windows and allowing the birds to come in and dress you while you stand singing in front of the mirror. You may imagine a skunk walking into your yard upright on its hind legs and making a pass at your cat. You may imagine hearing a gentle stir in the bushes near your home and, parting them, find a mother deer and her fawn tenderly sleeping by her side.

Wild animals are called wild for a reason. The animals that come into your yard are not going to behave like animated animals from your favorite movies and shows. Let's take a look at a few of the things the wildlife in Los Angeles County can do in your yard, or in your home and, most importantly, what you can do about it.

an opossum in a los angeles back yard

Things An Animated Animal Would Never Do

  • Leave their dropping on your lawn, on your walkways, and inside your home. Animated animals just don't, well, you know.
  • Rip your door and window screens with their claws.
  • Drop fleas and ticks near your home for your pets to pick up or bring fleas and ticks into your home.
  • Dig a hole near the side of your shed in order to create a den underneath.
  • Chew a hole through your soffits to get into your attic spaces.
  • Knock your trash receptacles over and spread garbage all over your lawn.
  • Spray you with a sulfur-based compound squirted from its, um, backside.
  • Create a roost in a roof soffit intersection and leave acid-based, white droppings on your roof, which can eat away at your roof tar and tar paper.
  • Create a roost under your solar panel array and cause damage to it over time.
  • Attack your dog or cat.
  • Eat your garden vegetables, fruit from your trees, or berries from your bushes.
  • Get into your home and chew on your wiring.
  • Get into your home and find their way into your pantry or food storage areas.
  • Contaminate your foods.
  • Dig multiple, unsightly holes in your yard and damage your lawn and landscape vegetation.

We could go on, but hopefully, you get the point. Real animals can present real problems. Sure, we'd like to think of wild animals as fun, harmless—even magical. Unfortunately, they don't quite live up to our expectations.

What Can You Do About Wild Animals?

When wild animals come into your yard (and it is likely that they will) you should let them know that they're welcome to visit, but not welcome to stay. Most trouble with wildlife occurs when animals find harborage, or when residents feed them and encourage them to return often for more food. Here are a few tips for effective wildlife control and prevention that will help reduce potential food sources:

  • Refrain from putting food out for the animals, both intentionally, and accidentally. If you have bird feeders, consider moving them to at least 20 feet from your exterior. If you feed pets outside, consider putting the food down only during meals. Make sure your trash receptacles have covers, and that they cannot be easily knocked over.
  • Use fencing material to keep animals from getting underneath your deck, shed, and other structures. When you apply the fencing material, be sure to insert it at least a foot below ground to prevent burrowing animals from getting underneath.
  • Use fencing material to protect gardens, fruits, berries, and other natural food sources.
  • Remove debris, clutter, woodpiles, and other objects from your yard. This reduces harborage options for certain animals.
  • If you find that animals are damaging your exterior, you may protect these areas with metal flashing or steel mesh.

Keep in mind that animals also need water to survive. Locate and address water sources in your yard. Water is a building block of life, and all animals want to be near sources of water, such as puddles or containers.

When Trouble Starts

If you are having an issue with a wildlife pest, be it in your yard or inside your home, remember that HomeShield Pest Control is available to support you with proofing services, exclusions, attic cleaning services, trapping, bird deterrents, and other key services to get control of wildlife pests and manage wildlife activity.

Proactive Wildlife Control

Our team can also assist your pest control efforts with the installation of a GutterLock system. Clogged gutters can lead to ground saturation. This can allow puddles to form after rainstorms, and these puddles can sit in your yard for wildlife to use as a source of drinking water. A GutterLock system keeps leaves and other debris out of your gutters, gets rid of the need to hire someone to clean your gutters, and reduces ground saturation near your home.

Help Is Here!

If you need assistance with wildlife control and exclusion in Los Angeles, remember that HomeShield Pest Control is available to help. Reach out to us today for fast, friendly, and knowledgeable service.