Vent Guards and Gutter Guards

We are finally into the warmer months of the year which are active seasons for most animals in Central Pennsylvania! We offer custom solutions to seal and protect your home.

Some animals search from top to bottom for any weak spots. Once they find one, they will turn it into their new front door!

We’ll highlight the benefits of our gutter cleaning services, custom vent screening, vent guards, and gutter guards. Additionally, we also install chimney caps that protect your home from a variety of issues.

Vent Guards and Custom Screening

Some vents come with built-in screening. However, most of these built-in screens are not strong enough, which allows animals to chew through them.

The vent guards we use cover typical vents such as dryer vents and bathroom vents. For other vents that are custom to each home like dormer and gable vents, we create a custom screening solution that prevents animals from entering your home. We create a cover out of heavy gauge wire and aluminum for a perfect fit and protection.

Different Animals that Exploit Vents

Birds find vents to be optimal nesting areas due to the protection and warmth. Raccoons, squirrels, and mice are excellent climbers. Moreover, mice use brick, stucco, stone, and other textured exterior elements to scale your home. Bats will often use vents and other small openings to gain access to your attic or living space.

Our custom screening solutions not only seal your home but match your home’s aesthetics to create a unified, finished look.

Gutter Cleaning and Gutter Guards

Typically, without any gutter guards, gutters should be cleaned out a few times a year. Gutter guards are not a permanent solution, but they significantly reduce the number of cleanings. With gutter guards, gutters should be cleaned once every 1-2 years. They act as a filter that is installed over your gutters that prevent debris from entering your gutters. Ultimately, this prevents clogging and allows rainwater to be drawn away from the roof.

We offer regular gutter cleaning services as well as gutter guard installations.

Backyard Wildlife Solutions has over 15 years of experience installing chimney caps, gutter guards, and custom vent screening. Please give us a call or use our contact form to find out more about our exclusion methods!

Rabbits in Pennsylvania

About Rabbits

Rabbits are a part of the Leporidae, including all rabbit and hare species. There are 60 different species of mammals in this family! While they look cute and cuddly, they damage your property and carry infectious diseases.

What do they do?

Rabbits are most known for hopping and foraging in gardens. However, they can jump to high heights and long distances! Rabbits can jump up to 3 feet high and 10 feet in distance. Rabbits can almost see 360 degrees due to their eye positioning. Moreover, rabbits spend most of their time grooming, eating, digging, foraging, and playing. Around mid to late morning, they retreat to their dens to relax.

Rabbits in Pennsylvania do not hibernate in the winter; they’re active year-round! They usually spend more time in the winter searching for their food due to greens not being available. They’ll typically eat bark, twigs, and pine needles.

On the contrary, rabbits leave droppings everywhere they go, and can be destructive. During the colder months, rabbits search for shelter from the elements and predators. They prefer to live under decks, in sheds, in crawl spaces, really anywhere accessible, and close to foraging spots!

Preventing Rabbits from making your home their home

Installing fencing that extends below the ground can protect rabbits from gaining entry to your property. It prevents rabbits from digging below the surface as well as other animals like moles and groundhogs.

Performing regular yard clean-up, even in the winter, can make your property less attractive to rabbits. By clearing fallen twigs and branches throughout the winter, rabbits will likely choose a more convenient location for their homes.

Furthermore, having a nuisance wildlife control expert seal any potential entry points prevents rabbits and other animals from entering your home.

What diseases do they carry?

Rabbits carry a variety of viruses including tularemia, salmonella, ringworm, e. cuniculi, tetanus, and sniffles. Most recently in 2020, Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease (RHD), was detected for the first time in wild hares and rabbits in the United States. In August 2022, RHDV2 was detected for the first time in Pennsylvania in a domestic rabbit facility in Fayette County.

How does it spread?

It is highly contagious and spreads between hares and rabbits through direct contact with an infected live or dead individual, ingesting contaminated food or water, through infected flies, birds, biting insects, predators, and scavengers, and contact with urine, droppings, and respiratory discharges. This virus can survive on clothing, shoes, plant material, or any other items that come in contact with an infected animal.

How does RHD affect rabbits in Pennsylvania?

RHD is fatal, with between 75%-100% of infected animals resulting in death. Infected animals will present poor appetites, lethargy, and blood emitting from their mouths or noses. RHD is not infectious to other domestic animals or people.

Multiple dead or sick rabbits or hares can signify tularemia or plague; diseases that can cause serious illness in people. It is extremely important that an animal removal professional handle the potentially infected animals. With over 15 years of experience, we follow the safest practices for animal removal outlined by the PA Game Commission.

What can we do to prevent RHD?

The PA Department of Agriculture believes that early detection of the disease and removal of the suspected animal is the best method to mitigate the RHD outbreak.

As a home or business owner, avoid touching any dead hares or rabbits. Clean and disinfect all surfaces and equipment that may have contacted RHD-positive animals. We handle many types of animal removal, including dead animals. Call or contact us for safe and effective animal removal!

Chimney Cap Installation

You may ask, “What are the benefits of having a chimney cap?” There are multiple benefits of having one installed on your home. While chimney caps keep animals out of your chimney, they reduce moisture damage, block downdrafts, and prevent sparks from landing on your roof.

Critter Control

First and foremost, chimney caps keep animals out of your chimney. If you have had experience with a squirrel, bird, or raccoon falling or flying into your home, a chimney cap is a preventative measure we strongly recommend! If you haven’t experienced this yet, the installation would prevent any future animal issues with the chimney.

