The cold season has arrived and the wildlife around your home will be searching for three things: warm shelter , food , and water .

Our homes are the perfect spaces for critters to hide out in the winter months, as our attics, chimneys, crawlspaces, and basements offer constant heat and safe shelter from their predators.

Some of these furry visitors may seem cute and innocent, but these animals can cause intense problems (both property and health related) for your home, family members, and pets. It’s important to learn about the wildlife in Georgia that could possibly enter your home this winter and learn what the proper steps are to ensure wildlife don’t choose your home for their holiday stay.

Rarely seen during the daylight, these nocturnal creatures are not rodents. Raccoons are carnivorous mammals, about 2-3 feet long, with stocky bodies. When raccoons are in search of food, they will use their hands to dig in trash cans.

No, not all raccoons have rabies. However, raccoons are the largest carrier of rabies in Georgia, right next to skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes.

Homeowners can identify signs of raccoons by noticing:

Raccoons can present very serious dangers to your home as well as your family’s and pet’s health. These dangers can include property damage, rabies, ringworm, and more.

Did you know, there are 21 million homes infested with mice or rats each winter in the US. These little critters can wreak some serious havoc on your home. Mice and rats love to live in crawl spaces and between the side-beams behind your walls, and these rodents can even make frequent trips to your kitchen for food while your family is asleep. Mice and rats also can carry and spread salmonella, as well as harbor disease-carrying parasites like fleas, ticks, and lice. In addition, mice and rats chew through electrical wiring in hopes of a meal, which can lead to serious property damage and house fires.

Squirrels are the most common and prevalent rodents in the state of Georgia. Their population can be in the millions in Georgia in any given year. Squirrels like to inhabit attics and basements and will bring in troves of acorns to store for the winter months. Similar to mice and rats, squirrels can bring in disease, drop hazardous fecal matter, and chew through wires in search of shelter.

For more information about the dangers of squirrels in Georgia, check out our blog. At Local Exterminator, we provide quality and safe squirrel removal services for the entire metro Atlanta area. Contact us here if you need squirrel removal.

Less common in your home but dangerous just the same, birds will infest your chimney opening to build nests and lay their eggs. Bird droppings not only cause a terrible mess, but birds can also harbor disease and parasites that could potentially harm your family and pets. Birds can also cause severe damage to your roof line and chimney openings.

Bats are a protected species in Georgia and killing them is prohibited. Only professional trapping and evacuation by trained technicians should be implemented in the case of a bat infestation. If you need safe and humane bat removal services in Atlanta, please contact Local Exterminator.

Preventing wildlife from entering and inhabiting your home is an ongoing process that needs special attention and consideration. As homes age, so do their parts and structures. Giving monthly checkups to the cracks and crevasses in and around your home’s foundation is the first step in keeping wildlife out.

Make sure the top of your chimney has a grated screen with no openings or holes. Check above your flue panel for any signs of leaves, droppings, or wildlife before sealing it off. Over time, debris from storms can damage the screen around your chimney escape and animals can pull it apart to find safe shelter. Make sure your chimney is secure and guarded from wildlife intruders.

The foundation around your entire home should be checked each and every season. Small cracks, holes, open pipes and pathways in the dirt are all easy routes for wildlife to enter your home in. Seal all openings before the cold sets in.

Wildlife love to find tiny cracks and openings along your roof line to get quick and easy access to your attic. Make sure to check the exterior of your roof, starting with the intersections and siding to your attic and the flushings seams on the roof that connect the two. Make sure that the siding that connects to your roof is not wrapped or pulled away from the structure of the home.  Look for exhaust openings and loose vent screens along the roofs surface.

Use a flashlight or headlamp to thoroughly inspect your attic for openings and chewed up, damaged areas to the wood. If you find a hole that was made by an animal, assume they are still present and do not seal the entryway until a professional can trap and remove them.

Here at Local Exterminator, Inc., we have been protecting residential and commercial properties in Georgia from unwanted wildlife for almost 30 years! We offer a  humane and responsible answer to your rodent and animal problems. A wildlife infestation is just as unappealing and stressful as an insect infestation, but there’s also an increased risk of property damage, potential injury, and diseases.

Our team is comprised of experts fully licensed and permitted (State of Georgia Department of Natural Resources) in live trapping, humane animal removal and relocation.

Call us today at  (855) 7822-8255 for a free wildlife inspection for your metro-Atlanta home or business, or contact us online here.