How to Wild Animal-Proof Your Basement
We look at why wild animals are attracted to certain parts of the home, how they’re getting in, and what you can do to stop them.
15/11/2022
Worried about nuisance wildlife getting into
your home? You’re in the right place. Today, we
look at why wild animals are attracted to
certain parts of the home, how they’re getting
in, and what you can do to stop them.
More specifically, we’re talking about how you
can guard your basement against nuisance
wildlife.
Why the basement, though?
While wild animals have been known to set up
a nest in any room of a house, they’re typically
most attracted to basements, attics, and sheds.
What do these places have in common? They’re all
fairly secluded, darkened, and cramped.
Most people don’t view the basement as actual
living quarters. The lack of amenities, the
cold, and the sheer unpleasantness of being
underground all make the basement somewhat
unpleasant for human dwellers, though not for
wild animals. For them, that’s precisely what
makes basements so attractive.
Look at it
from a wild animal’s perspective: the basement
is easy to access, and fairly uninhabited,
meaning they’re unlikely to be bothered. It
offers protection against larger wild predators,
while also providing plenty of spaces to hide in
(since there’s typically lots of storage in a
basement). Last but not least, it allows the
wild animal to nest near a source of food and
water (most homes are better sources than we
realize).
In other words, the basement is
a highly coveted home for wildlife.
So how can you prevent that?
1. Be on the lookout for gaps
One reason why basements often fall prey to
an infestation is that we tend to neglect them.
This is why experts recommend running regular
check-ups of the walls of the basement, the
foundation, any windows, and so forth. Keep an
eye out for cracks and holes, even ones that
seem too small to matter. Remember that snakes,
mice, and cockroaches are perfectly capable of
getting in through small cracks.
Once you
do find a crack or gap, you want to seal it
immediately, using material that animals won’t
be able to chew or claw through, like expandable
foam, or caulk.
2. Cover any existing holes.
Some elements like windows, vents, and hatches, can’t be sealed, for obvious reasons. That doesn’t mean you shouldn't regard them with caution. Instead, a good way to pest-proof your basement is to install a wire covering over all such openings, to prevent wildlife from getting through.
3. Reconsider how you use your basement.
Since the basement is so attractive for
wildlife because of its relative quiet, it might
be a good idea to change how you use it. Instead
of using the basement as just a storage space,
maybe you find another purpose for it, like a
gym, or a second living room, or anything that
would imply more people coming and going.
Wild animals are cautious about their new
home, so if they see a lot of coming and going,
they’ll prefer to stay away in the first place.
4. Remove attractions.
The next obvious step is to remove the other
attractions for the wild animal, namely the food
and the water. While the basement makes for
excellent shelter, it’s usually not enough in
itself to keep a wild animal living there.
Particularly if it doesn’t have access to other
necessities like food or water.
So in
your effort to pest-proof the basement, consider
what else might be attracting the animals. Are
there open sources of food, like open trash cans
(or ones that topple easily), pet food bowls,
bird feeders, and so on, on your property? In
that case, consider bringing them indoors
overnight, or finding better ways to cover them.
Do the same for potential water sources.
5. Reach out to a professional.
Before you actually seal any gaps in the
basement, it’s important to make sure there are
no lingering wild animals already in there.
Sealing them in would be not only inhumane, but
would also expose you to further trouble (e.g.
bad smells, which would also attract other
predators).
There are also other ways in
which a
wildlife removal company can help you
minimize the risk of a wildlife infestation.
They’re well-trained in spotting early warning
signs that may predict an infestation and
stopping it.