Moisture Damage

Moreover, it prevents rainwater from entering the chimney and sheds water off the chimney top to prevent mortar damage. Rainwater also damages stainless steel liners, dampers, and mortar joints. Ultimately, built-up moisture from rain creates expensive damage. They also prevent branches, leaves, and other debris from falling into your chimney.

Downdrafts

Has your living room ever filled with smoke while using the fireplace? This is usually caused by a downdraft. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, it causes a gust of air that sends the smoke down the chimney and into the fireplace. The design of a chimney cap also blocks wind.

Fire Hazards

Additionally, it stops sparks and embers from landing on the roof. Smoke easily carries these up the chimney; however, a chimney cap is designed to block these. It prevents a fire on your roof.

If these benefits sound appealing, don’t hesitate to call or contact us! We safely remove any animals and install stainless steel chimney caps with a lifetime warranty. We have access to a full range of standard and custom caps.

Backyard Wildlife Solutions has over 15 years of experience in animal removal and installing chimney caps. We currently serve all of Central PA including Lebanon, York, Lancaster, Harrisburg, and surrounding counties.

About an Opossum

A Few Facts About an Opossum

‘Opossum’ not ‘Possum’

Opossums are North America’s only marsupial. When their young are very small, they are carried in the mother’s pouch. Once they are too large for the pouch, they hang onto their mothers’ backs. They are often confused with Australia’s tree-climbing marsupial, the possum.

Playing Dead

Opossums are most commonly known for faking their death. It is actually an involuntary response similar to humans’ “fight or flight” response. Because they are slow movers, their bodies become limp and unresponsive when a threat is present. Additionally, they even secrete a foul-smelling odor to mislead their predators.

The Good and Bad About Opossums

Opossums will mostly eat anything. This includes ticks, cockroaches, and rats. Even though those meals are beneficial, it also means they raid your trash cans, pet food, and yard. Finding your garbage scattered all over your driveway or lawn is not the most pleasant way to start your day!

They are also excellent climbers. This means they will find a way into your attic, and turn it into their bathroom. This can be a lengthy and expensive cleaning process. Opossums also like to live under your deck, shed, or crawlspace.

While they aren’t known for carrying rabies, they carry a variety of parasites. If you own horses, they can potentially spread EPM which is fatal.

If you believe an opossum is under your deck, shed, or living in your attic, please call us or use our contact form. We’re your licensed wildlife control technicians for opossum removal and other animals. We are currently serving all of Central PA: ‎Lancaster, Lebanon, Harrisburg, York, and surrounding counties.

The Rabies Vaccine

Receiving the rabies vaccine is an unpleasant experience. Len, our owner, and operator has experienced these vaccines.

Rabies is a complex topic, so we’ll start with the basics. Rabies is a disease caused by a virus. Furthermore, it attacks the brain and the central nervous system. We’ll explain how the disease is transmitted, what to do if you’re exposed, the symptoms of rabies, and the rabies vaccine.

How is it Transmitted?

The saliva of an infected animal or human touches a break in the skin and rabies is transmitted. The most common ways are being bitten by an animal or an animal licking a break in the skin. Additionally, if an infected animal licks one’s nose, mouth, or eyes it can be transmitted. Extremely common carriers of rabies include groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, bats, dogs, cats, coyotes, and foxes.

Potential Exposure

If you have been bitten by an animal, immediately clean the wound with soap and water. If possible, try to observe the animal. The observation should take place for ten days to visualize any unusual behavior. If the animal does not show any symptoms of a rabies infection, you may not need the vaccine. On the other hand, it is always better to be safe as rabies is fatal.

Additionally, if the animal has been or can be captured, it can be tested. Contact the PA State Game Commission for help when capturing a potentially rabid animal. The Department of Agriculture provides more information about its animal testing process.

If the animal is not familiar and can’t be observed, contact your local health department or an infectious disease expert. The disease expert can often be reached at your local hospital. The CDC should also be contacted to record any outbreaks.

Symptoms of Rabies

After exposure, rabies has a very long incubation period. This period can range anywhere from two weeks to two months. Once the symptoms start, they are not reversible. Skipping the vaccine isn’t worth the risk of a fatal virus. Ultimately, it’s always fatal and non-reversible.

Early Signs of Rabies:

Fatigue
Sore Throat
Vomiting
Headache

More Advanced Signs:

Hallucinations
Disorientation
Hyperactivity
Difficulty Swallowing

The final symptoms of rabies consist of paralysis, coma, and death.

The Rabies Vaccine

If you think that you may be exposed, consult with your doctor. Only hospitals carry the two-part vaccine, so an ER visit is necessary.

The exposure vaccine is completed in 4 doses:

First, one dose is given right away which is paired with the immune globulin. The globulin kick-starts the immune system and provides protection before the vaccine works.

Next, another dose is given on the third day. It is followed by a dose on the seventh day. Finally, the last dose is given on the fourteenth day.

Comparatively, a preventative vaccine is another option. It’s extremely beneficial for people who work around animals such as a veterinarian or animal control experts.

Vaccine Symptoms

Furthermore, there is a wide list of side effects and complications that can occur with the vaccine. As with any shot, soreness, redness, swelling or itching is very common near the injection site. In addition, a lower percentage of recipients experience headaches, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle aches, and dizziness.

Keep an eye out for symptoms that indicate an allergic reaction:

High Fever
Behavior Changes
Hives
Swelling of the Face and Throat
Difficulty Breathing
Elevated Heart Rate

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