Squirrel Control Made Simple For Yakima County Homeowners

We have quite a variety of animals in Yakima County, Washington. Some of the animals in our area have different species, so it is often complicated when dealing with wildlife pests. If you're having trouble controlling squirrels, it isn't surprising. But don't worry, we have you covered! Today, we're going to simplify things. We'll look at the types of squirrels that enter our yards, why it is best to control them, five tips that are easy to understand, and what works best to keep squirrels away. If you want to speak with a professional to better understand your squirrel control issue, our service professionals are more than happy to assist you. Navigate to our contact page, text us, or call. We can help you find answers. If you know you need professional services, you can schedule a service visit. Prosite provides advanced squirrel pest control in Yakima County. We can get this tough job done right.

The Types Of Squirrels That Hang Around Yards

Don't worry. We're not going to get into all of the different squirrel species we have in Washington State. We're only going to look at two types of squirrels. Squirrels that live in the trees, and the ones that live in the ground. We want to get straight to why we're here. It is all about finding a simple solution for dealing with these potential pests.

Tree squirrels are the squirrels that invade Yakima County homes. They run along tree branches and leap through the air to get onto roofs. Once they get onto a roof, they can chew and claw through building materials to enter a home. Tree squirrels can also use pipes on the side of your home to scale it and get on your roof. They climb pipes in the same way they zip up the trees in your backyard. Tree squirrels may also get into your home by scaling your exterior. If the surface is one that a squirrel can cling to with its claws, it may scale a wall and get into your home through a gable vent.

Ground squirrels are entirely different pests. They tunnel in your yard, create unsightly holes, and damage your lawn. These are lawn pests, and they require an entirely different control strategy. We're not going to cover this today. We're going to focus on tree squirrels because there isn't a lot you can do about ground squirrels. If you want to know how ground squirrel control works, e-mail us. We'll share our methods for inspecting your property, evaluating conditions, and applying targeted control solutions.

You have several options when it comes to dealing with tree squirrels. We're going to share five great tips with you today. Before we do, it is essential to consider why you should apply these prevention tips. Squirrels are commonly considered harmless animals, and, for the most part, they are. But they aren't always harmless.

The Diseases Squirrels Are Capable Of Spreading

When squirrels enter your yard and scamper around trees and vegetation, they're fun to watch. We like watching squirrels too. We get it. But a squirrel in your yard can become a squirrel inside your home, which can happen right under your nose. They can impact your life long before you go to the internet in search of squirrel control near you. Here are a few quick facts to consider.

• Squirrels create holes that may allow rainwater to enter your home. The moisture caused by rainwater can lead to mold, and mold is a potential health concern.
• Squirrels are not potty trained. When they enter your attic space, they're not going to go outside to do their business. Their waste is a potential source of illness.
• Squirrels carry ticks and fleas. These parasites present a disease concern. We strongly recommend checking out resource pages on the CDC website to learn about the diseases spread by ticks and fleas.

Now that you know "why" it is best to deter squirrels, it is time to look at "how" you can keep squirrels from becoming pests. These five no-sweat tips are easy to understand, but you may have to put in some effort and sweat to tackle these jobs.

Five No-Sweat Tips To Prevent Squirrels Around Your Home

Squirrels are simple animals. They are primarily driven by two factors. It should not come as a surprise to understand that they will prefer your yard if they find food and water on your property. Removing food and water options is the first step in squirrel prevention. Once this is done, you'll need to consider exclusion work, also referred to as pest-proofing.

1. Consider refraining from feeding the squirrels. If you're a squirrel watcher, you may like to put peanuts or walnuts out for the squirrels to eat. If you do, you could end up with damaged screens, wood, soffits, or shingles. You may also have an infestation. Along with this, it is important to remove food sources in your yard. Stay on top of raking nuts up from underneath any trees that produce them. Remove bird feeders or put your feeders away from your exterior walls. If you have mushrooms or fungi growing in a moist location, consider addressing the moisture to dry things up. If you have a garden, it is essential to protect your garden vegetables and prevent squirrels from finding a bite to eat. There are many suggestions online for how to keep squirrels out.
2. Clean your gutter system of any blockages. When rainwater collects in your gutters, it can spill over onto the ground and saturate it with moisture. When the rain goes away, it will take longer for your perimeter to dry if it is saturated. Puddles that sit are a water source for squirrels. Rainwater can also get collected by objects that sit in your yard. Remove the objects in your yard that capture rainwater, everything from a dump truck left outside by your child, or the seat of a riding lawn mower.
3. Trim branches on trees that are near your roofline. A squirrel can leap several feet. It can also fall from great heights without harming itself. Don't underestimate a squirrel's ability to get onto your roof! Trim branches that are within eight feet of your roofline to prevent squirrels from getting onto your roof. If you can't get up there to trim the branches, you have one other option; you can band your trees with sheet metal. Squirrels can't grip the surface and will not have the ability to climb trees that are banded.
4. Apply pest-proofing. Use hardware cloth to protect gable vents and other potential entry points. Seal gaps around your plumbing. Use mortar to patch cracks in your foundation walls. Repair rotted sill plates or use expanding foam to temporarily fill holes.
5. Do some home improvement work. Squirrels often get into homes through malfunctioning seals around garage doors and exterior doors. Check your sweeps and weatherstripping to make sure you have a good seal all the way around your doors. Replace any materials that require replacement.

If you're handy and don't mind the work, you can apply pest-proofing on your own. If you have enough on your plate and don't want to tackle these steps, Prosite offers extensive pest-proofing services. Our exclusion services provide long-lasting protection from squirrels. Let's take a quick look at what you can expect when you have one of our highly trained and experienced technicians address your squirrel and wildlife management needs.

The Best Way To Keep Squirrels And Other Wildlife Away

There are many pest control service providers in Yakima County. When dealing with wildlife pests, like squirrels, you need to find a company that specializes in wildlife management. Not all companies provide exclusions, and some only provide limited exclusion work. When keeping squirrels out of your home, you need a company willing to climb a ladder to address gaps in your soffit edges and along your roofline. Prosite is the right choice when you need pest control for squirrels.

• We humanely remove squirrels from your interior. The methods we use work to address one squirrel or a family of squirrels infesting your home.
• We provide sanitation services to remove the smell of urine that can attract another squirrel infestation, by vacuuming rodent droppings, sanitizing surfaces, and removing contaminated insulation. 
• We apply appropriate exclusions everywhere they're needed, but most importantly, along your roofline where you are vulnerable to squirrel infestations.
• We provide appropriate follow-ups to make sure the squirrel control methods used were enough to get the job done completely.

Whether you currently have a squirrel in your home, or you're looking to prevent squirrels and other pests from entering, we have solutions. If you live in Yakima County, contact Prosite. Our technicians have the range of skills and training needed to address squirrel infestations and ongoing squirrel management. It pays to get an expert when it comes to addressing this pest problem. Jump to our contact page, fill out the short form, and get in touch with us. We're here to help you with all of your wildlife and general pest concerns.