6 ideas for keeping critters out of your backyard

Abell Pest Control

Animals big and small can cause damage to your lawn and garden, as well as spill trash or leave behind unsightly waste. Often maintaining a beautiful lawn means keeping critters out of your yard. Check out these tips for deny wild creatures access to your property:

  1. Put up a fence
    According to the San Francisco Chronicle, setting up a fence is only half the battle for deterring animal visitors. Most creatures can either jump or climb over standard fences, unfortunately. For that reason, be sure to select a style with a slanted top that makes it difficult for a raccoon or other creature to get up and over. Likewise, be sure that your fence is tall enough to keep out larger animals such as a deer or turkey.

  2. Bring in a plastic predator
    Another easy way to keep animals from invading your backyard or garden is to scare them off. Many hardware stores sell plastic owls and other tools that work like a scarecrow. Smaller animals likely can't tell the difference between a false predator and the real thing, and will likely think twice before entering your garden if they believe they are being watched from above.

  3. Experiment with natural repellents
    There are all sorts of smelly items that may be useful for keeping animals off your lawn. Predator Guard found that common household items such as garlic or scented soaps can be effective for confusing or repelling many backyard animals. Likewise, outdoors stores also sell synthetic animal urine that may scare aware smaller creatures, while even the scent of simple human hair can make critters feel less safe.

  4. Get rid of any attractants
    Instead of stopping or scaring animals, it make also be worth removing whatever is luring them to your backyard in the first place. Unsecured trash cans, for example, can be a gold mine for hungry creatures, as can leftover food scraps from a barbecue. Even a bird feeder can serve to attract opportunistic animals like squirrels or opossums. Make sure your yard doesn't offer animals any free food, especially at night.

  5. Set up an OK place to explore
    Some homeowners may find that rather than keeping animals at bay, it's best to coexist. Setting up an area of your yard with a bit of water and cover will give creatures safety, which is important for those that are just passing through. Instead of tearing up your yard and leaving behind unsightly waste, they will have an area of your property all to themselves. Be sure not to feed any animals, however, or else they won't want to leave.

  6. Call in a professional
    Some creatures may linger a little too long in your yard. Be sure to call in a professional pest removal service if you are having serious issues with backyard critters. This is especially important if you believe any animals are gaining access to your home, attic or garage, as this can cause an unsafe situation for you and your family.



About the author:

Abell Pest Control is a family owned Canadian company dedicated to providing effective, professional and courteous service in pest management.Started in 1924 with one office, Abell now employs several hundred people with branch offices across Canada and the United States.

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