Birds in Vents in Lancaster, Pa

As spring approaches, birds return to the north and begin nesting. Bird problems develop when cavity dwellers, such as House Sparrows and Starlings, begin to invade your home.

Birds in vents are particularly destructive once they gain access to your home. Bathroom vents, dryer vents, stove vents, and microwave vents are common entry points. Birds will also access your home through gable vents and a wide variety of roof-mounted vents. These include ridge vents, powered fan vents, and static vents.

Damage Caused by Birds in Vents

Birds in dryer vents are an immediate hazard for homeowners. Dryer vents become clogged quickly with nesting material. Furthermore, this causes poor performance from your dryer and the potential for a fire hazard. Bird activity in a dryer vent also causes the exhaust line to tear, allowing the dryer to vent into the wall or ceiling. As a result, unseen moisture damage will occur in your home.

Birds in bathroom vents present different types of issues, such as odors and disease concerns. A clogged or damaged line in a bathroom vent creates air contamination-“sharing the air” with the birds. As the amount of nesting material and droppings increase, warmer temperatures increases odor. Eventually, the odor will permeate the living space. When the exhaust fan is activated, the clogged line can actually force air back into the bathroom.

Diseases they carry

Nuisance birds are direct carriers of disease and the most common ones are Histoplasmosis, Salmonellosis, and E. Coli. Nuisance birds are also frequently associated with more than fifty types of ectoparasites (parasites that live on the exterior of another organism.) These pests can work their way into the home, infest the living space, and bite humans. A significant amount of these pests can also cause general health and well-being issues in both humans and pets.

We provide remediation and repair services for all types of bird issues and exclude the birds from gaining access in the future. We also replace damaged lines, clean out nesting debris, and ensure proper ventilation for all vents.

Call Backyard Wildlife Solutions today if you are experiencing bird problems or birds in vents. We offer bird removal and other services in Lancaster, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Reading, York, and surrounding areas.

Bird Problems in Homes

Bird problems in your home are caused by a variety of issues. In a few other blogs, we discuss birds in dryer and bathroom vents and birds behind shutters.

There are other types of vents on homes that are exploited by birds! Many of these vents are located on or near the roof of your home.

Types of Vents

Ridge vents are mounted at the peak of your home and are often missing end caps due to birds or other animals. Gable-end vents are mounted on the sidewalls of your home near the peak.

Depending on the age of your home, these vents may or may not have built-in screening. Often, built-in screening is not heavy enough to prevent animals from entering. Ultimately, these two types of ventilation systems are the most common roofline vents for bird problems and bird entry.

Additionally, we have a lot of experience with bird problems in dome vents and static vents. Powered dome vents contain a fan and pull air from the attic. Their screening systems are similar to roofline vents. Furthermore, static vents are stationary vents that also help with airflow from the attic. These have no screening at all and provide a perfect opportunity for birds to enter!

Removal and Remediation

As we discussed in prior blogs related to bird problems, birds carry diseases and make terrible messes. If they have invaded your home, they should be removed as quickly as possible. Moreover, the affected areas should be restored to safe conditions. We offer heavy gauge vent screening and other permanent components that match the aesthetic of your home!

Call us or use our contact form if you have bird problems and we offer permanent, custom exclusion solutions. Backyard Wildlife Solutions is based in Lititz, PA, and offers nuisance animal control and animal removal services in Lancaster, Lebanon, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Reading, York, and surrounding areas.

Squirrel Removal in Lancaster Pa

We are experts for Squirrel Removal in Lancaster PA and the Vicinity

We receive calls for squirrel removal in Lancaster, PA year-round, but during the winter months indoor activity peaks. As temperatures drop, squirrels seek out protection from the elements. They often enter through chimneys, attics, and crawl spaces of homes.

Squirrels can enter these spaces of your home by accessing a variety of vents or finding a “weak spot” in your home. Trapping and removing the squirrels is the best way to ensure squirrels will not return. In addition, exclusion work such as chimney caps and vent guards prevent squirrels or other animals from returning.

Squirrel Removal from Chimney

We recently performed squirrel removal in Lancaster. We received a call from a customer who was experiencing noise in their fireplace. They suspected a squirrel. After inspecting the fireplace and chimney flues, we were able to confirm that a squirrel had accessed the open chimney.

Often, a squirrel that enters a flue-lined chimney is unable to crawl back out due to the smooth texture of the flue tiles. After removing the trapped squirrel from the fireplace, we verified no additional blockages were present in the chimney. Then, we installed stainless steel chimney caps on both of the open flues to prevent future issues for the homeowner. Aside from keeping out additional squirrels, the new chimney caps will keep out other animals and have other benefits such as fire prevention and more.

