Nobody likes to arrive at their vacation home only to find a family of squirrels has taken over house and home. Certainly nothing could be worse than walking into your kitchen to find your wood table balancing on three legs because an animal chewed off the fourth, a cupboard full of chewed up cereal boxes, and a collection of overturned spices. It is not uncommon to find chipmunks, bats, mice, birds, skunks, or squirrels in a vacation home. Although not as common, deer have actually been found in vacation homes.
It does not take long for animals to completely destroy a home. They come into the home, usually during cold weather, looking for a warm place. Once they are in, they usually cannot find their way out, and the damage begins. If an animal is about to give birth, she will search for a nice, warm, safe spot to have her young. Unfortunately for you, your vacation home is an excellent spot!
There are certainly things you can do to try and prevent this. Of course, plugging any holes is the best way to keep them out; however, these pesky little rodents can squeeze through the tiniest spaces you could ever imagine. There are companies that are trained to locate and plug up these holes for you. Generally these are organizations that try to prevent, rather than kill the animals, but any pest control company might do this for you. Of course, you can do this on your own as well. Use copper mesh because the animals will not chew this, and the copper will not rust. Be sure to put the mesh over vents as well.
In case animals do enter the home, be prepared by having traps set out. Even if you have never had a problem in the past, there is always a first time. If you will be leaving your home for more than a week, it is probably best to play it safe and set out some traps. The kitchen and the basement are excellent spots for these.
You can minimize the chance of attracting animals and insects to your home or limit damage they might do once inside. Besides setting up traps, be sure to pack up the things animals like the most in plastic airtight containers. Either this, or simply throw the items out or give them away. Most of the things they like best are inexpensive anyhow. Here is a list of some of their favorite treats, which are bound to be located in nearly everybody’s kitchen, and these items can also make the best bait on traps:
· Cereal
· Nuts
· Dog food
· Flours and sugars
· Any boxed mixes (such as pancake mix)
Do a good cleaning before you leave, especially in the kitchen or anywhere small crumbs might fall or spills may have occurred. Do an extra good job of cleaning up any greasy build-up, which is also appealing to pests’ palates. Be sure to empty any trash in the home too.
The best thing you can do is to schedule your home to be serviced regularly by a pest control company. It is best to do this before you have a problem. If you know spiders, for example, are a bad problem where you live, go ahead and have your house sprayed for them, even if you do not have a problem. Spiders can really to take over, building webs in every corner. When this happens, it does not take long for your vacation home to look more like a haunted house than a weekend retreat. If you prefer to spray for insects yourself, this is an option too. Just be sure to follow the directions closely if you want to see results.
It is not uncommon for animals to become trapped in window wells. If you have these, be sure to cover them. Usually when an animal falls in these, it cannot get out. This can lead to the animal digging or breaking your window in a panic.
To keep rodents and pests away outdoors, use repellents rather than poisons if you really want to get rid of them. It's better to try and keep the pests away than keep killing them off as they come. If you have had problems with moles or voles making a mess of your lawn, sprinkling mole/vole repellent around your home before you leave for the season is a great idea.
Lastly, to keep all the animals that like to play Santa Clause out of your home, be sure to shut your fireplace dampers and cap your chimneys.