For help with squirrel removal in Lancaster Pa, give us a call or use our contact form!

Check out our other animal removal services.

We offer squirrel removal in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, and Reading, PA.

Animals in Gardens

If you tend to a garden, you most likely aren’t a stranger to animals in gardens. You may be wondering, how is it possible to keep them from eating your food?

Depending on the animal, there are a few different methods you can try independently or can be employed by an animal removal technician.

Always identify what animals you’re dealing with first to utilize the best methods.

Prevention Methods for Animals in Gardens

Physical Removal

With animals that we can trap, we always recommend physical removal of the animal first and foremost. Once the animal is relocated, we implement a prevention method for other animals in the future. As gardens are very attractive to many animals, we highly recommend preventative measures in place. Once you have an issue with animals, it is likely they will return.

Chili Powder

There are two main categories dealing with animal invasions; above ground and below ground. Above ground, an easy defense mechanism is applying chili powder to your plant’s leaves and produce. Most animals will be deterred from returning. This process may need to be repeated depending on weather conditions but can serve as a temporary fix.

This can be effective for animals that love to climb over fences like squirrels, raccoons, or opossums. It is also a natural alternative to sprays or other repellents which are rather ineffective and can be harmful to plants. Just make sure to wash your foods well before consuming them to avoid the extra spice!

Fencing

Fences can be somewhat effective depending on the type of animal you have. For fencing, we recommend installing fences that extend below the surface of your garden. This prevents animals like groundhogs, moles, skunks, and rabbits from having access to your garden.

Groundhogs are primarily herbivores, and gardens are the perfect place for them to munch! They burrow underground, a telltale sign we see with groundhogs is multiple holes in your yard.

In addition to groundhogs, moles also spend a lot of their time underground. While they won’t directly eat your plants, their tunneling uproots plants and destroys root systems. A fence that is made up of a heavy gauge wire and extends below the ground would be the best solution for these two animals.

Visual Deterrent for Birds

While we’re unable to trap birds and fences do not offer protection from birds, visual deterrents that do not affect your plants can be effective. Sprays and other repellents are often ineffective when dealing with birds.

With almost any issue you’re having with animals in your garden, we can help. Give us a call or contact us for animals in gardens!

Snake Removal Harrisburg

Snake Removal in Harrisburg, PA

The most common snakes in our area are black snakes and garter snakes. These snakes primarily feed on rodents and bugs. While those benefits are appealing, snakes living inside your home aren’t ideal.

About Snakes

Snakes are cold-blooded meaning they can’t maintain a body temperature higher than the environment’s temperature. Some snakes prefer to hang out around rocks; they lounge on top of the rock to warm up or slither underneath it for shade. Most prefer environments around 55 degrees. Furthermore, they can survive in a 45-degree environment. Comparatively, at 32 degrees they will freeze to death.

Black Snakes

The average black rat snake ranges from forty to seventy inches. These snakes are the ones responsible for keeping mice and rats away. Moreover, they often hibernate in basements during the winter months. During the spring and summer, they like areas with loose soil, sandy habitats, or decaying leaves.

A large rat snake, around six to seven feet, can actually eat a raccoon or opossum.

Garter Snake

Common garter snakes range from twenty to twenty-eight inches long. They are found in a variety of places; cultivated fields, swamps, lawns, and gardens. Additionally, the eastern garter snake is the most common in Pennsylvania.

Their colors range from green to dark brown with prominent yellow stripes. Contrary to the popular belief, these snakes do have venom. However, it is not toxic to humans; it only slows down their prey.

What do they do?

Snakes enter homes and structures through small gaps around the perimeter. This also includes open basement windows or cracks in the foundation. Moreover, they enter in search of shelter, food, or both.

While entry points near ground level are ideal, black snakes are excellent climbers. They often climb brick, siding, or other rough surfaces to gain access to gaps along the roofline.

Are they dangerous?

Many non-venomous snakes are often mistaken for venomous snakes. The wide range of patterns and colors causes a lot of misidentification. In the Susquehanna Valley, the majority of our snakes are non-venomous.

About the Snake Removal Process

All snakes in PA are protected by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. For more information about local breeds of snakes, click here to be taken to their official website.

First, we fully inspect the perimeter of your home during the initial site visit. From there, we discuss trapping and removal options. We can then place traps and physically remove snakes without harm. Additionally, we relocate them to more suitable locations. Moreover, a range of exclusion techniques is available to prevent future issues.

If you have a snake or another animal in your home, call us, or use our contact form.

Backyard Wildlife Solutions offers snake removal services in Lancaster, Lebanon, Harrisburg, Carlisle, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, York, Reading, and surrounding areas.

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